В ДОМЕ ПОВЕШЕННОГО НЕ ГОВОРЯТ О ВЕРЕВКЕ

• В ДОМЕ ПОВЕШЕННОГО НЕ ГОВОРЯТ О ВЕРЕВКЕ••

[saying]

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⇒ one should not speak in another person's presence about things that remind that person of his weaknesses, shortcomings etc:

- ≈ don't mention rope in the house of a hanged man.

     ♦ [Шабельский:] Да, я был молол и глуп, в свое время... обличал мерзавцев и мошенников, но никогда в жизни я воров не называл в лицо ворами и в ломе повешенного не говорил о веревке. Я был воспитан (Чехов 4). [Sh:] Yes, I was young and foolish, and in my time I, too... expos[ed] frauds and scoundrels, but I never in my life called a thief a thief to his face, nor mentioned rope in the house of a hanged man. I was properly brought up (4a).

Cf: It's ill halting before a cripple (Am.). Name not a halter (a rope) in his house that hanged himself (that was hanged) (Br.). Never talk of rope in the house of a man who has been hanged (Am.)