петух думал, думал, да и сдох

погов., шутл., ирон.

there was once a cock that thought and thought and thought and then it croaked

- Кого куда прикреплять, это мастер знает, - сказал парень. - Чего тут думать? Наше дело вкалывать, а не думать. Знаешь поговорку: петух думал, думал, да и сдох. (Е. Катерли, Дальняя дорога) — 'That's for the foreman to say. What's the good of thinking about it? Our job's to work: not to think. Don't you know the saying? There was once a cock that thought and thought and thought and then it croaked...'