proverb · Words worth keeping
Your friend will swallow your mistakes; your enemy will present them on a plate.
Your friend will swallow your mistakes; your enemy will present them on a plate.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A friend swallowing mistakes and an enemy serving them on a plate contrast private tolerance with public exposure. The food images depict different handling of another’s errors.
What the words are saying
The supplied gloss reads swallowing as concealment, but a responsible interpretation does not require hiding harm as proof of friendship. Disclosure can be needed for accountability, while publicity may also be malicious or unfair. The actual purpose and evidence matter more than automatically assigning friend or enemy status.
Everyday example
Someone discusses an ordinary error discreetly while recognising when a serious issue needs appropriate reporting.
When to use it
Use it to compare handling of mistakes with accountability protected.
What it does not mean
No duty to conceal harm or proof of hostility from every disclosure is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or 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
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 996; PDF page 139
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.