proverb · Words worth keeping
Don't bite the hand that feeds you.
Don't bite the hand that feeds you.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying warns against biting the hand that feeds someone. It asks for care toward a source of support.
What the words are saying
The feeding image can express gratitude but can also be used to silence a dependent person. A critical interpretation distinguishes harming someone from raising a valid concern. Receiving help does not remove the right to boundaries, disagreement or protection from mistreatment.
Everyday example
Someone acknowledges help while still discussing a concern about how they are being treated.
When to use it
Use it to examine gratitude without making dependence a duty of silence.
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What it does not mean
Support does not justify harm or make all criticism disloyal.
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 654; PDF page 95
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.