
IdiomNature
English
fair-weather friend
Meaning: A person who is loyal in good times but not when times are difficult.
Example: “When I lost my job, I found out who my fair-weather friends were.”
Origin: "Fair weather" has stood for good times since at least the 17th century, and sailors knew which companions stayed only while the sea was calm. "Fair-weather friend" for someone who disappears in hard times is recorded from the 18th century.
More English idioms
- leave no stone unturned To search everywhere.
- make a mountain out of a molehill To exaggerate the importance of something; to react more strongly to a situation than is…
- move heaven and earth To try very hard to do something.
- put something on ice To put something (an excess of some item) in reserve for later use.
- on the rocks Unstable; likely to collapse. When referring to alcoholic beverages, it means with ice cu…
- skate on thin ice In an unsafe or risky position.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
- Counsels in wine seldom prosper. Alcohol loosens judgment, making decisions made while drinking unlikely to succeed when s…
- Courts have no almanacks. Judges decide cases based on evidence and law, not predetermined schedules or predictable…
- Cowards are always cruel. Fear makes people lash out at those weaker, since they cannot confront genuine threats.
Keep exploring