Don't quarrel with the beggar for his bone.
Meaning: Arguing with someone who has nothing to lose is pointless and beneath your dignity.
Origin: Recorded in A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, an undated collection published in London by Whittaker & Co. around 1880 and credited to Thomas Preston. Its earlier history hasn't been traced.
More proverbs about Wisdom
- Raise no more spirits than you can conjure down. — Ambition beyond your control creates chaos you cannot contain or resolve.
- There's reason in roasting of eggs. — Even mundane tasks, properly executed, follow rational principles worth understanding.
- If there were no receivers there would be no thieves. — Demand for stolen goods creates the market incentive that drives theft itself.
- He that reckons without his host must reckon again. — Failing to consult those involved in plans leads to miscalculation and necessary revision.
- Reconcile yourself to present trials, the future may bring worse. — Accepting current hardships preserves mental resilience for potentially greater suffering…
- Better wear a cloak for religion than religion for a cloak. — Authentic faith should guide outward conduct, not merely mask hypocrisy or justify selfis…
From our idioms
- do something by the seat of one's pants — To accomplish something by luck and instinct rather than skill.
- call someone on the carpet — To confront or hold someone responsible for some misdeed.
- call someone's bluff — To challenge someone to carry out a threat or prove the truth of a statement.