Casa de ferreiro, espeto de pau.
“In the blacksmith's house, the skewer is made of wood.”
People skilled in a trade often neglect to apply that very skill within their own home.
— Traditional Macau Wisdom, Macau
Source: Traditional Portuguese proverb, shared heritage of Macau's Portuguese-speaking community, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Macau
One part planting, one part harvest.
Effort brings proportional reward; nothing worthwhile comes without work.
A long road tests a horse's strength; time reveals a person's heart.
True character and worth are only revealed after enough time has passed.
When the family is in harmony, all things prosper.
Unity and peace within the family are the foundation for success in everything else.
Illness enters through the mouth; trouble exits through the mouth.
Careless eating brings sickness, and careless speech brings disaster.
Three feet of ice does not form in a single day's cold.
Major problems build up gradually over time, never overnight.
If you do not enter the tiger's den, how can you catch its cub?
Great rewards require the courage to take great risks.