IdiomAnimals
English
Englishbite the hand that feeds you
Meaning: To harm or insult someone who helps you.
Example: “Criticizing your sponsors in public is biting the hand that feeds you.”
Origin: Like an ungrateful dog biting its owner. The idea goes back at least to the 18th century; Edmund Burke used a version in 1790.
Equivalents in other languages
Vietnamese: Ăn cháo đá bát Literally: To eat the porridge then kick the bowl
Portuguese: cuspir no prato que comeu Literally: To spit in the plate that one ate from
French: Cracher dans la soupe Literally: To spit in the soup
More English idioms
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- a Sisyphean task An endless, futile task.
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