proverb · Words worth keeping
Don't quarrel with the beggar for his bone.
Don't quarrel with the beggar for his bone.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Do not fight someone with very little over the small thing they depend on. Consider the unequal stakes before treating a modest possession as an easy target for your own claim.
Example
A group with spare equipment lets a participant keep using the only borrowed item they need to finish, rather than reclaiming it early merely for convenience.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The beggar’s bone represents a meagre resource that may matter much more to its holder than it does to someone disputing it. The proverb discourages a quarrel that ignores that difference in circumstances. Its historical label should not reduce a person to poverty or imply that everyone with limited means has the same needs. The useful comparison asks what each party would actually lose and whether the demand is proportionate. It does not settle every ownership dispute or require accepting misconduct; it directs attention to need and power before pursuing an advantage that may be small for oneself and substantial for another.
When to use it
Use it when a demand ignores how much a small resource matters to the other person.
Keep in mind
Circumstances and legitimate claims still matter; do not define someone only by their lack of resources.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English