proverb · Words worth keeping
He looks for his ass and sits on its back.
He looks for his ass and sits on its back.
In print by 1857 AD · industrial
Recorded in a printed collection by this date; the original date of these words is still unknown.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A person can overlook something immediately available while searching farther away. Check the present situation before assuming that the missing resource must be elsewhere.
What the words are saying
The searcher is already sitting on the donkey they seek. The comic mismatch separates having something from recognising that one has it. It can describe overlooked tools, information or help as well as a misplaced object. A useful first step is to inspect what is already in use or close at hand, then clarify what is actually missing. The image does not establish that every difficult search has an obvious answer; it simply warns that familiarity can make an available resource hard to notice.
Everyday example
A team searches for a way to collect feedback before noticing that its existing meeting form already has an unused comments field.
When to use it
Use it to prompt a check of resources already within reach.
What it does not mean
An available resource may still be unsuitable. Confirm that it meets the need rather than insisting that a nearby option must solve the problem.
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 (French-language collection)
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- In print by 1857 AD · industrial
In print by 1857: recorded in A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857). Collection publication is an upper bound for this wording, not its earliest origin, composition date or the author's lifetime.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857) (1857 AD)
Printed page 20; French section, paragraph 410; source wording: Il cherche son âne et il est monté dessus.
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.