- English translation
The ripe piece goes to your own mouth; the unripe one is left to whoever owns it.
- Literal wording
The ripe one is for your palate, and the unripe one is for its owner.
- Meaning and lesson
The image pairs two pieces of fruit: whatever has ripened well is claimed for the addressee's own mouth, while the one still raw is left to the produce's owner, such as whoever is selling it, rather than to the addressee. Good and poor quality are divided along the line between oneself and another.
Applied to people, the saying captures the habit of putting oneself first, keeping what is pleasant and worthwhile for personal enjoyment and letting someone else end up with whatever is less desirable.
- When it is used
Fits remarks about someone who habitually keeps the best portion of something for themselves and leaves the lesser part to others, whether the matter is food or any other kind of benefit.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: The ripe piece goes to your own mouth; the unripe one is left to whoever owns it.