ProverbHub
EnglishLatin scriptExpression: Verified

Steal the goose, and give the giblets in alms.

Meanings

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Sense: Verified
Meaning and lesson

The proverb criticizes someone who takes something valuable and then gives away a small part of the proceeds as an act of charity. The gift does not undo the theft.

It also points to the appearance of virtue: a person may seek credit for generosity while ignoring the harm that made the gift possible.

When it is used

Use it to criticize a charitable gesture funded by wrongdoing, especially when the giver keeps most of the benefit. The emphasis is on the contrast between a serious wrong and a much smaller public good.