People in glass houses

Posted by Masakim on July 26, 2003

In Reply to: People in glass houses posted by ESC on July 26, 2003

: : : I need to clarify this saying..Anyone out there willing to give me feedback???

: : In Britain it implies that you shouldn't be over critical of someone since you, yourself, could be open to the same sort of criticsm. The saying is usually 'people who LIVE in......'.

: PEOPLE IN GLASS HOUSES SHOULDN'T THROW STONES - "Those who are vulnerable should not attack others. The proverb has been traced back to Geoffrey Chaucer's 'Troilus and Criseyde' . George Herbert wrote in 1651: 'Whose house is of glass, must not throw stones at another.' This saying is first cited in the United States in 'William & Mary College Quarterly' . Twenty-six later Benjamin Franklin wrote, 'Don't throw stones at your neighbors', if your own windows are glass.' 'To live in a glass house' is used as a figure of speech referring to vulnerability." From Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996).

Who that hath an hed of verre, Fro cast of stones war hym in the werre! (Chaucer, "Troilus & Criseyde," c1385)
Whose house is of glasse, must not throw stones at another. (G. Herbert, "Outlandish Proverbs," 1640)
Ay cousen, no body should thrown stones, whose house is made of glass. (C. Shadwell, "Sham Prince," 1720)
Thee shouldst not throw Stone, who hast a Head of Glass thyself. (J. Shebbeare, "Marriage Act," 1754)
He who lives in a glass house, says a Spanish proverb, should never begin throwing stones. (T. Paine in "Pennsylvania Packet," October 22, 1778)
Those who live in glass houses shouldn't stones. (Trollope, "Framley Parsonage," 1861)
----------
In other languages:
Quien tiene tejado de vidrio, no tire piedras al de su vecino. (Sp.)
Si tu as la tete de beurre, ne te fais pas boulanger. (Fr.)
Wer selbst in einem Glashause wohnt, darf andere nicht mit Steiner werfen. (Ger.)
Chi ha tegoli di vetro, non tiri sassi al vicino. (It.)
Quem tem telhados de vidrio, nao atira pedras aos do vizinho. (Port)