# What's the polite/original phrase for "Don't shit where you eat?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 3, 2007, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-polite-original-phrase-for-dont-shit-where-you-eat/410372 "2007-07-03T17:47:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-polite-original-phrase-for-dont-shit-where-you-eat/410372/1 "2007-07-03T17:47:53Z")
I was talking about adages and was laughing at that one, but then I realized that I don’t know a quaint or antiquated version of it…what’s the “a stitch in time saves nine”-style adage that means “don’t shit where you eat?” ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-polite-original-phrase-for-dont-shit-where-you-eat/410372/2 "2007-07-03T18:11:46Z")
The version I seem to remember, though poorly perhaps, is “Don’t get your meat where you get your potatoes.” or something like that. Maybe somebody has a better version. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-polite-original-phrase-for-dont-shit-where-you-eat/410372/3 "2007-07-03T18:13:41Z")
Don’t dip your pen in company ink ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-polite-original-phrase-for-dont-shit-where-you-eat/410372/4 "2007-07-03T18:15:15Z")
Don’t soil your own nest? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-polite-original-phrase-for-dont-shit-where-you-eat/410372/5 "2007-07-03T18:36:41Z")
Don’t pooh where you stew? Don’t defecate where you consumate? Don’t stool where you drool? Ok, I got nothing. But I too look forward to more answers on this one. ---
**Author:** ![Smitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Smitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smitty)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-polite-original-phrase-for-dont-shit-where-you-eat/410372/6 "2007-07-03T19:09:11Z")
Don’t get your sugar and your bread at the same store. ---
**Author:** ![essell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@essell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essell)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-polite-original-phrase-for-dont-shit-where-you-eat/410372/7 "2007-07-03T19:25:48Z")
**Don’t shit on your own doorstep.** Or **Don’t poop on your own doorstep if you want it polite.** 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-polite-original-phrase-for-dont-shit-where-you-eat/410372/8 "2007-07-03T19:30:17Z")
Don’t defecate where you masticate. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-polite-original-phrase-for-dont-shit-where-you-eat/410372/9 "2007-07-03T19:47:13Z")
Don’t get your meat where you get your bread. Don’t get your honey where you get your money. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-polite-original-phrase-for-dont-shit-where-you-eat/410372/10 "2007-07-03T19:54:37Z")
Don’t grunt where you hunt? ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-polite-original-phrase-for-dont-shit-where-you-eat/410372/11 "2007-07-03T19:58:15Z")
And here I always thought it was “. . . in your mess kit.” ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-polite-original-phrase-for-dont-shit-where-you-eat/410372/12 "2007-07-03T19:58:39Z")
[QUOTE=lieu] Don’t grunt where you hunt? [/QUOTE] Don’t lather where you gather. Actually, the pen in ink is probably where you’re going. My old boss at the golf course had a charming saying for this: “Don’t fuck the help.” ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-polite-original-phrase-for-dont-shit-where-you-eat/410372/13 "2007-07-03T20:05:36Z")
People shouldn’t throw stones if they live in a glass house? That’s a similar sentiment, but not quite right I think. There is an older version of the sentiment, but I’m not bringing it up yet. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-polite-original-phrase-for-dont-shit-where-you-eat/410372/14 "2007-07-03T20:08:13Z")
[QUOTE=Eureka] Don’t soil your own nest? [/QUOTE] I think the Southern version is **Don’t mess in your nest**. ---
**Author:** ![SailedTheOceanBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85f322/32.png) [@SailedTheOceanBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SailedTheOceanBlue)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-polite-original-phrase-for-dont-shit-where-you-eat/410372/15 "2007-07-03T20:13:22Z")
Don’t fish off the company pier. ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-polite-original-phrase-for-dont-shit-where-you-eat/410372/16 "2007-07-03T20:14:28Z")
[QUOTE=stolichnaya] My old boss at the golf course had a charming saying for this: “Don’t fuck the help.” [/QUOTE] I’m having trouble picking up the metaphor in that one. Could you explain it? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-polite-original-phrase-for-dont-shit-where-you-eat/410372/17 "2007-07-03T20:53:44Z")
Control the Hobbit Or meet Ms. Bobbitt ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-polite-original-phrase-for-dont-shit-where-you-eat/410372/18 "2007-07-03T21:03:02Z")
“It’s a dirty bird [indeed] that fouls its own nest.” There are a lot of versions of this one in a number of different languages. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if “don’t shit where you eat” is quite old. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-polite-original-phrase-for-dont-shit-where-you-eat/410372/19 "2007-07-03T21:04:36Z")
[QUOTE=Dr. Drake] “It’s a dirty bird [indeed] that fouls its own nest.” There are a lot of versions of this one in a number of different languages. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if “don’t shit where you eat” is quite old. [/QUOTE] I think that’s the one I was trying to bring up, or close to it. ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-polite-original-phrase-for-dont-shit-where-you-eat/410372/20 "2007-07-03T21:07:55Z")
[QUOTE=Zabali\_Clawbane] I think that’s the one I was trying to bring up, or close to it. [/QUOTE] “Don’t bring up what you’re close to.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-polite-original-phrase-for-dont-shit-where-you-eat/410372.md?page=2)