it's an ill wind

it's an ill wind

Even the most negative or harmful situations usually benefit someone. Thus a situation that benefits no one must be truly bad (and rare). The phrase is a shortening of "it's an ill wind that blows no good." The rain caused flooding, but it may help the farmers. It's an ill wind, as they say.
See also: ill, wind
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

it's an ill wind

If you say it's an ill wind you mean that bad events and situations often have unexpected good effects. I spent three months in hospital recovering from the illness. But it's an ill wind — I fell in love with and married the woman who nursed me there. It's an ill wind, of course, and what is bad for the oil companies is good for the consumer and inflation. Note: This expression comes from the proverb it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good and sometimes, people use that full proverb. It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good, though it is hard to see how these horrific events could be to anyone's advantage.
See also: ill, wind
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

it's an ill wind

few things are so bad that no one profits from them. proverb
The full form of this nautical saying is it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good or that profits nobody . Recorded since the mid 16th century, it is used especially as a comment on a situation in which one person's bad luck is the cause of another's good fortune.
See also: ill, wind
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

it’s an ˌill ˈwind (that blows ˌnobody any ˈgood)

(saying) no problem is so bad that it does not bring some advantage to somebody: The fire destroyed half the village. For the builders business has never been better. It’s an ill wind...
See also: ill, wind
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • a bitter pill
  • a word to the wise
  • prostie
  • prosties
  • et seq.
  • reg
  • et seqq.
  • cig
  • swords to plowshares
  • not take all morning
References in classic literature
"It's an ill wind dat blow nowhar,--dat ar a fact," said Sam, sententiously, giving an additional hoist to his pantaloons, and adroitly substituting a long nail in place of a missing suspender-button, with which effort of mechanical genius he seemed highly delighted.
Uncle Toms Cabin
Divided we fall, together we stand It's an ill wind that blows across his land A new heartbeat is needed In London's number 10 To change the corridors of power But who knows when?
POEM OF THE DAY
It's an ill wind that blows no good and that was certainly the case for The Storm That I Saved a City (Wednesday, BBC1).
The TV man who's seen it all; Documentary on how a storm saved Glasgow from further bulldozing is pure dead brilliant, but Beeb crime dramas are starting to creak with age
Still, it's an ill wind that blows no good, but a plus side to all this is that any cash-strapped young couple, setting up home, have a wide selection of retro furniture available to pick from, all for free, while at the same time helping to protect the environment.
COUNCILLOR Joan McTigue[...]
It's an ill wind that blows nobody good, turning their full spectrum dominance doctrine into a race to the bottom.
Foreign Policy Hell: Nothing Is Going Right for Regime Changers
1 It's an ill wind: Bradley Davies was one of the stars of Wasps' Leinster win last weekend, so when he was forced out of the side on Sunday morning through illness, he left a sizeable hole.
5 things we learned on the night the champions were overrun
IT'S an ill wind - as the widow of Albert Orton discovered after being cut from his will for daring to criticise his FLATULENCE.
The rotten old pig insult WILL cost you, dear! Experts reveal Britain's wackiest wills
IT'S AN ILL WIND Surfer Tom Lowe takes on a wave at Mullaghmore, Co Sligo, yesterday PICTURE: COLIN GILLEN/FRAMELIGHT.IE
SPRING TURNS TO WINTERLow; solar activity means we'll shiver up until May
It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good; an economist might have written that old proverb.
COLUMNIST
For some reason as he lay in the overturned wreckage, an old proverb came into Stuart's mind: 'It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good' - meaning nothing is all bad, and sometimes, you can gain a benefit from even the worst tragedy.
ON the Saturday night [...]; Flash back
Of course it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good, and this region benefits through its energy export receipts whenever instability either locally or internationally blows up.
Drilling down into the Gulf's financial core
CONDITIONS WIND UP THE PROS - They say it's an ill wind that blows no good.
Cabrera-Bello takes Majlis title
Yesterday's highlights The saying it's an ill wind that blows no-one any good is the first thing that sprung to mind after watching the juvenile maiden hurdle at Ludlow.
Yesterday's highlights The saying it's [...]
It's an ill wind that blows no good and the budget cuts at BBC Two could be a blessing in disguise.
BBC2 budget cuts could be a blessing in disguise
I digress, it's an ill wind that doesn't blow some good.
Downsizing..