Beggars on horseback
Meaning: Those given power abuse it worst.
Origin: Short for "Set a beggar on horseback and he will ride a gallop" — or, in harsher versions, ride to the devil. Robert Burton's The Anatomy of Melancholy (1621) has the gallop version. The beggar suddenly given a horse is anyone raised to wealth or power who has no idea how to handle it.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, and Japanese
- French: Donnez à un gueux un cheval, il ira au diable (literally: Give a beggar a horse, he'll ride to the devil)
- Spanish: Poner a un mendigo a caballo, y cabalgará al infierno (literally: Put a beggar on horseback, he'll ride to hell)
- Japanese: 鬼に金棒 (Oni ni kanabō) (literally: Giving an iron club to a demon)
More proverbs about Human Nature
- Familiarity breeds contempt — Being too close to something can reduce appreciation for it.
- Tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are — The company you keep reflects and shapes your own character.
- One kind word can warm three winter months — A single act of kindness has an impact far greater and longer-lasting than the moment it…
- Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches — Only the person experiencing a difficulty truly understands its depth.
- Even the sun has its spots — Nothing and nobody is perfect; even the greatest things have their flaws.
- The forest would be silent if no bird sang except the one that sang best — Everyone has a unique contribution; holding back out of self-doubt robs the world.
From our idioms
- медведь на ухо наступил (medved' na ukho nastupil) — To lack musical ability or have poor sense of pitch and rhythm.
- пускать пыль в глаза (puskat' pyl' v glaza) — To deceive or mislead someone, creating false impressions through trickery.
- Φέρνω νερό στο μύλο κάποιου — Unwittingly help someone achieve their own goals while thinking you're working against th…