--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Take not into your ear that scum of hell…" description: "\"Take not into your ear that scum of hell that people call tittle-tattle. Whosoever willingly listens to a slander is equally guilty with the one who te..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb3/thomas-de-witt-talmage-21956_dirty_take-not-into-your-ear-that-scum-of-hell_2335657.jpg" --- # Take not into your ear that scum of hell that people call… ![“Take not into your ear that scum of hell that people call tittle-tattle. Whosoever willingly listens to a slander is equally guilty with the one who tells it, and an old writer says they ought both to be hanged; the one by the tongue and the other by the ear. Do not smile upon such a spaniel, lest…” quote by Thomas De Witt Talmage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb3/thomas-de-witt-talmage-21956_dirty_take-not-into-your-ear-that-scum-of-hell_2335657.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb3/thomas-de-witt-talmage-21956_dirty_take-not-into-your-ear-that-scum-of-hell_2335657.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb3/thomas-de-witt-talmage-21956_dirty_take-not-into-your-ear-that-scum-of-hell_2335657.jpg) > “Take not into your ear that scum of hell that people call tittle-tattle. Whosoever willingly listens to a slander is equally guilty with the one who tells it, and an old writer says they ought both to be hanged; the one by the tongue and the other by the ear. Do not smile upon such a spaniel, lest like a pleased dog, he puts his dirty paw upon you.” [Thomas De Witt Talmage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-de-witt-talmage/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Listening to gossip spreads sin; both speaker and listener share guilt, so avoid it. **In simple terms:** Gossip harms both teller and listener. Key Takeaway Reject gossip and its influence. Themes morality communication guilt social harm Mood cautionary serious Type moral didactic When to use this quote - Workplace conversations - online forums - family gatherings - church meetings Key Concepts Ethical theory social psychology sin concept Questions to Reflect On - Why is it tempting to hear gossip? - How can you steer conversations away from slander? A Different Perspective Avoiding gossip can be socially difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dirty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dirty/) [Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog/) [Ear Scum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ear-scum-5634775/) [Ears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ears/) [Guilty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilty/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Listens Slander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listens-slander-4975518/) [Ought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ought/) [Ought Hanged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ought-hanged-5634776/) [Paws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paws/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Scum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scum/) [Slander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slander/) [Slander Equally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slander-equally-5634774/) [Spaniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spaniels/) [Tongue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tongue/) ## Related quotes > [Whoever listens to slander is himself a slanderer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/whoever-listens-to-slander-is-himself-a-slanderer/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [The dear, stupid body is as easily satisfied as a spaniel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/the-dear-stupid-body-is-as-easily-satisfied-as-a-spaniel/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [I have a spaniel that defrocked a nun last week. 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But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/love-is-an-alchemist-that-can-transmute-poison-into-food-and-a/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [And so the blasts of calumny, howl they ever so fiercely over the good man's head, contribute to his juster appreciation and to his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morley-punshon/and-so-the-blasts-of-calumny-howl-they-ever-so-fiercely-over-the-good/) [William Morley Punshon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morley-punshon/) > [Dogs are intelligent beings; they are not human beings. The life of a dog - there's no equivalency with the life of a person,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-carlson/dogs-are-intelligent-beings-they-are-not-human-beings-the-life-of-a/) [Tucker Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-carlson/) > [Succotash my cocker spaniel, you fudging crevasse-hole dipshiitake!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/succotash-my-cocker-spaniel-you-fudging-crevasse-hole-dipshiitake/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [I remember the first time I saw him. 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The mind wants the world to return its love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/the-mind-wants-to-live-forever-or-to-learn-a-very-good-reason-why-not/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [I've fostered five dogs for the Best Friends Program, which is an amazing no-kill sanctuary for animals, as well as a greyhound named Natasha…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olesya-rulin/i-ve-fostered-five-dogs-for-the-best-friends-program-which-is-an/) [Olesya Rulin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olesya-rulin/) > [Ay, in the catalogue ye go for men; As hounds, and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, curs, Shoughs, water-rugs, and demi-wolves, are 'clept All by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ay-in-the-catalogue-ye-go-for-men-as-hounds-and-greyhounds-mongrels/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Men know no medium: They will either, spaniel-like, fawn at your feet, or be ready to leap into your lap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-richardson/men-know-no-medium-they-will-either-spaniel-like-fawn-at-your-feet-or/) [Samuel Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-richardson/) > [A good recipe for a human reducing breakfast is a lot of good things to eat, and three spaniels and two cats to eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gladys-taber/a-good-recipe-for-a-human-reducing-breakfast-is-a-lot-of-good-things/) [Gladys Taber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gladys-taber/) ## More by Thomas De Witt Talmage > [Logic has its use and metaphysics has its use, but neither of them is of much help in the making of a creed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-de-witt-talmage/logic-has-its-use-and-metaphysics-has-its-use-but-neither-of-them-is/) [Thomas De Witt Talmage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-de-witt-talmage/) > [One good, hearty laugh is a bombshell exploding in the right place, while spleen and discontent are a gun that kicks over the man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-de-witt-talmage/one-good-hearty-laugh-is-a-bombshell-exploding-in-the-right-place/) [Thomas De Witt Talmage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-de-witt-talmage/) > [Social dissipation, as witnessed in the ball-room, is the abettor of pride, the instigator of jealousy, it is the sacrificial altar of health, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-de-witt-talmage/social-dissipation-as-witnessed-in-the-ball-room-is-the-abettor-of/) [Thomas De Witt Talmage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-de-witt-talmage/) > [I move for a creed for all our denominations made out of Scripture quotations, pure and simple. 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Do not let any man, or any body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-de-witt-talmage/you-are-a-free-man-and-let-no-organization-come-between-you-and-your/) [Thomas De Witt Talmage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-de-witt-talmage/) > [A lawyer is sometimes required to search titles, and the client who thinks he has good right to an estate, puts the papers in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-de-witt-talmage/a-lawyer-is-sometimes-required-to-search-titles-and-the-client-who/) [Thomas De Witt Talmage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-de-witt-talmage/) > [The mob that hounded Christ from Jerusalem to "the place of a skull" has never been dispersed, but is augmenting yet, as many of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-de-witt-talmage/the-mob-that-hounded-christ-from-jerusalem-to-the-place-of-a-skull/) [Thomas De Witt Talmage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-de-witt-talmage/) > [If the bones of all those who have fallen as a prey to intemperance could be piled up it would make a vast pyramid.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-de-witt-talmage/if-the-bones-of-all-those-who-have-fallen-as-a-prey-to-intemperance/) [Thomas De Witt Talmage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-de-witt-talmage/) > [In the lottery of life there are more prizes drawn than blanks, and to one misfortune there are fifty advantages. 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