idiom/proverb

English translation: There ain't no justice.

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

English term or phrase:	idiom/proverb
Selected answer:	There ain't no justice.
Entered by:	Rajan Chopra

03:59 Dec 24, 2003

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary

English term or phrase: idiom/proverb

I need a bifitting English idiom/proverb for the situation when an undeserving person succeeds in attaining all luxuries and comforts of life.

Your help will be highly appreciated.

Thanks in anticipation.

Rajan Chopra KudoZ activity Questions: 537 (1 open) (4 without valid answers) (4 closed without grading) Answers: 1591 India
Local time: 09:32

There ain't no justice.

Explanation:
Syntax is deliberate and originally suggestive of a working class speaker. This is usually a bitter comment on luck or success going where it isn't deserved.

Selected response from:

Pippin Michelli
Local time: 23:02

Grading comment

Thank you very much. I am also indebted to all others for their wonderful suggestions :o)
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

4 +4

There ain't no justice.

Pippin Michelli

3 +2

Fortune favors fools.

NGK

4 +1

some ideas

Björn Houben

Riches fall not always to the lot of the most deserving

Ildiko Santana

flourish like the green bay tree

Grace Anderson

two more

yeswhere

3 -1

casting pearls before swine

sarahl (X)

money talks...

danya

Answers

5 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

Fortune favors fools.

Explanation:
... maybe ... it's the only one I can think of.

NGK
United States
Local time: 23:02
Native speaker of:

English,

German
PRO pts in pair: 379

10 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): -1

casting pearls before swine

Explanation:
off the top of my head...

sarahl (X)
Local time: 21:02
Native speaker of:

French
PRO pts in pair: 51

35 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

There ain't no justice.

Explanation:
Syntax is deliberate and originally suggestive of a working class speaker. This is usually a bitter comment on luck or success going where it isn't deserved.

Pippin Michelli
Local time: 23:02
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in pair: 19

Grading comment

Thank you very much. I am also indebted to all others for their wonderful suggestions :o)

3 hrs confidence:

Riches fall not always to the lot of the most deserving

Explanation:
Maybe this one is the closest, though I'm not perfectly happy with it:

"Riches fall not always to the lot of the most deserving."
(Latin proverb)

Some more, feeble, attempts:

"The conspicuously wealthy turn up urging the character-building value of privation for the poor."
"Rich garments weep on unworthy shoulders"
"Rich men accumulate money; the poor accumulate years."
"The rich would have to eat money if the poor did not provide food."
"Riches abuse them who know not how to use them."

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-12-24 07:47:41 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

\"When a man tells you that he got rich through hard work, ask him whose?\"

...
I give up! :)

Ildiko Santana
United States
Local time: 21:02
Native speaker of:

Hungarian,

English
PRO pts in pair: 162

5 hrs confidence:

flourish like the green bay tree

Explanation:
The Great Heresy of Separateness" by G. de Purucker - [ Traduci questa pagina ]
... The selfish man or woman always, sooner or later, goes to the wall. The wicked
may flourish like the green bay tree for a little while, but not for long. ...
www.theosophy-nw.org/theosnw/brother/br-gdep2.htm - 16k - Copia cache - Pagine simili

Chapter Excerpt: Death of a Celebrity by MC Beaton - [ Traduci questa pagina ]
... to do it?" "Ah, if I knew that, maybe I could stop it." "I am afraid in the world
of television, the wicked can flourish like the green bay tree," said Hamish. ...
www.twbookmark.com/books/62/0892966769/ chapter_excerpt14235.html - 31k - 23 dic 2003

Grace Anderson
Italy
Local time: 06:02
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 12

5 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

some ideas

Explanation:
one beats the bush and another catches the birds
one man sows and another reaps
desert and reward seldom keep company

Björn Houben
Belgium
Local time: 06:02
Native speaker of:

Flemish,

Dutch

6 hrs confidence:

money talks...

Explanation:
and i guess u know the other half of it :-)

danya
Local time: 07:02
Native speaker of:

Russian
PRO pts in pair: 119

10 hrs confidence:

two more

Explanation:
there's a god for drunks and idiots (drunks and idiots interchangeable with various other nouns)
Behind every great fortune lies a crime

yeswhere
Local time: 00:02
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in pair: 20

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