dogs-in-the-manger

Existential Man's comment is making me think that he believes agents are dogs-in-the-manger.

Comparison Shopping Miss Snark 2006

Oh, these women! these pitiful creatures! not magnanimity enough in a whole race of them to be visible to the naked eye! jealous dogs-in-the-manger!

The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 06, No. 37, November, 1860 Various

Having no land, he was shy of expressing himself on that vexed question; but if resolutely attacked would give utterance to some such sentiment as this: "The land's best in our hands on the whole, but we want fewer dogs-in-the-manger among us."

Complete Project Gutenberg John Galsworthy Works John Galsworthy 1900

Having no land, he was shy of expressing himself on that vexed question; but if resolutely attacked would give utterance to some such sentiment as this: "The land's best in our hands on the whole, but we want fewer dogs-in-the-manger among us."

The Patrician John Galsworthy 1900

From some of the notes written to him at this time by friends who understood more of diplomacy than he did, we can see that little actual help was expected from the local Governors in the Portuguese settlements, one of these friends expressing the conviction that “the sooner those Portuguese dogs-in-the-manger are eaten, up, body and bones, by the Zulu Caffres, the better.”

The Personal Life Of David Livingstone Blaikie, William G. 1880

Governors in the Portuguese settlements, one of these friends expressing the conviction that "the sooner those Portuguese dogs-in-the-manger are eaten, up, body and bones, by the Zulu Caffres, the better."

The Personal Life of David Livingstone William Garden Blaikie 1859