Zapatero a tus Zapatos

A Spanish expression which means “the cobbler should stick to his last,” or “shoemaker, to your shoes!”

As tensions escalate between Colombia and Venezuela over Colombia’s decision to allow US troops access to military bases in the country, VHeadline’s Patrick J. O’Donoghue reported on some ill-advised punning by Colombia’s Defense Minister, Gabriel Silva:

[Silva] brushed aside a mediation offer from Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero using a Spanish phrase “zapatero a tus zapatos” (cobbler should stick to his last).

The minister was effectively inviting Zapatero to focus only on Spanish affairs. According to O’Donoghue:

Silva was forced to produce a public apology to Zapatero and the Spanish people, saying he used the phrase after meeting coffee-producers whose language is not as “elegant as that of diplomatic circles.” Spain’s offer, the Minister retracted, is welcome because Spain has been an important partner not just in defense but also in foreign affairs. However, he added, the Colombian government does not consider the offer to mediate between Colombia and Venezuela “useful” or “convenient” at this moment in time.

[A "last" in this context is a model of a foot upon which shoes and boots are fashioned. The Latin version of this phrase is, Ne sutor ultra crepidam.]