The informant is a 19 year old Ecuadorian student studying Architecture at the University of Southern California.  Her family is from Quito, Ecuador.  English is her second language.  She shared this proverb in Spanish and then translated and explained it in English.

“A quien le quede el guante/ que se lo chante”

“To who the glove fits, he should embrace it”

“It means that whatever you’re saying and there’s a person that it’s, like it’s referring to that person, they should just accept it.”

Analysis:

This proverb is similar to the American proverb:  “If the shoe fits, wear it” and the British proverb, “If the cap fits, wear it”.  All of these idioms are used in the same way: to tell a person to accept something, usually criticism, although I have heard it used for compliments as well, if it actually applies to them.

This proverb creates an acceptable and elegant way to tell someone to examine who they are and to gracefuly take accurate compliments and criticisms as they come.