Meanings
- idiomaticvulgarOne should not cause trouble in places, groups, or situations that one holds as important or necessary to one's happiness or well-being.
The guiding principle is Don't shit where you eat. Office romances are always destructive of morale and objectivity.
1994 April 14, Nelson Navarro, “Ever faithful, ever true”, in Manila Standard, Philippines, retrieved 12 Aug 20112 more examples
Limbaugh was scheduled to deliver the keynote speech at the NAB convention in, of all places, Philadelphia, thus violating the cardinal law of the animal kingdom: Don't shit where you eat.
2003 October 8, Jonathan Valania, “Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Pussy”, in Philadelphia Weekly, retrieved 12 Aug 2011Mitchell refused to indulge in on-set romances with either gender. "You don't shit where you eat," he told me, plainly.
2006 September 19, Michael Musto, “NY Mirror”, in Village Voice, retrieved 12 Aug 2011Synonyms: don't shit in your own nest
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbOne should not cause trouble in places, groups, or situations that one holds as important or necessary to one's happiness or well-being.
Translations
Czech nekálej do vlastního hnízda
- nekálej do vlastního hnízdaOne should not cause trouble in a place, group, etc. which one frequents
Esperanto en puton ne kraĉu, ĉar vi trinki bezonos
- en puton ne kraĉu, ĉar vi trinki bezonosOne should not cause trouble in a place, group, etc. which one frequents
Hebrew לא מחרבנים איפה שאוכלים, אל תחרבן במקום שבו אתה אוכל
- לא מחרבנים איפה שאוכליםOne should not cause trouble in a place, group, etc. which one frequents
- אל תחרבן במקום שבו אתה אוכלOne should not cause trouble in a place, group, etc. which one frequents
Italian non si sputa nel piatto dove si mangia
- non si sputa nel piatto dove si mangiaOne should not cause trouble in a place, group, etc. which one frequents
Polish nie pluj do studni, z której pijesz
- nie pluj do studni, z której pijeszOne should not cause trouble in a place, group, etc. which one frequents
Portuguese onde se ganha o pão não se come a carne
- onde se ganha o pão não se come a carneOne should not cause trouble in a place, group, etc. which one frequents
Russian не плюй в коло́дец, пригоди́тся воды́ напи́ться
- не плюй в коло́дец, пригоди́тся воды́ напи́ться (ne pljuj v kolódec, prigodítsja vodý napítʹsja)One should not cause trouble in a place, group, etc. which one frequents
Spanish donde tengas la olla no metas la polla, donde se come no se caga
- donde tengas la olla no metas la pollaOne should not cause trouble in a place, group, etc. which one frequents
- donde se come no se cagaOne should not cause trouble in a place, group, etc. which one frequents
Swedish kacka inte i eget bo
- kacka inte i eget boOne should not cause trouble in a place, group, etc. which one frequents
Vietnamese con thỏ không ăn cỏ gần hang
- con thỏ không ăn cỏ gần hangOne should not cause trouble in a place, group, etc. which one frequents
Cite this entry
don't shit where you eat. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/don't%20shit%20where%20you%20eat
“don't shit where you eat.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/don't%20shit%20where%20you%20eat. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “don't shit where you eat,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/don't%20shit%20where%20you%20eat.
Source: don't shit where you eat on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.