every tub must sit on its own bottom
Everybody has to take care of themselves.
Also called every tub must stand on its own bottom, every tub sits on its own bottom.
Updated September 21, 2026
every tub must sit on its own bottom pronunciation
/EV-ree tub must SIT on its own BAH-tum/
Meaning
Old-timer advice that you are responsible for your own keep. Nobody else can hold you up forever. In rural Southern talk it lands as hard self-reliance: pay your own bills, stand on your own feet. Grandmas say it when a grown kid wants another bailout.
How folks use it
- “You're grown now. Every tub must sit on its own bottom.”
- “I ain't fixing his mess again. Every tub must sit on its own bottom.”
Origin and etymology
English proverb from at least the 1600s and 1700s, often with "stand" instead of "sit" (John Bunyan and later writers used related wording). The "sit" form stuck in Southern and Appalachian porch talk as a plain lesson in minding your own load.
Frequently asked questions
Is this about laundry tubs?
Only as a picture. A tub rests on its own base, so the saying means each person has to support themselves.