
ProverbHuman Nature
English origin
Poverty makes a man acquainted with strange bed-fellows.
Meaning: Difficult circumstances force people to associate with those they'd normally avoid or reject.
Origin: A variation on Shakespeare's The Tempest, where the jester Trinculo, sheltering from a storm under the monster Caliban's cloak, says: "Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows."
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Testa quadrata A rigid, inflexible blockhead who refuses to see beyond their fixed ideas.
- È un mammone An overgrown man who can't make a decision without his mother — the Italian archetype of…
- Che piagnucolone A relentless crybaby who finds something to complain about in every situation.
Keep exploring