A pint pot can hold a gill, but a gill can't hold a pint pot
“A pint pot can hold a gill, but a gill cannot hold a pint pot.”
A bigger capacity can absorb a smaller amount, but a small capacity cannot hold something larger than itself — not every situation works both ways.
— Traditional Bajan Wisdom, Barbados
Source: Traditional Barbados proverb, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Barbados
Seeing a full eyeful is not the same as having a full belly.
Merely looking at or wanting something is not the same as actually possessing or enjoying it.
A carpenter's wife never lives in a well-built house.
Skilled people often use their talents to serve others rather than to improve their own lives.
A bucket that goes up and down the well every day is bound to have its bottom drop out eventually.
Constant strain or repeated risk will eventually cause a breakdown.
There are better fish in the sea than the one you have caught.
Better opportunities exist beyond your current circumstances; do not settle for less.
The coward dog keeps his bone whole.
Avoiding unnecessary confrontation can spare you loss and trouble.
The crow flies high, but when it comes down, the ants still eat out its eye.
No matter how great your rise, you remain vulnerable once you return to earth.