ProverbWisdom
English origin
English originEasy come, easy go
Meaning: Things obtained without effort are easily lost.
Origin: The older English form was "light come, light go," and French had a parallel saying in the late 14th century. The "easy" wording later became the common one. It is said of money or anything else gained without effort and lost just as quickly.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Dutch, and 3 more languages
French: Bien mal acquis ne profite jamais (literally: Ill-gotten goods never prosper)
Spanish: Lo que fácil viene, fácil se va (literally: What comes easily, goes easily)
Japanese: 悪銭身につかず (Akusen mi ni tsukazu) (literally: Ill-gotten money doesn't stick)
German: Wie gewonnen, so zerronnen (literally: As won, so melted away)
Dutch: Zo gewonnen, zo geronnen (literally: As soon won, as soon run off)
Russian: Как нажито, так и прожито (Kak nazhito, tak i prozhito) (literally: As it was earned, so it was spent)
Polish: Łatwo przyszło, łatwo poszło (literally: Easy came, easy went)
Turkish: Haydan gelen huya gider (literally: What comes from "hey" goes to "hoo")
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