Answer:
Curtail me thrice I am a youth; behead me once a snake; complete I'm often used in truth when certain steps you'd take.
My first is in fish but no in snail. My second is in rabbit but not in tail. My third is in up but not in down. My fourth is in tiara but not in crown. My fifth is in tree you plainly see. My whole a food for you and me.
When I am caught, I am thrown away. When I escape, you itch all day. What am I?
I am a vegetable that bugs stay away from
You use a knife to slice my head and weep beside me when I am dead.
The answer I give is yes, but what I mean is no. What was the question?