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It should mean something like "If the ancestors are cruel, so would their
offsprings" right?
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2016-11-10T19:06:46.723
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2016-11-10T20:46:41.200
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question
expressions
Is there an english expression equivalent to 「先祖も酷ければ子孫も子孫」?
Hm, if you're asking about English, wouldn't the English language SE be more
appropriate?

「酷い」 here does not mean "cruel", but more like "terrible" or "awful".

The closest English equivalent I can think of would be:

> Like father, like son.

Though note that the English can have either a good meaning or a bad meaning,
unlike the phrase you posted.

That aside, the phrase you have posted is rather uncommon. The idiom used in
Japanese is:

> 蛙｛かえる｝の子｛こ｝は蛙｛かえる｝

Note that this phrase is used in a negative way only.
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2016-11-10T19:20:43.487
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answer