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Proverb that means "Even something done completely wrong might yield a slightly good result (but that doesn't mean it should be done)"

English Language & Usage Asked by Anurag on April 15, 2021

It somewhere on the lines of “Even a dead clock is right twice a day”. The proverb is sarcastic. I know it exists, I have just forgotten it. It describes:

  • Something that is abused or used not in a way that it was intended to
    and hence yields only a slightly positive result. The result is
    minimal compared to what could have been.
  • The proverb is something like “A soon to die man has no worries”. Here one can say that a person who is dying doesn’t have any worries. But that would be completely out of place because they are DYING.
  • The proverb is something like “Even a drowning man will have his throat wet” (Here having your throat wet is a desirable thing. Sorry, this is the best I can describe it. But I think it captures the essence of the proverb I am trying to find)
  • It encapsulates sacrificing or losing something precious and gaining something vain.

It is an ironic proverb.

3 Answers

‘Even a fool is right sometimes‘

It’s quote by Winston Churchill.

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/56790-the-greatest-lesson-in-life-is-to-know-that-even

Answered by Jelila on April 15, 2021

You look as if you’ve lost a pound and found sixpence. (UK)

It covers the sacrificial or loss side of the question, reflects an inadequate compensation for the previous state, whilst reflecting that some compensation has been met.

Answered by Liz Thompson on April 15, 2021

It’s Murphy’s Law, which (through its many corollaries and extensions) covers the good amongst the bad as well as the bad amongst the good.

This link is to the Wikipedia, but you can actually do better by googling “Murphy’s Law” and reading the posters that show up in the image results.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murphy's_law

Answered by Global Charm on April 15, 2021

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