wes Brot ich ess, des Lied ich sing

German

Etymology

Literally, “whose bread I eat, their song I sing”. Compare Dutch wiens brood men eet, diens woord men spreekt.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /vɛs ˈbʁoːt ɪç ˈɛs dɛs ˈliːt ɪç ˈzɪŋ/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Audio:(file)

Proverb

wes Brot ich ess, des Lied ich sing

  1. people tend to side with whoever pays them; people put personal needs or advantages above convictions

Usage notes

  • May overlap with English who pays the piper calls the tune, but only when this latter is used in a resigning or critical tone. The German proverb can never be used to assert an assumed right of the payer.

See also

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