- English translation
If garlic bothers you, the remedy is to eat less of it.
- Literal wording
What spares you from garlic is eating little of it.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying recommends reducing one’s contact with an unwanted thing rather than merely enduring its unpleasant effects. It presents restraint or avoidance as the direct way to stop a recurring source of discomfort.
More broadly, it applies when an unwelcome consequence comes from something a person can reduce or leave behind. Its practical lesson is that withdrawing from the cause may solve the problem more effectively than continuing to suffer its results.
- When it is used
Use it to advise someone to limit or avoid something that repeatedly causes them trouble. It suits situations in which reducing contact with the cause offers a practical way to prevent the unwanted effect.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: If garlic bothers you, the remedy is to eat less of it.