Teach one's grandmother to suck eggs

Question

teach one's grandmother to suck eggsFig. to try to tell or show someone more knowledgeable or experienced than oneself how to do something.Don't suggest showing Mary how to knit. It will be like teaching your grandmother to suck eggs. Don't teach your grandmother to suck eggs. Bob has been playing tennis for years."to suck eggs" -  What does this phrase mean? Do people suck eggs?"Don't suggest showing" - I believe it's not equivalent in meaning to 'Don't show Mary' because here the person is indrectly (suggesting) trying to teach Mary how to do knitting. Right?

Avangi · Accepted Answer

Jackson6612teach one's grandmother to suck eggs

I only remember the expression from Tennessee Williams' Cat On A Hot Tin Roof.
At the time, I took it as equivalent to "Why don't you go pound sand?" Maybe I was wrong.

I guess sucking/blowing eggs is an art. I've never tried it.
Something comes to mind about removing the soft contents before painting them as Easter eggs. Try Google.

From what you've quoted, as an expression, it seems to imply that you're attempting to instruct someone who knows more about the subject than you do.

Jackson6612Don't suggest showing Mary how to knit.

This doesn't exactly say who's doing the showing and who's receiving the suggestion.
Don't suggest to Mother that Bob show Mary how to knit?

Apparently, Mary already knows how to knit - better than whoever is proposing to teach her.

Edit. Well, I've embarrassed myself again! I can hear Burl Ives saying it in a movie.
(I haven't read Tennessee Williams' play.

)
Google claims he said it in The Big Country, with Gregory Peck.
Rufus Hannassey: [examining McKay's dueling pistols] These guns loaded?
James McKay: All but the caps. They haven't been fired for a long time - the vents will have to be cleared out. I'll do it for you, if you like.
Rufus Hannassey: Teach your grandmother to suck eggs! I've been handling guns like this, flintlock and caplock, since before you were born.
Rufus Hannassey: [forced to shoot his own son] I told you! I told you I'd do it. I told you, but you wouldn't believe me! **** your soul, I told you!

(This is more like your version than mine!)

I remembered the line as "mother," as did someone on Utube. The Google quotes are mixed.
The expression dates to the 1700's.

Tanit · Answer

When I was a toddler, my grannies raised hens in their backyard.
My grandma taught me how to suck eggs. Literally!

You need to make two holes (on two opposite 'sides' of the egg) to let the air in from a hole and suck the white and the yolk from the other ... I now find it disgusting (and dangerous, as many diseases can be carried trough eggs), but yes, they used to eat raw eggs.

Oh, and the shell of the egg could be painted, as Avangi says.

Avangi · Answer

So the teaching flowed in the proper direction.  <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>

LouiseT · Answer

"Don't teach your grandmother to suck eggs" is an expression meaning don't give advice to someone about a subject that they already know more about than you.

Tanit · Answer

LouiseT"Don't teach your grandmother to suck eggs" is an expression meaning don't give advice to someone about a subject that they already know more about than you.

Hi Louise,

Jackson knew that. Have a look at his first post.

Jackson6612teach one's grandmother to suck eggs
Fig. to try to tell or show someone more knowledgeable or experienced than oneself how to do something.

His question was:

Jackson6612"to suck eggs" - What does this phrase mean? Do people suck eggs?

Tanit · Answer

AvangiSo the teaching flowed in the proper direction.

Yep!

LouiseT · Answer

TanitHi Louise,
Jackson knew that. Have a look at his first post.

ooops

Jackson6612 · Answer

First of all, let me extend my thanks to everyone, Avangi, Tanit, Louise, for all the help. I genuinely thank you all.

Avangi: I have a few follow-up question. So, would you mind helping me a little more, please?

AvangiI only remember the expression from Tennessee Williams' Cat On A Hot Tin Roof.

1: I only remember the expression from...
2: I could only remember the expression from...

I think #1 suggests that "I" is almost sure about where she/he (first) heard it.
#2 is more close to suggest that there could be other possibilities - perhaps she/he has heard it more than once in the past but at the moment only one such an instance could be remembered.
Please correct me.

AvangiAt the time, I took it as equivalent to "Why don't you go pound sand?" Maybe I was wrong.

According to the linked page the meanings are completely different:
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/go-pound-sand.html

I believe these two meanings of 'pound' fit here:

1: to reduce to powder or pulp by beating

2a : to strike heavily or repeatedly

[M-W's Col. Dic.]

AvangiJames McKay: All but the caps. They haven't been fired for a long time - the vents will have to be cleared out. I'll do it for you, if you like.
Rufus Hannassey: Teach your grandmother to suck eggs! I've been handling guns like this, flintlock and caplock, since before you were born.

How do you say 'Hannassey'?

What does "All but the caps" mean?

Rufus Hannassey is such a man of temper! James was only offering to help him when he says "the vents will have to be cleared out. I'll do it for you, if you life".

Thank you for the help and your time.

Jackson6612 · Answer

I guess sucking/blowing eggs is an art. I've never tried it.

Is "blowing" used in the sense 'to explore, erupt'?

Please help me. Thanks.

Avangi · Answer

It's really the same deal, but the opposite of "sucking." You make a small hole in each end of the egg (as Tanit says), blow on one end, and the contents comes out the other.
I assume when you suck eggs, you're supposed to swallow the stuff!

We'll have to ask Tanit!

Teach one's grandmother to suck eggs

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