Explore Arabic traditional proverbsReviewed 2026-09-27
Sense: Verified- English translation
I’ll take the bread, but only if it’s clean.
- Literal wording
Give me a loaf of bread, and let it be clean.
- Meaning and lesson
It mocks someone who asks for charity while making demands about what they will receive.
- When it is used
Said of a person who seeks a handout but insists on particular conditions for accepting it.
- Register
- Colloquial
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: I’ll take the bread, but only if it’s clean.