# Origin of 'living under a bridge, eating rats'? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 13, 2016, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-living-under-a-bridge-eating-rats/774629 "2016-12-13T18:33:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-living-under-a-bridge-eating-rats/774629/1 "2016-12-13T18:33:33Z")
I saw this post elsewhere: ‘To paraphrase an old line, lots of Americans would be happy to live under a bridge eating a rat, as long as the _other_ guy has only _half_ a rat.’ Also, **Der Trihs** posted the line in the Social Security thread, saying he was paraphrasing from memory. If the quote is paraphrased, what was the original quote? Who said it, and when? ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-living-under-a-bridge-eating-rats/774629/2 "2016-12-13T20:18:50Z")
Dunno, but a fair number of years back, on a quazi-political site I remember a quip about Euopeans thinking such and such about Americans, and Americans ( on the righter side ) thinking thanks to socialism Europeans now lived in huts chewing on rats. Trolls would be associated with living under bridges, and Anatole France famously said ‘_In its majestic equality, the law forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, beg in the streets and steal loaves of bread_.’ I think the spirit of\*\* happily suffering so long as others suffer more\*\* is encapsulated in a number of bitter European proverbs. But really it’s part of the essence of war: one lot takes the bombing with the comfort that the enemy is being bombed worse… ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-living-under-a-bridge-eating-rats/774629/3 "2016-12-14T19:09:07Z")
Someone once described the Russian character, the meanness and desire to not let their neighbor get ahead as this: > [@](#): > > God appears to Vlad and tells him “You have been such a loyal servant, that I will grant you one wish for whatever you want. But know that your neighbor Ivan is also a loyal servant of mine, so whatever you wish for, I will bestow on him double.” > > Vlad thinks for a while, then says “Oh Lord, take one of my testicles.” ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-living-under-a-bridge-eating-rats/774629/4 "2016-12-14T20:44:54Z")
It’s a meme: [LINKS: Child Molesters Forced To Live Under A Bridge, Eating Rats, With Approval Of Miami City Officials | Claire's blog](https://clintjcl.wordpress.com/2007/04/06/links-for-2007-04-06/) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-living-under-a-bridge-eating-rats/774629/5 "2016-12-14T21:14:44Z")
I’ll admit I’ve never heard that particular expression. I have however heard the same idea expressed in other ways. _“It’s not enough for me to win. You have to lose.”_ or _“Some people wouldn’t be able to enjoy Heaven unless they knew other people were in Hell.”_ ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-living-under-a-bridge-eating-rats/774629/6 "2016-12-15T16:08:47Z")
We know that it doesn’t originate [in Alberta](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=556201). ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-living-under-a-bridge-eating-rats/774629/7 "2016-12-15T16:10:42Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I saw this post elsewhere: ‘To paraphrase an old line, lots of Americans would be happy to live under a bridge eating a rat, as long as the _other_ guy has only _half_ a rat.’ … My cousin quoted me a saying supposedly well known in Ireland, “It is not enough that I succeed. All my friends must fail.”