if you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas

if you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas

proverb If one spends time with bad people, one will suffer in some way (often by becoming like said associates). I worry about my brother hanging out with all those troublemakers—if you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas, you know?
See also: down, flea, get, if, lie, up, will
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

If you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas.

Prov. If you associate with bad people, you will acquire their faults. Granddaughter: It's not fair. I'm starting to get a bad reputation just because I'm friends with Suzy and she has a bad reputation. Grandmother: It's only natural. People think that if you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas.
See also: down, flea, get, if, lie, up, will
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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