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EyeSeeYou Posted 18 years ago
Vocabulary
It's an ill wind
It's an ill wind (that blows nobody any good):
something that you say which means most bad things that happen have a good result for someone.
That's the explanation to this old saying. My question is how do they reach to the "have a good result for someone" part? Doesn't the wind blow NOBODY any good...?
something that you say which means most bad things that happen have a good result for someone.
That's the explanation to this old saying. My question is how do they reach to the "have a good result for someone" part? Doesn't the wind blow NOBODY any good...?
Top answer
It's a matter of tricks of negation. The wind would have to be truly bad if it did not blow anything good to anybody. = ...
- It's a matter of tricks of negation.
- The wind would have to be truly bad if it did not blow anything good to anybody.
- = ...
- if it did not blow anybody anything good.
- = ...
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3 Answers
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It's a matter of tricks of negation.
The wind would have to be truly bad if it did not blow anything good to anybody.
= ... if it did not blow anybody anything good.
= ... if it blew nobody anything good. (not anybody becomes nobody)
So
A wind that does not blow anybody any good is a wind that blows nobody any good.
The wind would have to be truly bad if it did not blow anything good to anybody.
= ... if it did not blow anybody anything good.
= ... if it blew nobody anything good. (not anybody becomes nobody)
So
A wind that does not blow anybody any good is a wind that blows nobody any good.
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EyeSeeYouDoesn't the wind blow NOBODY any good...?To answer this differently, yes. The wind blows nobody any good if it is a truly ill wind. The statement leaves out the idea of "truly".
An ill wind blows bad things. But suppose that, mixed in with the bad things, there are normally a few good things. But what if the wind is really, really an
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Hi, CalifJim.
Why do you assume if it's "truly" an ill wind? Did this idiom stem from another one? I mena, if you add that adverb there, it makes sense. Otherwise, if I just take the saying as it is, I interpret it as "an ill wind will not blow anybody any good", there's no room for some good things for some people.
I still find it tricky.
Why do you assume if it's "truly" an ill wind? Did this idiom stem from another one? I mena, if you add that adverb there, it makes sense. Otherwise, if I just take the saying as it is, I interpret it as "an ill wind will not blow anybody any good", there's no room for some good things for some people.
I still find it tricky.
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