Idioms

he who excuses himself accuses himself

he who excuses himself accuses himself

proverb By apologizing, one admits that they have done something wrong. No, if you apologize to Mom, then she'll know that you were the only who scratched up her car. He who excuses himself accuses himself! A: "Why would you say anything? He who excuses himself accuses himself!" B: "The teacher already suspected me of plagiarizing! It was all over for me anyway!" Don't say anything, and just let their investigation play out, OK? He who excuses himself accuses himself.
See also: accuse, excuse, he, himself, who
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

He who excuses himself accuses himself.

Prov. By apologizing for something, you admit that you did it. Maybe I should tell my boss I'm sorry for breaking the copy machine. On the other hand, he who excuses himself accuses himself.
See also: accuse, excuse, he, himself, who
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
See also:
References in periodicals archive
As the saying goes, he who excuses himself accuses himself.
Ignoramus is no excuse
"He, and the other highly paid ex-Gers players who are whinging to the media about being labelled failures for finishing a distant third in the Championship, would do well to remember the old French proverb 'he who excuses himself accuses himself.'" Iain Monteith, Burnside, said: "Boyd has a brass neck.
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