All's fair in love and war

Meaning: Normal rules don't apply in romance or conflict.

Origin: John Lyly's romance Euphues (1579) says that the rules of fair play do not apply in love and war. The crisp modern wording appears in Frank Smedley's novel Frank Fairlegh (1850): "All's fair in love and war." It is usually said to excuse underhanded tactics.

Equivalents in French, Spanish, and German

French: En amour comme à la guerre, tous les coups sont permis (literally: In love as in war, all moves are allowed)
Spanish: En la guerra y el amor todo vale (literally: In war and love, everything goes)
German: In der Liebe und im Krieg ist alles erlaubt (literally: In love and in war everything is permitted)

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Equivalents in French, Spanish, and German

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