Timeline for indirect or polite way to say "A rotten potato spoils the whole bag"
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
18 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Mar 16, 2017 at 12:51 | answer | added | davidlol | timeline score: 0 | |
| Mar 16, 2017 at 9:58 | comment | added | gtiwari333 | Updated the question to describe the situation. | |
| Mar 16, 2017 at 9:57 | history | edited | gtiwari333 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
added 298 characters in body
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| Mar 15, 2017 at 23:24 | comment | added | Dan | An example sentence is needed! For usage related to people, a politer version might be that "their face didn't fit". | |
| Mar 15, 2017 at 19:01 | review | Close votes | |||
| Mar 16, 2017 at 8:02 | |||||
| Mar 15, 2017 at 18:39 | history | reopened |
1006a Mark Hubbard alwayslearning Hellion user66974 |
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| Mar 15, 2017 at 17:04 | comment | added | Kit Z. Fox♦ | When you edit this question to include an example context, please also include an explanation of why you feel the expression is direct and impolite, and let us know what keywords you used in your online search. | |
| Mar 15, 2017 at 17:01 | comment | added | Canis Lupus | I agree, it's not a duplicate. Not even close. It was closed by a mod vote. However, my opinion is that the OP's expression is already a euphemism and there isn't any other common phrase that is more polite or indirect that has the same meaning. (But there might be phrases with the same tone.) | |
| Mar 15, 2017 at 17:01 | history | edited | Kit Z. Fox♦ | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
deleted 8 characters in body; edited title
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| Mar 15, 2017 at 16:15 | review | Reopen votes | |||
| Mar 15, 2017 at 18:46 | |||||
| Mar 15, 2017 at 16:04 | comment | added | 1006a | That "duplicate" is not a duplicate—the underlying meaning is different (one person's hard work can be destroyed by a single slip of that person, vs many individuals can be debased by exposure to another bad individual) and the duplicate isn't looking for a "polite" alternative. A little more context would make the question better, but it's been less than 1 hour since the question was first posted, so it also seems premature to close for lack thereof. | |
| Mar 15, 2017 at 15:53 | history | closed |
herisson RegDwigнt |
Duplicate of What's the English equivalent of the Japanese saying, “A fart ruins 100 days of sermons by the priest (bishop)”? | |
| Mar 15, 2017 at 15:37 | comment | added | Davo | But I thought One bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch, girl... | |
| Mar 15, 2017 at 15:31 | comment | added | Canis Lupus | This is already an indirect statement (the bad apple example is more common) that is meant to soften an opinion. It replaces a harsher direct remark, such as "He's a bad influence." | |
| Mar 15, 2017 at 15:26 | answer | added | Mark Hubbard | timeline score: 4 | |
| Mar 15, 2017 at 15:07 | comment | added | Mari-Lou A | Please supply a sentence where you would use this phrase. Are you looking for an idiom, a single word, or a proverb? Should it be derogatory, insulting, or a mild reproach. We need more info please :) Would the version I posted in a comment, be appropriate? Why? Why not? | |
| Mar 15, 2017 at 15:02 | comment | added | Mari-Lou A | Isn't it a rotten apple that spoils the barrel? | |
| Mar 15, 2017 at 14:59 | history | asked | gtiwari333 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |