Cover the Sun With a Finger

Sam in Westville, Indiana, heard a woman from Puerto Rico use the expression You cannot cover the sun with a finger, referring to the problem of having more things to work on than she could handle. The Spanish expression tapar el sol con un dedo, or “to cover the sun with a finger,” is widespread throughout the Spanish-speaking world. In many Muslim countries, a similar expression translates as “You can’t cover the sun with the palm of your hand,” suggests either that you’ve bitten off more than you can chew, or you’re trying to fix a big problem with a small solution. This is part of a complete episode.