I eat local food because when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
when in Rome, do as the Romans do
idiomIt is wise to adapt to the circumstances; it is wise to follow common custom.
Origin
first recorded 17th c.The first attestation is Medieval Latin si fueris Rōmae, Rōmānō vīvitō mōre; si fueris alibī, vīvitō sīcut ibī (“if you should be in Rome, live in the Roman manner; if you should be elsewhere, live as they do there”), which is attributed to St Ambrose (c. 339–397). Robert Burton in his Anatomy of Melancholy (1621) uses the phrase “When they are at Rome, they doe there as they ſee done.”
I felt awkward wearing a suit to the beach, but I remembered that when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Although the strict local customs felt foreign to him, he adopted them immediately, believing that when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
- 01
all roads lead to Rome
Different paths can take one to the same goal.
- 02
fiddle while Rome burns
To neglect helping when one’s time is needed most; to ignore the major problem at hand (whilst doing something less important); to be idle, inactive, or uninterested in a time of great need.
- 03
Rome wasn't built in a day
It takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive.