IdiomDaily Life
Russian
Russianпан или пропал (pan ili propal)
Meaning: To risk everything on a single venture; all or nothing, sink or swim.
Literally: Lord or lost
Example: “Он вложил все сбережения в кафе: пан или пропал.” — He put his savings into the café: all or nothing.
English equivalent: All or nothing
Equivalents in other languages
English: all or nothing
Origin: Пан is the Polish word for a lord or gentleman, and the phrase means "either a lord or lost": everything risked on one throw, all or nothing. It is usually traced to Polish, but no source found documents the Polish original or its date.
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