proverb · Words worth keeping
Easy come, easy go.
Easy come, easy go.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying pairs easy arrival with easy departure. It suggests that something gained readily may also be lost readily.
What the words are saying
The repetition makes a gain seem temporary. The supplied gloss selects money, but the words can express a broader attitude toward an easily obtained advantage. It is not evidence that quick earnings are always lost or a reason to disregard an actual loss.
Everyday example
Someone recognises that a recent advantage may not last without assuming its loss is inevitable.
When to use it
Use it to discuss a gain’s uncertain permanence.
What it does not mean
Ease of gain does not establish how quickly it will be lost.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 515; PDF page 75
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.