He that owes NOTHING, if he makes not mouths at us, is courteous

Insights

Low Expectations of Courtesy

It implies that the threshold for calling someone ‘courteous’ may be minimal—simply not being offensive or indebted suffices to earn respect or tolerance.

Credit and Social Standing

The proverb reflects the importance of financial reputation in social relationships—those free from debt were seen as honorable, provided they also avoided open contempt.

Skepticism of Appearances

It hints at a cynical view of social behavior: that people’s actions are judged not by genuine virtue but by the absence of provocation or scandal.

Debt and Social Morality

In early modern society, owing money was both a financial and moral burden. The proverb highlights how simply not being in debt could elevate one’s social status—even if no other virtues were evident.

Mockery and Public Face

‘Making mouths’—a gesture of ridicule—stands in for broader social contempt or insolence. Avoiding such expressions was seen as the bare minimum required to maintain civility.

Irony of Respectability

The proverb plays on ironic respectability: someone is called 'courteous' not for doing good, but merely for avoiding bad behavior. It reveals a wry awareness of how social reputations are constructed.

Rhetorical Devices

Irony

The statement is subtly ironic, defining courtesy not by active kindness but by the passive avoidance of debt and mockery.

Colloquial Expression

The phrase ‘makes not mouths at us’ uses a vivid, informal idiom to convey mockery, grounding the proverb in everyday speech and gesture.

Understatement

The proverb downplays what it means to be courteous, suggesting that minimal decency—avoiding debt and insult—is enough to be considered virtuous, with a winking tone.