Modern Proverb: If you are not at the table, you may be on the menu.

ADSGarson O'Toole adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM
Sat Oct 11 23:06:40 UTC 2014


Dan Goncharoff wrote:
>"If you don't have a seat at the table, you're probably
> on the menu." - -
> Elizabeth Warren

This interesting saying is listed in Charlie and Fred's Dictionary of
Modern Proverbs with an initial citation in 1993. In addition, Barry
has an entry on the topic with a citation in 2000.

[ref] 2012, The Dictionary of Modern Proverbs, Compiled by Charles
Clay Doyle, Wolfgang Mieder, and Fred R. Shapiro, Page 248, Yale
University Press, New Haven. (Verified on paper)[/ref]

[Begin excerpt]
If you are not at the table, you may be on the menu.

1993 "Lebanon— At the Table or on the Menu?" Middle East Insight 10,
no. 6 (Sep.– Oct.) 5 (commentary on a pending Syria- Israel accord).

2002 Salt Lake [City UT] Tribune 30 Jul. (quoting the education
activist Pat Rusk): “I am often reminded of the adage, 'If you are not
at the table, then you could be on the menu.' If I am not getting out
and having my voice heard by those who make decisions, I am not doing
my job."
[End excerpt]

Website: barrypopik.com
Title: "If you're not at the table, you're on the menu"
Timestamp: Entry from April 01, 2010
http://bit.ly/1vUh3mg

Garson


On Sat, Oct 11, 2014 at 6:43 PM, Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Most Notable Quotations of 2014 So Far?
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "I think they underestimated what had been taking place in Syria." - -
> Obama
>
> "If you press the spring too hard, it will snap back. "-- Putin
>
> "For a leader who can stand in the proud tradition of William Wallace and
> Andy Murray, won=E2=80=99t you consider the return of Scotland=E2=80=99s pr=
> odigal son =E2=80=93
> Groundskeeper Willie? I=E2=80=99ve lived in America most of my life, so I=
> =E2=80=99ve seen
> first-hand how not to run a country.=E2=80=9D - Groundskeeper Willie, from =
> The
> Simpsons.
>
> "It is not a scandal. It is a sex crime. It is a sexual violation. It's
> disgusting," - - Jennifer Lawrence
>
> "Re2pect"
>
> "I believe in my heart that Ray would be a great addition to us when it
> comes to trying to steer these guys, young men to grown men." - - Baltimore
> Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti
>
> "It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you=E2=80=99re associa=
> ting
> with black people. Do you have to?" - - Donald Sterling
>
> "If you don't have a seat at the table, you're probably on the menu." - -
> Elizabeth Warren
>
> On Oct 11, 2014 11:21 AM, "Shapiro, Fred" <fred.shapiro at yale.edu> wrote:
>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       "Shapiro, Fred" <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU>
>> Subject:      Most Notable Quotations of 2014 So Far?
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------=
> ------
>>
>> =3D0A=3D
>> I=3D92m starting to think about my annual list, run by the Associated Pre=
> ss,
>> =3D
>> of the top 10 most notable quotations of the year.  By =3D93notable=3D94 =
> I
>> mean=3D
>>  =3D93important=3D94 or =3D93famous=3D94 or =3D93particularly revealing o=
> f the
>> spirit=3D
>>  of our times=3D94 rather than necessarily being eloquent or admirable.
>> Beca=3D
>> use this is not a presidential election year or
>> year-before-presidential-el=3D
>> ection year, the most notable quotations are less obvious, which is why I
>> a=3D
>> m soliciting preliminary input at this time.=3D0A=3D
>> =3D0A=3D
>> I would welcome suggestions of notable quotations from 2014, particularly
>> o=3D
>> nes from politics or popular culture or entertainment or sports or
>> business=3D
>>  or technology.=3D0A=3D
>> =3D0A=3D
>> Fred Shapiro=3D0A=3D
>> =3D0A=3D
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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