# What does ‘when in Rome, do as the Romans do’ mean?

To “when in Rome, do as the Romans do” means to adapt to local customs when you visit. Brewer's traces the saying to St. Ambrose's advice to St. Augustine in the 4th century.

## What it means

- Brewer's traces the saying to St. Ambrose's advice to St. Augustine in the 4th century.

## Action steps

1. Standard travel and etiquette advice.
2. Example: Take off your shoes at the door — when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

## Sources

- [Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) — Internet Archive scan](https://archive.org/details/brewers-dictionary-of-phrase-and-fable)

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