It's good fishing in troubled waters.
Meaning: Exploiting chaos and confusion allows cunning people to gain unfair advantages over others.
Origin: Fishermen knew that fish are easier to catch when the water is stirred up and they cannot see the net. The proverb, in English from the 16th century, describes people who profit from confusion and trouble.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: On pêche bien en eau troublé (literally: It is good fishing in troubled waters)
- Spanish: A rio revuelto, ganancia de pescadores (literally: It is good fishing in troubled waters)
- Japanese: 漁夫の利 (Gyofu no ri) (literally: The fisherman's profit)
- German: Im Trüben fischen (literally: To fish in the murk)
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From our untranslatable words
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