
ProverbWisdom
International origin1886
Loss and gain are brothers twain
Meaning: Misfortune and prosperity are inseparable companions in life's journey, each inevitably following the other.
Origin: Best known from English translations of Leo Tolstoy's story "How Much Land Does a Man Need?" (1886), in which Pahom's wife warns against chasing riches: "Loss and gain are brothers twain." Its earlier history is untraced.
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Eres más lento que el caballo del malo You're painfully slow — the villain's horse never catches the hero.
- Testa di rapa A blockhead who isn't thinking.
- Du hast doch einen Vogel You're a bit out of your mind.
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