# Persian: When hairdressers have nothing to do…..



## seitt

Greetings

Please could you translate this sentence for me?
“When hairdressers have nothing to do, they cut each other’s hair.”

Is it a Persian proverb?

Best wishes, and many thanks,

Simon


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## Aryamp

وقتی آرایشگرها بی کار می شوند سر همدیگر را اصلاح می کنند

That´s one possible translation, but I can't think of any proverb in Persian to correspond with that meaning.


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## seitt

Many thanks - I've found this on the web, although it uses 'barbers' rather than 'hairdressers':
سلماني ها وقتي بيكار مي شوند، سر يكديگر را اصلاح مي كنند

Is it still not recognizable as a proverb?


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## Aryamp

I had never heard of it before, but yes it seems to be a proverb! I found another variation :

_سلمانی ها وقتی بیکار می شوند سر هم را می تراشند_


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## darush

seitt said:


> سلماني ها وقتي بيكار مي شوند، سر يكديگر را اصلاح مي كنند
> 
> Is it still not recognizable as a proverb?




I am familiar with:سلماني ها وقتي بيكار مي شوند، سر يكديگر را  می زنند(اصلاح مي كنند)/می تراشند.ا







​


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## searcher123

darush said:


> I am familiar with:سلماني ها وقتي بيكار مي شوند، سر يكديگر را  می زنند(اصلاح مي كنند)/می تراشند.ا​


​ And I too. It is a famous proverb. Another synonyms:
اسب‌هاي درشكه وقتي سربالايي مي‌روند، همديگر را گاز مي‌گيرند


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## darush

searcher123 said:


> اسب‌هاي درشكه وقتي سربالايي مي‌روند، همديگر را گاز مي‌گيرند


اَاَاَاَ....این یکی رو دیگه نشنیده بودم. ولی فکر کنم "سرپایینی"درست باشه، نه؟​


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## searcher123

darush said:


> اَاَاَاَ....این یکی رو دیگه نشنیده بودم. ولی فکر کنم "سرپایینی"درست باشه، نه؟​


 اتفاقا اين يكي از قبلي مشهورتر است. سربالايي صحيح است


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## seitt

Thank you so much, super!


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## seitt

> سلماني ها وقتي بيكار مي شوند، سر يكديگر را می زنند(اصلاح مي كنند)/می تراشند​اسب هاي درشكه وقتي سربالايي مي روند، همديگر را گاز مي گيرند​


Many thanks - so these proverbs refer to hard times, don't they? Is it the idea that in hard times, people turn against one another?


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## searcher123

> Is it the idea that in hard times, people turn against one another?


Yes, it is. Albeit it will be much more accurate if you say it so:
In hard times, people with the same gains will turn against one another.


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## seitt

Many thanks - by 'gains', do you mean 'source of income'?


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## searcher123

seitt said:


> Many thanks - by 'gains', do you mean 'source of income'?


Each type of gain: The same source of income, the same political gain (e.g. the members of a party), etc.


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## seitt

Much obliged - perhaps "people whose interests clash with those of one another", then.


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## Treaty

I don't think these two proverbs have anything to do with each other.

 In horses example, it seems that they become aggressive towards each other in hard times. I'm not sure if it is a clash of interest or an act of blaming the other.

In the case of hairdressers, they seem to cut each other's hair because they don't have anything else to do (as if they are bored). So they help each other to be busy again. Look here for an example (last paragraph)


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## seitt

Thank you so much, truly most insightful as always.


> Look here for an example (last paragraph)


For some reason I'm having trouble opening this - please could you cut and paste the part with the example you mention into this thread?

Ah, yes! The context in which I first heard the saying was in a kind of documentary about a film director who was temporarily unable to make films.

He got out his mobile phone and started filming the scene outside his window and his friend said, “When barbers have nothing to do, they cut each other’s hair!”


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## Treaty

seitt said:


> For some reason I'm having trouble opening this - please could you cut and paste the part with the example you mention into this thread?



You're welcome,

I can't go to that link either; bizarre!. Anyway, I found it in another webpage:


> به وجود آمدن فقه ناشی از بیکاری نیست بلکه برای لزوم پاسخ دادن به سوالات  متعددی است که مرتب به وجود می آیند و این گونه نیست که مانند آن مثلی که  می گویند" سلمانی ها وقتی بیکار می شوند سر هم را می تراشند"، عده ای از سر  بیکاری بنشینند و به فقه بپردازند


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## SamiraFrancophile

1- Totally agree with Treaty about the proverb"سلماني‌ها"
2- The example of hairdressers are very famous but I never heard the example of horses. I need to search it.


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## seitt

Many thanks for everything!


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