He/she deserves it just as a dog deserves sausage

[JACEK1]

Hello all forum members!
First of all I would like to ask you if there is anyone of Polish extraction among you because I might not be able to explain to you exactly what I mean.
Suppose that one has a beloved dog. The dog, however, is not lazy. He keeps guard over the house that he and all the family live in. What would you do for such a dog that guards your house? A good owner would certainly reward him for all his hard work.
There is a Polish saying which say something to the effect that "He/she deserves it just as a dog deserves sausage (for all his efforts)".
How would you say it in English?

 

[GoesStation]

My parents were both born in Poland, and my mother grew up there. Nevertheless, I don't recall ever hearing an expression to suit the situation you describe.

 

[JACEK1]

The Polish version is "Należy się jej/jemu to jak psu kiełbasa".

 

[JACEK1]

Could someone else unravel this mystery?

 

[GoesStation]

This doesn't match the Polish expression, but in English you can describe someone persistently working on something as being like a dog with a bone.

 

[JACEK1]

It's not about someone working hard. The thing is that, for instance, someone works hard at a computer in an office using their brain. Part of a working day passes and the time arrives for them to have a break for lunch. To their surprise, they look for a hand paper towel and there is no trace of it. They mutter under their nose "In spite of all their hard work, they cannot even find a shred of hand paper to dry their hands on". All of them in the department deserve to have access to a piece of clean paper towel to dry their hands on because having access to such a roll of paper towel is included in their basic privileges. (It is the duty of a cleaning lady to bring another roll of paper towels for employees to use the next day). Do you understand what I mean?
"He/she deserves it just as a dog deserves sausage (for all his efforts)" = "All of tem in the department deserve to have access to a piece of clean paper towel to dry their hands on because having access to such a roll of paper towel is included in their basic privileges".
How to express this thought in English?

 

[JACEK1]

How about "That is absolutely yours"?

 

[andrewg927]

How about "That is absolutely yours"?

No. I can't think of one.

 

[teechar]

I can think of:
He/she deserves every bit of it.
He/she has (certainly) earned their keep.

 

[JACEK1]

A few minutes ago, I read the definition for what I want to explain to you.
As for a dog, if someone deserves something just as a dog deserves to have a kennel/sausage, we say that such a dog has come to deserve these things thanks to his loyalty and faithfulness.

 

[emsr2d2]

Shelter and food (kennel/sausage) are basic requirements and rights for a dog. They're not deserved just because the dog is loyal and faithful.

Having clean paper towels in a company bathroom seems to be the same to me - a basic requirement. It has nothing to do with how good an employee you are.

 

[andrewg927]

Shelter and food (kennel/sausage) are basic requirements and rights for a dog. They're not deserved just because the dog is loyal and faithful.

Having clean paper towels in a company bathroom seems to be the same to me - a basic requirement. It has nothing to do with how good an employee you are.

I agree that you don't need to be a good employee to ask for clean paper towels. With dogs though, I would say sausage is a treat, not a basic necessity.

 

[JACEK1]

So, should I say "I simply deserve it"?

 

[emsr2d2]

No. Again, "deserve" isn't the right word.

It's a basic necessity.
It's a basic requirement.

For something more important than paper towels, "It's a basic human right".

 

[andrewg927]

You can say "I have earned it" but it only applies to things that you have to work for such as a promotion.

Things like paper towels, you can say "I expect to have clean paper towels in the bathroom". But a basic necessity or not, no one likes that tone of expectation. If you need to ask the janitor to bring in new towels, just be polite and ask "Can I have more paper towels in the bathroom?"