don't shit where you eat

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

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Proverb

don't shit where you eat

1. (idiomatic, vulgar) One should not cause trouble in a place, group, or situation in which one regularly finds oneself, as it will likely backfire
   • 1994 April 14, Nelson Navarro, “Ever faithful, ever true”, in Manila Standard, Philippines, retrieved 12 August 2011:

     The guiding principle is Don't shit where you eat. Office romances are always destructive of morale and objectivity.

   • 2003 October 8, Jonathan Valania, “Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Pussy”, in Philadelphia Weekly, retrieved 12 Aug. 2011:

     Limbaugh was scheduled to deliver the keynote speech at the NAB convention in, of all places, Philadelphia, thus violating the cardinal law of the animal kingdom: Don't shit where you eat.

   • 2006 September 19, Michael Musto, “NY Mirror”, in Village Voice, retrieved 12 August 2011:

     Mitchell refused to indulge in on-set romances with either gender. "You don't shit where you eat," he told me, plainly.

Usage notes

• Often used as a warning of the dangers of workplace romances.

Synonyms

• don't shit in your own nest

Translations

One should not cause trouble in a place, group, etc. which one frequents

• Czech: nekálej do vlastního hnízda (don't shit into your nest)
• Esperanto: en puton ne kraĉu, ĉar vi trinki bezonos (literally “don't spit in a well, because you'll need to drink”)
• Hebrew: לא מחרבנים איפה שאוכלים, אל תחרבן במקום שבו אתה אוכל
• Italian: non si sputa nel piatto dove si mangia
• Russian: не плюй в коло́дец, пригоди́тся воды́ напи́ться (ru) (ne pljuj v kolódec, prigodítsja vodý napítʹsja) (don't spit into the well, you may have to drink (from it) one day)
• Spanish: donde tengas la olla no metas la polla
• Swedish: kacka inte i eget bo (sv)

See also

• bite the hand that feeds one
• don't dip your pen in the company ink