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

[Laurence Horn]

It would seem this is from the same proverb family as Eldridge Cleaver's "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem" and/or "Either you're part of the solution or you're part of the problem", which for I all know predated Eldridge Cleaver.  The theme is the excluded middle, with other fans from Jesus ("He who is not with me is against me") to Bush ("Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists")… 

LH

On Oct 11, 2014, at 7:06 PM, ADSGarson O'Toole wrote:

> 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
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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