ProverbHuman NatureEnglish origin

He that waits on another man's trencher, makes many a late dinner.

Meaning: Depending on others' generosity for sustenance leaves you hungry and uncertain about when you'll eat.

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.

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