proverb · Words worth keeping
Though your bloodhound be gentle, don’t bite him on the lip.
Though your bloodhound be gentle, don’t bite him on the lip.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Gentleness should not be tested by deliberately provoking harm. The bloodhound and lip image makes trust compatible with respecting another’s limits, rather than treating tolerance as permission.
Example
A person stops repeating an unwelcome joke instead of relying on a patient friend’s usual willingness to laugh it off.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The dog is gentle, yet the speaker is warned against biting its lip. The provocation is the point: a calm disposition is not an invitation to cause pain. Figuratively, someone’s patience can be respected without testing how much mistreatment they will accept. This is not animal-handling guidance or a guarantee about reactions. Nor does provocation make every response justified. The useful reading concerns restraint and respect before a boundary is needlessly challenged.
When to use it
Use it to consider whether you are testing tolerance instead of respecting a stated limit.
Keep in mind
Do not provoke animals or people; the metaphor neither predicts behaviour nor excuses a harmful reaction.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional (Spanish-language collection)
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown