IdiomDaily Life
English
Englishdivide the spoils
Meaning: To give portions of the goods captured during a war to the winners of the war.
Example: “After the takeover, the new owners divided the spoils among themselves.”
Origin: "Spoils," from Latin spolia, were the arms and goods stripped from a defeated enemy and shared among the victors. The phrase appears in English Bible translations, and in American politics "to the victor belong the spoils" (1832) applied it to government jobs.
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