Meaning & Analysis
Food that is paid for by someone else tastes the best or is the most satisfying, simply because it costs the diner nothing.
Insights
The Joy of Unearned Gains
The proverb suggests that any benefit, opportunity, or pleasure acquired without personal effort or sacrifice is perceived as more valuable and enjoyable. The absence of cost enhances the gratification.
Psychological Value vs. Intrinsic Value
It speaks to a psychological truth where the removal of the 'pain' of payment or effort makes an experience feel purer and more delightful. The 'wholesomeness' is a feeling of satisfaction, not a literal quality.
Opportunism and Freeloading
On a more critical level, the proverb can be interpreted as a celebration of opportunism or a parasitic mindset. It highlights a worldview focused on benefiting from the generosity or resources of others.
Economic Psychology
This proverb taps into the 'zero-price effect,' a concept in behavioral economics where the demand for a free good is disproportionately higher than for a good with even a nominal cost. The perceived value and enjoyment are psychologically amplified when personal cost is removed.
Hospitality and Patronage
The saying reflects historical social dynamics where hospitality was a significant measure of social standing. For the guest, enjoying a meal without expense was a common and appreciated social experience, reinforcing bonds of community and patronage.
Cynical View of Human Nature
The proverb carries a cynical undertone about human nature, suggesting that self-interest and the desire for unearned benefits are primary motivators. It subtly praises opportunism, framing it as a source of enhanced pleasure.
Cross-Cultural Observation
The sentiment is remarkably widespread, as evidenced by similar proverbs across different languages and cultures (e.g., Italian and Spanish versions in the citations). This universality highlights a shared human experience regarding the pleasure of receiving without giving.
Rhetorical Devices
Hyperbole
The word 'wholesomest' is an exaggeration used to emphasize the heightened psychological pleasure of a free meal, which is not literally more nutritious but simply feels more satisfying.
Synecdoche
'Meat' serves as a synecdoche, representing not just food but any desirable good, service, or experience that can be enjoyed at another's expense.
Irony
There is a subtle irony in using 'wholesomest'—a word associated with virtue and health—to describe a pleasure derived from what could be considered a selfish or opportunistic act.
Transcription
Quotations
Faith, I never tasted salmon relish better! Oh! when a man feeds at other men's cost.
There is a principle in the politician's physic: Eat your meat upon other men's trenchers, and beware of surfeits of your own cost.
'Tis good feasting at other mens houses.
A great pleasure to eat well and spend nothing.
Bread and wine which cost nothing, is alwaies the best.
It is good Beef, that costs nothing.
Cross References
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
Used under CC BY-NC 3.0.