Кто в лес, кто по дрова
With accent marks:
Кто в лес, кто по дрова́.
Translation:
Some to the forest, some for firewood.
Meaning:
Usually this phrase is said with irony and criticism at the same time. It is used in situations when people, seemingly doing the same thing or trying to achieve the same goal, do it without any coordination in their actions so everybody ends up doing his own thing. Therefore, they cannot succeed.
The saying takes an example of a person just walking in the forest and a person gathering firewood: they are both in the forest but are doing different things.
Most often the phrase is used about a discordant singing choir, but can be applied to any action performed by a group of peope.
Other Russian proverbs
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Заставь дурака богу молиться – он и лоб расшибёт
Make a fool pray to God - he will break his forehead.
-
They do not seek good from good.
-
A fisherman sees a fisherman from afar.
-
Poor people are inventive.
-
Век живи, век учись, а дураком помрёшь
Live for a century, learn for a century, but die being a fool anyway.
-
The forbidden fruit is sweet.
-
The eyes are scared, but the hands are doing.
-
In a quiet whirlpool, demons live.
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