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In Malayalam, there is a proverb "Whether the leaf falls on a thorn or a thorn on a leaf, the leaf is always harmed." Can you suggest an English saying similar to this?

tr_quest
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Antony
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  • Can you describe what the "proverb" mean (figuratively)? – d'alar'cop Mar 08 '14 at 07:16
  • This is a proverb, which is usually used to warn a person of lower status while dealing with a person of higher status. – Antony Mar 08 '14 at 07:30
  • @Antony How intriguing! I am thinking that the first word should perhaps be 'Whether'. In which case it makes perfect sense. Even if a weaker individual wins a quarrel with a stronger person, the weaker one will be harmed in some way. Is that what it means? – WS2 Mar 08 '14 at 08:09
  • @Antony I believe that Malayalam is the language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala. Also I understand that Kerala is the only state of India which has had a communist government. Some years ago I read Arundhati Roy's 'The God of Small Things' which describes a society in which communism exists in conflict with the caste system. Seems as if this proverb is in some sense integral to that juxtaposition. I am afraid I cannot think of any expression in English which is equivalent to your proverb. – WS2 Mar 08 '14 at 08:20
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    @WS2 It is an old saying and you can read it in a different sense like giving warning to a person before dealing with anything, that might harm the person. please don't read it with communism and caste system. – Antony Mar 08 '14 at 08:38
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    It's 'Whether the leaf ...': Whether the leaf falls on a thorn or a thorn on a leaf, it's the leaf that is harmed. – Kris Mar 08 '14 at 10:18
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    @WS2 It has nothing to do with any of those things. It's of universal relevance. – Kris Mar 08 '14 at 10:19
  • @Kris I'm sure that it is. But can you think of any similar proverb in English? – WS2 Mar 08 '14 at 11:03
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    Less threatening: "Six of one; half a dozen of the other" ? – Carl Witthoft Mar 08 '14 at 13:58
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    Maybe "Shit rolls downhill," or "You can't fight City Hall." I'm not sure there is as poetic a saying in AmericanEnglish, but I intend to start using this translation. I like it! – Carl Witthoft Mar 08 '14 at 14:02
  • It’s a bit similar to (but much nicer than) the recent (and *very offensive!*) meme that fighting on the Internet is like competing in the Special Olympics: even if you win, you’re still a retard. The intentions are completely opposite: yours is intended to protect the person being addressed from fighting a battle that can’t possible bring them anything good, while the Internet meme is just meant to put someone down. But they both carry the basic meaning of “win or lose, you still lose”. – Janus Bahs Jacquet Mar 08 '14 at 17:48
  • "Whoever you vote for, the Government gets in". – Mynamite Mar 08 '14 at 22:05

3 Answers3

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From poker/casino play there is "The house always wins."

d'alar'cop
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3

"Damned if you do, damned if you don't." might fit

Prov. No matter what you do, it will cause trouble.

How about "throwing an egg against a rock" ? I couldn't find a definition but it is used in some of the sources and books.

For example, in this book about Chinese Philosophy (The Ways of Confucianism: Investigations in Chinese Philosophy By David S. Nivison):

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ermanen
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"No-win situation" might suit you.

More information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No-win_situation

d'alar'cop
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