it is easy to find a stick to beat a dog

proverb

If a person is determined to punish or blame someone, they will find a way or a reason to do so.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. obsoleterareIf a person is determined to punish or blame someone, they will find a way or a reason to do so.

    The ancient Prouerbe will be well effected, A Staffe is quickly found to beat a Dogge.

    1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]
    1 more example

    For all this, however, poor Tom smarted in the flesh; for though Thwackum had been inhibited to exercise his arm on the foregoing account, yet, as the proverb says, It is easy to find a stick, &c. So was it easy to find a rod; and, indeed, the not being able to find one was the only thing which could have kept Thwackum any long time from chastising poor Jones.

    1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume III, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book V

Translations

Arabic إنْ عُدِمَتِ الجِنايةُ لَمْ تُعْدَمِ المَعْذِرَةُ
  • إنْ عُدِمَتِ الجِنايةُ لَمْ تُعْدَمِ المَعْذِرَةُ (in 'udimati-l-jināyatu, lam tu'dami-l-ma'dhirah)Translations
Chinese Mandarin 欲加之罪，何患無辭 /欲加之罪, 何患无辞
  • 欲加之罪，何患無辭 /欲加之罪Translations
  • 何患无辞 (yù jiā zhī zuì, hé huàn wú cí)Translations
Czech kdo chce psa bít, hůl si vždycky najde
  • kdo chce psa bít, hůl si vždycky najdeTranslations
Hindi खिसियानी बिल्ली खंभा नोचे
  • खिसियानी बिल्ली खंभा नोचे (khisiyānī billī khambhā noce)Translations
Japanese 叩けば埃が出る
  • 叩けば埃が出る (tadakeba hokori ga deru)Translations
Polish jak się chce psa uderzyć, kij się znajdzie
  • jak się chce psa uderzyć, kij się znajdzieTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

it is easy to find a stick to beat a dog. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it%20is%20easy%20to%20find%20a%20stick%20to%20beat%20a%20dog

MLA

“it is easy to find a stick to beat a dog.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it%20is%20easy%20to%20find%20a%20stick%20to%20beat%20a%20dog. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “it is easy to find a stick to beat a dog,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it%20is%20easy%20to%20find%20a%20stick%20to%20beat%20a%20dog.

Source: it is easy to find a stick to beat a dog on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.