ill wind that blows no one any good, it's/'tis an
it's an ill wind that blows no one any good
proverb Even the most negative or harmful situations usually benefit someone. Thus a situation that benefits no one must be truly bad (and rare). The rain caused flooding, but it may help the farmers. It's an ill wind that blows no one any good.
See also: any, blow, good, ill, no, one, that, wind
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
ill wind that blows no one any good, it's/'tis an
Someone or other usually benefits from a misfortune or loss. This expression appeared in John Heywood’s 1546 proverb collection and several of Shakespeare’s plays. Today it remains current, often shortened simply to an ill wind. Laurence McKinney punned on it in People of Note (1940), saying of the notoriously difficult oboe, “It’s an ill wood wind [sic] no one blows good.”
See also: any, blow, ill, no, one, that, wind
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- burnt
- a burnt child dreads the fire
- teach a man to fish
- village
- it takes a village
- bad workers always blame their tools
- require
- drastic
- drastic times call for drastic measures
- drastic times require drastic measures