# Original ending of the quote "Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 16, 2006, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-ending-of-the-quote-do-not-meddle-in-the-affairs-of-dragons/344776 "2006-02-16T10:46:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mittu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-ending-of-the-quote-do-not-meddle-in-the-affairs-of-dragons/344776/1 "2006-02-16T10:46:21Z")
I have seen T-Shirts and bumper stickers with the following phrase on them: “Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!” Is this an altered version of some other phrase or has it always existed in this form? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-ending-of-the-quote-do-not-meddle-in-the-affairs-of-dragons/344776/2 "2006-02-16T10:57:50Z")
> [@mittu](#): > > I have seen T-Shirts and bumper stickers with the following phrase on them: > > “Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!” > > Is this an altered version of some other phrase or has it always existed in this form? It’s a paraphrase of a line from Tolkien: “Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger.” ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-ending-of-the-quote-do-not-meddle-in-the-affairs-of-dragons/344776/3 "2006-02-16T14:45:48Z")
There was also an old cartoon with a dragon sitting in a pile of armor, picking his teeth with a lance, captioned “The dragon doesn’t always lose”. ---
**Author:** ![35340](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/8baadc/32.png) [@35340](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/35340)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-ending-of-the-quote-do-not-meddle-in-the-affairs-of-dragons/344776/4 "2006-02-16T14:51:37Z")
> [@Snakescatlady](#): > > There was also an old cartoon with a dragon sitting in a pile of armor, picking his teeth with a lance, captioned “The dragon doesn’t always lose”. [![](http://home.simplyweb.net/jhirschy/dragon/sometime.gif) ](http://home.simplyweb.net/jhirschy/dragon/sometime.gif) I became aware of it in the early 80s when it was given to us as a ‘coloring page’ from our local printshop. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-ending-of-the-quote-do-not-meddle-in-the-affairs-of-dragons/344776/5 "2006-02-16T15:51:43Z")
My version runs thusly: “Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy when fried and good with ketchup.” ---
**Author:** ![zelie\_zelerton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/59ef9b/32.png) [@zelie\_zelerton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zelie_zelerton)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-ending-of-the-quote-do-not-meddle-in-the-affairs-of-dragons/344776/6 "2006-02-16T16:15:40Z")
And of course there’s the version i know which runs thusly: “Do not meddle with cats for they are subtle and will piss on your keyboard” ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-ending-of-the-quote-do-not-meddle-in-the-affairs-of-dragons/344776/7 "2006-02-16T16:31:46Z")
One I remember from a Roguelike I used to play: “Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards. It makes them soggy and hard to light.” ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-ending-of-the-quote-do-not-meddle-in-the-affairs-of-dragons/344776/8 "2006-02-16T17:39:29Z")
Of course, the best version is Pratchett’s: “Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, especially simian ones. They aren’t that subtle.” ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-ending-of-the-quote-do-not-meddle-in-the-affairs-of-dragons/344776/9 "2006-02-17T00:36:20Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > It’s a paraphrase of a line from Tolkien: > > “Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger.” Also mentioned is: “Go not to the Elves for advice, for they will tell you both yes and no.” ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-ending-of-the-quote-do-not-meddle-in-the-affairs-of-dragons/344776/10 "2006-02-17T01:50:09Z")
As a matter of giving an accurate answer, **Alessan** has it. But there are rumours that Tolkien cadged it from a Sicilian original: > [@](#): > > Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, or they will make you an offer you cannot refuse. – Gandolfini 😃