who pays the piper calls the tune

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English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From the classic legend, The Pied Piper of Hamelin.

Proverb

who pays the piper calls the tune

The person paying for something is the one who gets to say how it should be done

Translations

one who pays for something controls it

Catalan: qui paga mana
Central Franconian: wä de Musik bestellt, dä bestemmp, wat se spillt
Estonian: kes maksab, see tellib ka muusika
Finnish: kenen leipää syöt, sen lauluja laulat
German: (dated) wes Brot ich ess, des Lied ich sing (de) (literally “whose bread I eat, his song I sing”)
Polish: kto płaci, ten wymaga
Russian: кто пла́тит, тот и зака́зывает му́зыку (ru) (kto plátit, tot i zakázyvajet múzyku)
Scottish Gaelic: 's e am fear a phàigheas am pìobaire a stiùireas am port

See also

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