proverb · Words worth keeping
Every one basteth the fat hog, while the lean one burneth.
Every one basteth the fat hog, while the lean one burneth.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Attention and assistance may flow towards those already well provided for while someone in greater need is neglected. The cooking image criticises that imbalance, without proving that every visible advantage is undeserved or that need can be judged from appearance alone.
Example
An organising committee notices that it keeps offering extra helpers to the largest event while a smaller session lacks anyone to manage its entrance.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The fat hog receives basting while the lean one burns, reversing the attention each seems to require in the proverb’s scene. Figuratively, a person or project already receiving support may attract still more, while another is left without necessary help. A useful reading examines the distribution and asks what has been overlooked. It should not assume that someone who appears successful has no legitimate needs, or that an observer can know another’s resources without asking. The proverb’s criticism concerns a pattern of misplaced attention. It invites a fairer assessment of actual circumstances rather than resentment based on a superficial comparison.
When to use it
Use it when support is following visibility rather than an assessment of unmet needs.
Keep in mind
Check actual circumstances; apparent advantage and need are not reliable grounds for blame or automatic entitlement.
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