Better out than in
Posted by Victoria S Dennis on January 07, 2006
In Reply to: Better out than in posted by ESC on January 07, 2006
: : Can the phrase "better out than in" mean that it is better to vommit the food out than to keep it in and get poisoned.The comntext in which the phrase is used is about ione young woman who is feeling sick in the toilet.Thank you in advance.
: I, fortunately, haven't heard this used in this context in real life: a person "breaks wind" or burps and says the above.
There's an old proverb, going back to the 18th century at least, meaning much the same thing: "better an empty house than an ill [i.e. bad, not sick] tenant".
- Better out than in James Briggs 08/January/06
- Better out than in Lewis 09/January/06