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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You can't spoil the porridge with butter.
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In a quiet whirlpool, demons live.
-
С волками жить – по-волчьи выть
Living with wolves means to howl like a wolf.
-
A bird is visible by its flight.
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~ Seven babysitters make the kid to lose an eye.
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The one who walks will go through.
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You see your friends in the times of trouble.
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Не рой яму другому, сам в неё попадешь
Do not dig a hole for another one, you will fall into it yourself.
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