Explaining "If you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas"

Reviewed and edited by

Anwar Kareem 21/11/2024, 21:07

English.me team member

What does it mean?

If you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas

The phrase means that if you associate with dishonest or immoral people, you will suffer negative consequences or be corrupted by their behavior.

Tone

Cautionary

Origin

The proverb is likely originated in the 16th century. This period was a time when the experience of dealing with fleas was common. The expression first appeared in print in the English writer James Sanford's "Garden of Pleasure" in 1573.

Examples of usage

Be careful hanging out with them; if you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas.
She realized too late that by joining the corrupt board, she'd end up with serious legal implications — if you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas.
After years of associating with shady characters, he finally understood that if you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas.