Oh, you aren't even ripe yet! I don't need any sour grapes.

This line is associated with Aesop’s fable “The Fox and the Grapes,” in which a hungry fox repeatedly tries and fails to reach a tempting bunch of grapes hanging high on a vine. After exhausting himself and realizing he cannot get them, the fox walks away pretending he never wanted them, claiming the grapes are unripe (and therefore undesirable). The fable, transmitted through many centuries in Greek and later Latin and vernacular retellings, is typically used as a moral exemplum about rationalizing failure. Because Aesop’s fables survive in multiple versions rather than a single authorial text, the exact wording varies widely by translator and adaptation.

The remark is a classic instance of self-justification: when the fox cannot obtain what he desires, he protects his pride by redefining the object as worthless (“sour”). The fable exposes a common psychological defense—disparaging an unattainable goal to avoid admitting defeat or inadequacy. In broader ethical terms, it warns against substituting contempt for honest self-assessment, and it critiques the way people reshape reality to fit their ego. The enduring moral lesson is often summarized as “It is easy to despise what you cannot get,” which has made the story a touchstone for discussions of envy, rationalization, and motivated reasoning.