when in Rome, do as the Romans do
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
First attested in medieval Latin si fueris Rōmae, Rōmānō vīvitō mōre; si fueris alibī, vīvitō sicut ibi (“‘if you were in Rome, live in the Roman way; if you are elsewhere, live as they do there’”); which is attributed to St Ambrose.
[edit] Phrase
when in Rome, do as the Romans do
- behave as those around do
[edit] Usage notes
- Often shortened to when in Rome, with the rest of the proverb understood.
[edit] Translations
behave as those around do
