win some, lose some, (you)

Accept that some ventures end in victory and others in defeat. This philosophical phrase of acceptance has numerous ancestors with the same meaning—if I lose on the swings I’ll get back on the roundabouts was a common version in early twentieth-century Britain—but the current cliché dates only from about 1920 or so. It probably originated in gambling, possibly in betting on sports events. The London Times used it in 1976: “On the other hand, you . . . got your way over Mrs. Thatcher’s nominee . . . you win some, you lose some.” In July 1990, Time reported, “For a man facing the possibility of 20 years behind bars, John Mulheren was remarkably philosophical. ‘You win some, you lose some,’ said the fallen Wall Street arbitrager last week after a Manhattan jury found him guilty on four felony counts.” See also you can't win them all.