Большой русско-английский фразеологический словарь

КОНЬ И О ЧЕТЫРЕХ НОГАХ, ДА И ТО СПОТЫКАЕТСЯ

•КОНЬ (И) О ЧЕТЫРЕХ НОГАХ, ДА (И ТО &LT;И ТОТ&GT;) СПОТЫКАЕТСЯ••

[saying]

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⇒anyone can err (said in justification of one's ors.o.'s mistake, negligence, oversightetc):

-- the horse has four legs and yet he (it) stumbles;

-horses have four legs and still they stumble;

-we all make mistakes;

-we're only human;

-nobodY's perfect.

♦ "Злодеи не злодеи, а твои ребята таки пошарили да порастаскали. Не гневись: конь и о четырёх ногах, да спотыкается" (Пушкин 2). "Brigands or no brigands, but it was your lads as went ransacking and plundering. Don't be angry with 'em: the horse has four legs and yet he stumbles'" (2a).

♦ "Ошибки были, - быстро сказал Хлебовводов. - Люди не ангелы. И на старуху бывает проруха. Конь о четырёх ногах и то спотыкается" (Стругацкие 3). "There have been mistakes," Khlebovvodov said quickly. "People are not angels. Anyone can make a mistake. Horses have four legs and still they stumble" (3a).