bring one's own hide to market

The phrase is likely derived from a German proverb, notably adapted by Karl Marx in his 1867 work, Capital. In the English translation by Samuel Moore and Edward Aveling, the worker is described as one who follows the owner of money, timid and holding back, like one who is bringing his own hide to market and has nothing to expect but a hiding. The metaphor relies on the literal sale of animal skins, yet carries the more pointed connotations of chattel slavery and prostitution, where the personhood of the individual is devalued for the sake of their physical utility.

The 1867 text employs the word hiding to facilitate a linguistic convergence of literal skinning and metaphorical flogging. By bringing one's own hide to market, the subject is positioned as both the seller and the commodity, facing the dual prospect of being fleeced of value and physically beaten. The image suggests a finality of exploitation; once the skin is brought to market, there is nothing left of the individual to sell.