# stick to one's last

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/stick-to-ones-last
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To stick to one's knitting (to concentrate on one's own tasks, affairs, area of expertise etc.).

## Examples

- You should stick to your last and focus on your own work.
- The manager told the accountant to stick to his last instead of giving advice on the marketing strategy.
- While the temptation to offer unsolicited advice on the architecture was strong, the engineer wisely chose to stick to his last and concentrate on the structural integrity of the project.

## Origin

Compare the proverb cobbler, keep to your last or shoemaker, stick to your last.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.