dance with the one that brought you
/ˈdæns wɪð ðə wʌn ðət ˈbɹɔt ju/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.71 in modern English
53
Scrabble Score
29
Letters
3
Syllables
15
Unique Chars
Meaning
proverb
Be considerate and loyal to the person who has been attentive, helpful, or supportive to you.
Canadian usage; American usage; Informal
Example Sentences
- "There is an expression in sports about ‘dancing with the one that brought you’; it means sticking with players and strategies that have worked."
- "We support this free and open exchange of ideas. That's what got us here and as Bum Phillips, the ex-coach of the Houston Oilers used to say, you ought to dance with the one that brought you."
- "To some extent, adhering to traditional methods and ideas is understandable. It is the real-life equivalent of "dancing with the one that brought you," that is, staying with practices that brought success before and perhaps sustained the institution in times of crisis. But without the ability to innovate, eventual failure of the entire institution will be assured as well."
- "Sometimes you have to dance with the one that brought you. And, ever since he won a crucial Game Four in Cleveland on 16 days rest in the 1998 ALCS, [Joe] Torre has trusted [Orlando] Hernandez more than any of his starters."
- "[Barack] Obama's approval ratings have fallen below 40 percent. "Dance with the one that brought you," the saying goes, but when you are a Senate Democrat stuck with the wrong prom date, there's only one thing to do: hide in the bathroom."
- "I mention this Canadian Conservative Prime Minister because he coined the political adage ‘you dance with the one that brought you’. In less colourful terms [Brian] Mulroney meant that a Prime Minister should ‘never, ever ignore his party’s base’."
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈdæns wɪð ðə wʌn ðət ˈbɹɔt ju/
- British English: /ˈdɑːns wɪð ðə wʌn ðət ˈbɹɔːt juː/
Usage
Synonyms
leave with the one that brought ya
leave with the one that brung ya
leave with the one that brung you
leave with the one what brought ya
leave with the one what brought you
leave with the one what brung ya
leave with the one what brung you
leave with the one who brought ya
leave with the one who brought you
leave with the one who brung ya
leave with the one who brung you