bite the hand that feeds one

bite the hand that feeds (you)

To scorn or poorly treat those on whom you depend or derive benefit. You might not agree with your parents' rules, but be careful about biting the hand that feeds you, because you owe everything you have to them. In politics, if you bite the hand that feeds, benefactors can very quickly crush your political future. Yeah, I wouldn't bite the hand that feeds you. The women in the admin office may be chatty, but they are the key to getting anything done around here.

See also: bite, feed, hand, that

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

bite the hand that feeds one

Fig. to do harm to someone who does good things for you. (Does not involve biting.) I'm your mother! How can you bite the hand that feeds you? She can hardly expect sympathy when she bites the hand that feeds her.

See also: bite, feed, hand, one, that

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.