proverb · Words worth keeping
'Tis an ill guest that never drinks to his host.
'Tis an ill guest that never drinks to his host.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A guest is encouraged to acknowledge the host’s welcome. Drinking to the host pictures a small act of reciprocal courtesy rather than a requirement to consume alcohol.
Example
A guest who declines a toast still thanks the host warmly and offers help with clearing the table.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The saying judges a guest who receives hospitality without returning a gesture of appreciation. Its social point can be retained without prescribing a particular drink, ritual or public performance. A sincere thank-you, practical help or another appropriate acknowledgment may serve the same purpose. Hospitality should not create pressure to ignore health, belief or personal boundaries. A useful reading concerns mutual consideration rather than compulsory conformity to the host’s preferred custom.
When to use it
Use it to encourage appreciation for hospitality in a form the guest freely chooses.
Keep in mind
Courtesy does not require alcohol, participation in a ritual or surrender of personal boundaries.
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