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  What it means

  “It’s a waste of great effort where a small one will do.” Don’t over-complicate or over-invest when a simpler solution is sufficient. A call for economy of effort.

  English equivalent

  Don't use a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

  Vocabulary

  • szkoda — it's a pity, it's a waste
  • praca — work, effort
  • kędy — where, when (archaic)
  • zmóc — to manage, to handle

  Grammar note

  'Wielkiej pracy' and 'małą' are genitive and instrumental forms respectively. 'Kędy' is an archaic conjunction meaning 'where' or 'when'.

  Cultural context

  The archaic word 'kędy' marks this as an older proverb, giving it a formal, literary flavour.

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