poison

One man's meat is another man's poison.

Prov. Something that one person likes may be distasteful to someone else. Fred: What do you mean you don't like French fries? They're the best food in the world! Alan: One man's meat is another man's poison. Jill: I don't understand why Don doesn't like to read science fiction. It's the most interesting thing to read. Jane: One man's meat is another man's poison.

See also: another, meat, one

poison (someone or an animal) with something

to render someone or an animal sick or dead with a poison. He intended to poison his wife with arsenic. Barry wanted to poison the cat with something that left no trace. He poisoned himself with the cleaning compound.

poison someone against someone or something

to cause someone to have negative or hateful thoughts about someone, a group, or something. You have done nothing more than poison Gerald against all of us! Stop talking to him! Your negative comments poisoned everyone against the proposal.

See also: against

poison something with something

to render something poisonous with something. She poisoned the soup with arsenic. They are poisoning our water supply with pollutants.

What'll it be? and Name your poison.; What'll you have?; What's yours?

Inf. What do you want to drink?; What do you want?; How can I serve you? (Typically said by a bartender or bar waiter or waitress.) Tom: What'll it be, friend? Bill: I'll just have a ginger ale, if you don't mind. Waitress: What'll you have? Bob: Nothing, thanks.

---

a poison-pen letter

a letter that has no signature and says unpleasant things about the person it is sent to After he was convicted, his family received a number of poison-pen letters.

See also: letter

a poisoned chalice  (British)

something that harms the person it is given to although it seemed very good when they first got it The leadership of the party turned out to be a poisoned chalice.

One man's meat is another man's poison.

something that you say which means that something one person likes very much can be something that another person does not like at all I wouldn't want to do her job, but she seems to love it. Oh well, one man's meat is another man's poison.

See also: another, meat, one

What's your poison?  (humorous)

something that you say in order to ask someone what they would like to drink It's my round. What's your poison?