Glossary entry

Arabic term or phrase:

يأكل الغلة ويسب الملة

English translation:

Biting the hand that feeds him

Added to glossary by Khalid W
May 16, 2013 12:46
11 yrs ago
4 viewers *
Arabic term

يأكل الغلة ويسب الملة

Arabic to English Social Sciences Government / Politics
This is a proverb apparently used mostly in Morocco and Algeria.

In this case, it was the headline of a news article:
يأكل الغلة ويسب الملة

أقدم أحد أبناء مدير الشباب والرياضة السابق بالشلف، على تخريب السكن الوظيفي الذي تركه والده، بعد أن حول إلى نفس المنصب بوهران، حيث تم اقتلاع الأبواب وتكسير شبكة المياه والكهرباء وقنوات الغاز، أين قدرت الخسائر بمئات الملايين.
ويرجع السبب في هذا الموقف الغريب، إلى أن الإدارة الوصية طلبت إخلاء المسكن وإرجاع مفاتيحه إلى مصالحها.
وما أثار الاستغراب، هو أن التخريب قام به ابن مدير الشباب والرياضة، الذي من المفترض أن يكون قدوة لبقية الشباب المحرومين من كل شيء.

What would the idiomatic equivalent of this proverb be?

Thanks!

Proposed translations

+10
11 mins
Selected

Biting the hand that feeds him

This is an equivalent idiom:
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/bite the hand that feeds
bite the hand that feeds you
to treat someone badly who has helped you in some way, often someone who has provided you with money Leaving the company after they've spent three years training you up - it's a bit like biting the hand that feeds you.
Peer comment(s):

agree Mokhtar Oussama Alliouche
36 mins
Thank you very much
agree Abdallah Ali
1 hr
شكراً جزيلاً
agree Anis Farhat : "Biting the feeding hand" as a title
2 hrs
Good suggestion, Anis. Thanks a lot
agree Mohamed Magdy
2 hrs
Thank you very much
agree Muhammad Said
3 hrs
Thanks a lot
agree Lucinda Wills : Just the right idiom.
4 hrs
شكراً جزيلاً
agree Arabic & More
5 hrs
Thanks a lot
agree Ayman Hemeida
11 hrs
شكراً جزيلاًًًًًً
agree Ahmed Ahmed
16 hrs
Thank you very much
agree Awad Balaish
22 hrs
Thanks a lot
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "That's almost a perfect equivalent, thanks!"
12 mins

He does not recognize the gratitude

it's a proverb used in Tunisia too which means that he doesn't recognize the gratitude . i think this is the translation of this idiom in english
Something went wrong...
+2
1 hr

What greater ingratitude!

Some other suggestions:

Ungratefulness!
An ungrateful lad!
Ungrateful and blasphemous!

Peer comment(s):

agree Randa Farhat : The idiomatic equivalent is as put by Lamis. But for the title of this particular news story 'An ungrateful lad' fits well. The first is equal to يشرب من البير ويتف فيه, but the story is about قبل لا أمشي أخرّب. The boy holds 'a spiteful attitude'.
6 hrs
Agree and thanks for the Arabic proverbs :D:D:D
agree Lamis Maalouf : Actually, I searched in the beginning for something in English similar to the first saying Randa mentioned, I know it with بيرمي فيه حجر :) I didn't agree with you at first because the asker wanted an idiom but this is a good suggestion as a title.
21 hrs
Yes, you've proposed what the asker wants. I am just offering other options for the title :-)
Something went wrong...
22 hrs

He is insatiable and blasphemous

I would rather translate it like that because I think it is not necessary to form a proverb or parable out of it into another language even if you have equivalent in your mother tongue because it is likely become incomplete or confusing. I agree Lamis has suggested the closest proverb available in arabic.
Something went wrong...
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