ProverbMorality
International origin17th c.
International origin17th c.The fish rots from the head down
Meaning: Problems in an organization or society start at the top, with its leaders.
Origin: An old proverb whose first speaker is unknown; it is claimed for many countries, usually without evidence. Erasmus recorded it in Latin in his Adagia as piscis primum a capite foetet — the fish stinks first from the head — and early English printings, from the 17th century, call it a Turkish saying. It blames an organization's decay on its leadership.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, and 4 more languages
French: Le poisson pourrit par la tête (literally: The fish rots from the head)
Spanish: El pez se pudre por la cabeza (literally: The fish rots from the head)
German: Der Fisch stinkt vom Kopf (literally: The fish stinks from the head)
Italian: Il pesce puzza dalla testa (literally: The fish stinks from the head)
Russian: Рыба гниёт с головы (Ryba gniyot s golovy) (literally: The fish rots from the head)
Polish: Ryba psuje się od głowy (literally: The fish spoils from the head)
Chinese: 上梁不正下梁歪 (Shàng liáng bú zhèng xià liáng wāi) (literally: If the upper beam is crooked, the lower one slants)
Korean: 윗물이 맑아야 아랫물이 맑다 (Witmuri malgaya araenmuri makda) (literally: The downstream water is clear only if the upstream is)
Turkish: Balık baştan kokar (literally: The fish stinks from the head)
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