A skilled or knowledgeable person commonly neglects to give his own family the benefit of his expertise. Found in a number of variants.
But who is wurs shod, than the shoemakers wyfe, With shops full of newe shapen shoes all hir lyfe?
[1546 J. Heywood Dialogue of Proverbs i. xi. E1V]
The Shoe-maker's wife often goes in ragged shoes. ‥ Although there had been a [Methodist] Society begun here by Mr. Whitfield, yet‥the people of Gloucester are not much the better for having had so great a Prophet born amongst them.
[1773 R. Graves Spiritual Quixote I. iii. ii.]
His large family‥were all‥well shod, notwithstanding the Scottish proverb to the contrary. ‘The Smith's meer [mare] and the shoemaker's bairns are aye the worst shod.’
[1876 S. Smiles Life of Scotch Naturalist xvii.]
Spruce in his dress, but down at heel, Cadfael noticed—proof of the old saying that the shoemaker's son is always the one who goes barefoot!
[1981 ‘E. Peters’ Saint Peter's Fair 30]
They say the cobbler's children go the worst shod. Dad made sure we children went dry-shod by giving us a penny-a-week for the Boot-fund.
[1987 S. Stewart Lifting the Latch 58]
The cobbler's children go barefoot, and Pearson, which publishes the Financial Times, has lost £233 million in six months.
[2001 Spectator 4 Aug. 28]
Related to: family
Bibliography of major proverb collections and works cited from modern editions is available here.
