- English translation
From a wicked person, all you'll ever get is a stone thrown your way.
- Literal wording
Take from the vile one a stone's blow.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying warns that a person of bad character can be relied on for one thing only: injury. The word for that person literally means 'impure,' but here it figuratively labels bad character, not ritual impurity. Whatever you seek from them, the return is a hurt, pictured as a stone flung at you.
The opening 'take' is ironic, not advice to accept harm but a statement that harm is all such a person offers. Its practical force is to discourage false hope: expecting generosity or decency from someone wicked is self-deception, so it is wiser to keep your distance.
- When it is used
Use it when someone hopes for kindness, help, or fair dealing from a person known to be malicious, as a blunt reminder that such hopes are misplaced. It suits frank, informal warnings or wry commentary after a predictable betrayal.
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- Colloquial
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How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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