One man's meat is another man's poison.

English translation: What's good for the goose isn't always good for the gander

11:21 Apr 8, 2008

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Food & Drink / Cuisine

English term or phrase: One man's meat is another man's poison.

One man's meat is another man's poison.

I'm looking for a similar expression. This one doesn't fit well into my gastronomy text, as to refer to likes and dislikes in terms of poison in a cookbook seems to me to be a bit off:-)

Lia Fail (X) KudoZ activity Questions: 1685 (6 open) (12 without valid answers) (18 closed without grading) Answers: 2639 Spain
Local time: 05:19

Selected answer:What's good for the goose isn't always good for the gander

Explanation:
Perhaps you could use this modified version of the saying...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 mins (2008-04-08 11:26:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

What's good for the goose isn't necessarily good for the gander
http://techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=8&threa...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 mins (2008-04-08 11:27:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

What's good for the goose isn't always good for the gander ...
www.queenscentral.com/forums/topic/437

Selected response from:

Mikhail Kropotov
Germany
Local time: 05:19

Grading comment

Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

3 +5

what's sauce for the goose may (well) not be sauce for the gander

Caryl Swift

3 +4

... not everyone's cup of tea

cmwilliams (X)

1 +5

What's good for the goose isn't always good for the gander

Mikhail Kropotov

3 +2

A chacun son gout. // To each his own.

Robert Forstag

Jack Sprat would eat no fat, and his wife would eat no lean.

Cilian O'Tuama

a particular food, which may be good for certain people, may not be suitable for others

Bernhard Sulzer

Answers

3 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +5

one man's meat ..... is there a similar or alternative expression?

What's good for the goose isn't always good for the gander

Mikhail Kropotov
Germany
Local time: 05:19
Native speaker of: Russian
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

3 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +5

one man's meat ..... is there a similar or alternative expression? what's sauce for the goose may (well) not be sauce for the gander

Explanation:
References to follow

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 mins (2008-04-08 11:29:27 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

This is, in fact, a kind of mirror image of the saying:
"What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander"
meaning that what is acceptable to one person should also be acceptable to another:
http://tinyurl.com/3w8lo8
http://tinyurl.com/2m5fvk

My suggestion turns that on its head and says that what suits one person may well not suit another. Seeing as your text is gastronomical, I thought the 'sauce' bit might fit quite nicely!

If you want to intensify it still further, you could also try:
'What's sauce for the goose may very well not be sauce for the gander'

Caryl Swift
Poland
Local time: 05:19
Native speaker of: English

29 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

one man's meat ..... is there a similar or alternative expression? A chacun son gout. // To each his own.

Explanation:
You could use either the French by itself, in italics, if you are confident your readers will understand, or the English translation.

Cheers.

Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 23:19
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8

49 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

one man's meat is another man's poison. ... not everyone's cup of tea

Explanation:
Depends on how it's used in the text. This probably works better if it's referring to a specific thing, as is XXX is not everyone's cup of tea. But I have also seen it used on its own.

cmwilliams (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:19
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English

5 hrs confidence:

one man's meat is another man's poison. a particular food, which may be good for certain people, may not be suitable for others

Explanation:
or:

a particular food may be good for certain people but not suitable for others
one man's food/meat may be good for one person but not suitable for others
the food one person enjoys may not (at all) be (suitable) for others.
What is good for or enjoyed by one is not necessarily so for someone else.

Here, "poison" possibly suggests a strong aversion (because of allergies, heart condition, blood pressure, etc.) Certain people simply must not eat what others might really enjoy.

http://www.solveyourproblem.com/weight-loss-dieting/dieting_...

We must know that a particular food, which may be good for certain people, may not be suitable for others.

http://www.answers.com/one man's meat is another man�...
what is food to one person may be bitter poison to others.

What is good for or enjoyed by one is not necessarily so for someone else. This adage, first recorded in 1576, is so well known it is often shortened, as in Pat loves to travel to remote areas but that's not for Doris--one man's meat, you know.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 hrs (2008-04-08 16:58:30 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

what is wine for Paul may be venom for Peter

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 hrs (2008-04-08 17:01:05 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

ref.: http://www.solveyourproblem.com/weight-loss-dieting/dieting_...

broken link above (answers.com): please copy the entire link and then paste into address bar.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 hrs (2008-04-08 21:17:36 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

PS: I am not sure I would use the "goose"/"gander" saying in this context (the "goose/gander" could be the meat referred to here and it sounds a bit weird - maybe).

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day4 hrs (2008-04-09 15:22:23 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

One man's meat may not be suitable for another/others

Bernhard Sulzer
United States
Local time: 23:19
Native speaker of: German

1 day 11 hrs confidence:

one man's meat is another man's poison. Jack Sprat would eat no fat, and his wife would eat no lean.

Explanation:
no references to poison, just to preferences

depending on what you mean by "similar expression"

Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Local time: 05:19
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:

ProZ.com term search

Search millions of term translations

One man's meat is another man's poison.

English translation: What's good for the goose isn't always good for the gander

Answers

KudoZ™ translation help

Your current localization setting

Select a language

One man's meat is another man's poison.

English translation: What's good for the goose isn't always good for the gander

Answers

KudoZ™ translation help

You have native languages that can be verified

Your current localization setting

Select a language