A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

I’d risk it for that.’ ‘I lost some; and I gained some.’

1966 P. O. DONNELL Sabre-Tooth XIV. You win a few, you lose a few, and it’s no

good getting sore. 1976 Times 23 Nov. 14 You look like being saddled with the

uninspiring Willy. .. On the other hand, you seem to have got your way over Mrs.

Thatcher’s nominee. .. You win some, you lose some. 1998 Oldie Jan. 32/3 Ah well, as

they say in the Silver Ring, win a few, lose a few. 2001 National Review 19 Nov. 6 At a

big Madison Square Garden event, Hillary was booed, Bill was cheered. Win some, lose

some. winners and losers

You can’t WIN them all

Similar in sentiment to the preceding entry.

1953 R. CHANDLER Long Good-bye xxiv. Wade took him by the shoulder and spun

him round. ‘Take it easy, Doc. You can’t win them all.’ 1984 ‘C. AIRD’ Harm’s Way

xviii. ‘The finger being found on the footpath was just bad luck on the murderer’s part.’

‘You can’t win them all,’ said Crosby ambiguously. 2002 Washington Post 18 Mar. C11

(Born Loser comic strip)’They say you can’t win them all.. however, as evidenced by

Brutus Thornapple, evidently you can lose them all!’ winners and losers

win see also let them LAUGH that win; also WINS, WON.

When the WIND is in the east, ‘tis neither good for man nor beast

1600 R. CAWDREY Treasury of Similies 750 The East wind is accounted neither

good for man or beast. 1659 J. HOWELL Proverbs (English) 19 When the wind is in the

east it is good for neither man nor beast. 1670 J. RAY English Proverbs 41 When the

wind’s in the East, It’s neither good for man nor beast. ..The East-wind with us is

commonly very sharp, because it comes off the Continent. 1929 A. WYNNE Room with

Iron Shutters xx. ‘When the wind is in the East.. ‘Tis neither good for man nor beast.’

Has it ever occurred to you.. to relate the incidence of crime to meteorological

conditions? 2002 Times 13 Mar. 24 ‘When the wind is from the east, ‘tis neither good for

man nor beast,’ the old saying goes, meaning that a cold, raw, easterly wind blowing off

the Continent will make life miserable. weather lore

wind see also APRIL showers bring forth May flowers; GOD tempers the wind to the
shorn lamb; it’s an ILL wind that blows nobody any good; NORTH wind doth blow, we shall