Idiom Origins - One man’s meat is another man’s poison - History of One man’s meat is another man’s poison

One man’s meat is another man’s poison

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Origin of: One man’s meat is another man’s poison

One man’s meat is another man’s poison

An old proverb that is first cited in English from about the mid-1500s, and means that what is good for one person, may not be so for another. The concept itself, however, is much older, and is cited in the works of the Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius (c.99-55 BC).