proverb · Words worth keeping
Don’t speak to the man at the wheel.
Don’t speak to the man at the wheel.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The man at the wheel represents someone occupied with steering. The warning asks others to respect the attention that a demanding task may need.
What the words are saying
The supplied gloss specifies a car driver, while the wording itself gives a wheel and an operator. A qualified application concerns distracting interruptions rather than a universal prohibition on speaking. Necessary communication may matter, and the phrase supplies no traffic rule or complete account of operating safely.
Everyday example
A colleague postpones a casual interruption while another person completes a task requiring concentration.
When to use it
Use it to discuss attention and the timing of interruptions.
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What it does not mean
No universal ban on communication, legal rule or operational safety procedure is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 804; PDF page 114
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.