don't shoot the messenger

WOTD – 21 May 2010    

English

Pronunciation

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Proverb

don't shoot the messenger

1. The bearer of bad news should not be held accountable for the bad news.

Translations

the bearer of bad news should not be held accountable for the bad news

• Dutch: geef niet de boodschapper de schuld (nl)
• Finnish: älä ammu viestintuojaa (fi)
• Italian: ambasciator non porta pena (it)

• Russian: горькие вести и гонцу не на радость (ru) (gorʹkije vesti i goncu ne na radostʹ), (somewhat) желанные вести - мил гонец (ru) (želannyje vesti - mil gonec), (somewhat) по вестям и гонца встречают (ru) (po vestjam i gonca vstrečajut)
• Turkish: elçiye zeval olmaz (tr)

References

• Gregory Y. Titelman, Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings, 1996, ISBN 0-679-44554-4, p. 71.