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  What it means

  “A tailor cuts as much cloth as he has.” You can only work with what you have; one must adapt plans and ambitions to available resources. Don’t promise or attempt more than your means allow.

  English equivalent

  Cut your coat according to your cloth.

  Vocabulary

  • krawiec — tailor
  • krajać — to cut
  • materia — fabric, cloth
  • stawać — to suffice, to be enough (archaic)

  Grammar note

  'Materii' is the genitive of 'materia'. 'Staje' here is an archaic third-person singular of 'stawać' meaning 'to suffice'.

  Cultural context

  The tailoring image was very relatable in a society where clothes were made to measure and fabric was expensive.

  Intermediate

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