# Is there a polite version of "don't shit where you eat?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 26, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-polite-version-of-dont-shit-where-you-eat/507770 "2009-08-26T15:31:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Philosopher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Philosopher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Philosopher)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-polite-version-of-dont-shit-where-you-eat/507770/21 "2009-08-26T21:46:55Z")
I think it would help if you explain the context a bit more. “Don’t shit where you eat” usually refers to avoiding romantic endeavors at work, but if that is the context you’re talking about then I’m not sure I understand why you’re rejecting “don’t dip your pen in the company ink” as having a different connotation. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-polite-version-of-dont-shit-where-you-eat/507770/22 "2009-08-26T21:47:14Z")
“You watch _Mad Men_? Well, don’t do what they do.” ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-polite-version-of-dont-shit-where-you-eat/507770/23 "2009-08-26T22:10:45Z")
He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind. ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-polite-version-of-dont-shit-where-you-eat/507770/24 "2009-08-26T22:12:35Z")
Don’t rock the boat, especially if you’re in it? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-polite-version-of-dont-shit-where-you-eat/507770/25 "2009-08-26T22:17:22Z")
[Don’t Piss in the Well](http://www.museumofconceptualart.com/songs/dontpiss.html) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-polite-version-of-dont-shit-where-you-eat/507770/26 "2009-08-26T23:23:02Z")
Do Not Taunt Happy Fun Ball? ---
**Author:** ![Bartman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Bartman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bartman)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-polite-version-of-dont-shit-where-you-eat/507770/27 "2009-08-26T23:36:47Z")
> [@The\_Great\_Philosopher](#): > > I think it would help if you explain the context a bit more. “Don’t shit where you eat” usually refers to avoiding romantic endeavors at work, but if that is the context you’re talking about then I’m not sure I understand why you’re rejecting “don’t dip your pen in the company ink” as having a different connotation. I’m not the OP, but I’ve always taken the first to have a far broader meaning than the later. Dipping your pen in company ink has an almost exclusively sexual connotations. Where as shitting where you eat, can include any non work activity including 3 hour martini lunches, e-bay, facebook (much of the internet really), or anything else other than what you are supposed to be doing. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-polite-version-of-dont-shit-where-you-eat/507770/28 "2009-08-26T23:44:40Z")
> [@Bartman](#): > > I’m not the OP, but I’ve always taken the first to have a far broader meaning than the later. Dipping your pen in company ink has an almost exclusively sexual connotations. Where as shitting where you eat, can include any non work activity including 3 hour martini lunches, e-bay, facebook (much of the internet really), or anything else other than what you are supposed to be doing. Concur. The most straightforward equivalent to “don’t shit where you eat” I know of is the aforementioned “don’t mix business with pleasure.” But because different people have different associations with even that fairly innocuous phrase, I too was hoping to get a better sense from the OP of what they meant to warn against in literal terms. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2009, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-polite-version-of-dont-shit-where-you-eat/507770/29 "2009-08-27T00:41:43Z")
> [@cactus\_waltz](#): > > Ahem. > > “Don’t excrete fecal matter where you digest nutritions.” Don’t excrete fecal matter where you ingest nutritions ---
**Author:** ![Transistor\_Rhythm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@Transistor\_Rhythm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Transistor_Rhythm)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2009, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-polite-version-of-dont-shit-where-you-eat/507770/30 "2009-08-27T00:58:01Z")
I guess I just hear it used as a sort of generic, catch-all “avoid all conflicts of interest” warning, whether they’re personal, sexual, professional, whatever - just as a sort of tough-guy way of pointing out a potential conflict of interest that someone may be heading into. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2009, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-polite-version-of-dont-shit-where-you-eat/507770/31 "2009-08-27T06:07:42Z")
Don’t tug on Superman’s cape? Don’t spit into the wind? Don’t pull the mask off an old Lone Ranger? Don’t mess around with Jim? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-polite-version-of-dont-shit-where-you-eat/507770.md?page=1)