Every one basteth the fat hog, while the lean one burneth.
Meaning: Abundance attracts care and investment; scarcity receives neglect and harm.
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
- A fault once denied is twice committed. — Refusing to acknowledge wrongdoing compounds the original error by adding dishonesty.
- Every one's faults are not written on their foreheads. — We cannot judge people's character by appearances; hidden flaws require deeper knowledge…
- The faulty stands on his guard. — One conscious of personal weakness remains vigilant against exploitation or exposure.
- A feast is not made of mushrooms only. — Variety and balance are essential; no single element, however good, sustains a complete w…
- Merry is the feast-making until we come to the reckoning. — Pleasure derived from excess loses its sweetness when consequences and debts demand payme…
- Feather by feather the goose is plucked. — Small incremental losses, ignored individually, accumulate into significant depletion ove…
From our tongue twisters
- Şu çam sakızı çan sakızı olmuş, çan sakızı şan sakızı olmuş. — A 'ş/ç/şan/çan' duel — Turkish's two close sibilants at war with each other.
- Sex laxar i en laxask. — A short 'x/lax/ks' crunch — Swedish's 'x' sounds like 'ks', which doubles the trap.
- Sju sjösjuka sjömän skötte sjuttiosju sjösjuka sjölejon på skeppet Shanghai. — An unstoppable 'sj/sk/sh' onslaught — the Swedish sj-sound (a unique voiceless fricative)…