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IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM, JOIN 'EM definition: 1. said when you accept that you cannot be as successful as other people without doing what they…. Learn more. Dictionary
The exact quote is “If you can’t lick ’em, jine ’em.” This is a rendering of the phrase with slang terminology, used to communicate in specialized situations. The phrase if you can’t lick them, join them is still occasionally seen, but the word lick to mean defeat is not used as often as it once was.
Nov 19, 2009 · The earliest citation given, in the form “If you can’t lick ’em, jine ’em,” is from the Atlantic Monthly, February 1932, where it is described as one of Senator James E. Watson ‘s “favorite sayings.”.
People say if you can't beat 'em, join 'em to mean that if you cannot change what someone is doing, you should start to do it yourself. It became a case of `if you can't beat 'em, join 'em', and I ended up working there too.
( saying) if you cannot defeat somebody or be as successful as they are, then it is more sensible to join them in what they are doing and perhaps get some advantage for yourself by doing so: Everybody else seems to be leaving early today, so I think I will too. After all, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em! See also: beat, if, join.
If you can't defeat your opponents you might be better off by switching to their side. For example, Seeing that no one else was willing to stick with the old software program, Marcia learned the new one, noting if you can't beat 'em, join 'em , or I opposed a new school library, but the town voted for it, so I'll support it—if you can't lick ...
People say if you can't beat 'em, join 'em to mean that if you cannot change what someone is doing, you should start to do it yourself. It became a case of `if you can't beat 'em, join 'em', and I ended up working there too.
