When good cheer is lacking our friends will be packing.

Understand the thought

Meaning in plain English

Companions drawn mainly by generous food or entertainment may leave when those benefits stop. The saying questions a friendship dependent on hospitality, without making attendance or a host’s spending a reliable measure of affection.

What the words are saying

Good cheer suggests the enjoyable welcome a host provides, and packing pictures companions leaving once that welcome can no longer be supplied. The contrast exposes a possible difference between valuing the person and valuing the occasion or refreshments. It does not mean that a host must keep providing treats to deserve company. Equally, a quieter gathering or a missed invitation says little by itself about loyalty. The useful question is whether people remain interested in one another when the usual benefits are absent. Friendship can continue through less costly arrangements, different kinds of contact and practical understanding of what each person can offer.

Everyday example

When a household stops hosting elaborate dinners, several friends suggest meeting for a walk instead and continue spending time together.

When to use it

Use it when hospitality seems to be carrying a relationship more than mutual interest does.

Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.