Six AWLS (alls) make a shoemaker

Insights

Constituent Qualities

The proverb metaphorically suggests that a craftsman, like a shoemaker, is made not only by his tools but also by possessing certain essential qualities—perhaps patience, precision, endurance, and so on—symbolized whimsically as 'alls'.

Satirical Commentary on Identity

It may also mockingly imply that people often inflate the requirements or dignity of their trade, humorously suggesting that merely owning multiple awls (or 'alls') qualifies someone as a shoemaker.

Exaggeration of Simplicity

The phrase hints at the simplicity or modesty of the shoemaking profession, subtly exaggerating what little is needed to 'make' a shoemaker, and possibly commenting on broader ideas of trade identity and qualification.

Pun as Social Irony

The phrase’s pun on 'awls' and 'alls' allows it to function as both occupational folklore and linguistic play. It may comment wryly on how society defines expertise—sometimes by trivial counts of possession rather than skill.

Craft Identity and Humor

This proverb fits within a tradition of occupational humor, where tradespeople playfully define themselves through the tools they use. In this case, it acknowledges the lowly status of the cobbler while also embracing it with self-effacing wit.

Numerical Symbolism

The number six, while arbitrary, may reflect a symbolic completeness—implying that having multiple tools (or traits) completes one’s identity as a professional. It subtly plays on the folk habit of quantifying abstract traits.

Rhetorical Devices

Pun

The proverb pivots on the homophonic pun between 'awls' (tools) and 'alls' (everything), creating a layered, humorous expression of professional identity.

Numerical Formula

The fixed quantity ('six') gives the saying a formulaic structure, echoing similar proverbial patterns like 'three things make a man,' enhancing its mnemonic and rhythmic appeal.

Irony

There is subtle irony in suggesting that something as complex as a profession can be distilled into a number of tools or qualities, gently mocking simplistic ideas of expertise.