ProverbWisdomAmerican origin1932

If you can't beat them, eat them

Meaning: When victory is impossible, consume the problem literally or metaphorically to eliminate the threat.

Origin: A joke twist on "if you can't beat them, join them," which is first recorded in 1932 as "If you can't lick 'em, jine 'em," a favorite saying of Senator James E. Watson. The cannibal punchline has no traced author.

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