phrase requests - Is there a saying in English that basically means "adapting to your target audience"?


There is a saying commonly used in Turkish, which goes something like: "serving the syrup according to the arteries" (quite literally translated). The meaning behind it is to adapt what you are saying/doing so that it fits the audience and does not irritate or annoy them.


Are there any counterparts in English that convey the same or a similar meaning? I seem to recall that there was one such saying I learned at some point, something with "sail" and "wind".


PS: If the meaning of the original saying does not make immediate sense, think along the lines of syrup being very sweet and heavy, or somewhat lighter and watered-down. And if you have someone that's not well trained and have clogged arteries a heavy-syrup might not go down very well, so you adapt what you serve. (That's how I make sense of the saying, at least)



Answer



Perhaps trim one's sails to the wind



make changes to suit one’s new circumstances.



The phrases





are also used to mean



to perform in a manner that will get the strong approval of the audience; to perform in a manner that will get the approval of the lower elements in the audience.



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