proverb · Legacy record
All flatterers live at the expense of their flatterers.
All flatterers live at the expense of their flatterers.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Flatterers living at the expense of their flatterers presents praise within a costly relationship. The repeated wording makes the precise direction of dependence unclear.
What the words are saying
The source wording is retained rather than silently changed to a more familiar formulation. A qualified reading can ask whether praise is sincere or tied to advantage, without declaring every compliment manipulative. The exact traditional meaning and repetition are unresolved.
Everyday example
Someone considers an offer’s actual conditions instead of relying only on flattering praise.
When to use it
Use it only as a qualified praise-and-advantage image.
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What it does not mean
No corrected wording, exact direction of dependence or deception inferred from all praise 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
France
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 wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 768; PDF page 70; collection label: France
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- France