# A friend in need is a friend indeed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 16, 2003, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friend-in-need-is-a-friend-indeed/148936 "2003-01-16T06:34:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friend-in-need-is-a-friend-indeed/148936/1 "2003-01-16T06:34:57Z")
Hi all, “A friend in need is a friend indeed”, this phrase baffles me. I can’t make any sense out of it. Let say X is my friend. X is in need, so he’s really a friend!? Anyone knows the actual meaning of this phrase and why it is phrased this way? ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friend-in-need-is-a-friend-indeed/148936/2 "2003-01-16T06:37:00Z")
A person who is YOUR friend when YOU are in need, is a friend indeed. It’s easy to be someone’s friend when they don’t have any troubles. But can you step up to the plate and give them a hand when they really need it? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friend-in-need-is-a-friend-indeed/148936/3 "2003-01-16T13:25:19Z")
A friend with weed is a friend indeed…😃 ---
**Author:** ![muttrox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a8b319/32.png) [@muttrox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muttrox)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friend-in-need-is-a-friend-indeed/148936/4 "2003-01-16T13:27:03Z")
Funny – I always interpreted that completely different. Note that Scarlett’s interpretation is of a different situation than the saying describes. If you friend is in trouble and needs help from you, he/she will act much friendlier towards you in hope of getting that help. You want a friend, find someone who wants a loan from you. (Like Dennis Leary’s skit on scoing cocaine in the bathroom. If Hitler had the coke, you’d be hitting him up and acting all nice. “_snort_ Yeah, I know you didn’t do it… _snort_ love the mustache… _snort_ goddmamn Himmler… _snort_”) ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friend-in-need-is-a-friend-indeed/148936/5 "2003-01-16T13:31:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by An Arky \* > \*\*A friend with weed is a friend indeed…😃 \*\* Close, but it’s “A friend in need is a friend indeed, a friend with weed is _better_.” ---
**Author:** ![mrcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@mrcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrcrow)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friend-in-need-is-a-friend-indeed/148936/6 "2003-01-16T14:20:43Z")
if your enemy is hungry give him bread to eat and if he is thirsty give him drink so you will heap coals of fire on his head and the Lord will reward you friend or foe? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friend-in-need-is-a-friend-indeed/148936/7 "2003-01-16T14:31:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by muttrox \* > \*\*Funny – I always interpreted that completely different. Note that Scarlett’s interpretation is of a different situation than the saying describes. > > If you friend is in trouble and needs help from you, he/she will act much friendlier towards you in hope of getting that help. You want a friend, find someone who wants a loan from you. \*\* What you believe the saying describes is based on your interpretation. Scarlett’s explanation is not different from what the saying describes, it’s different from your interpretation of the saying. Many first think of it this way: A FRIEND (WHO IS) IN NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED. This is how you and LostCause were reading it. As he says, it doesn’t really make sense that way. No offense, but your tortured explanation above strikes me as grasping at straws. It describes not a true friend (“a friend indeed”), but an opportunist posing as a false friend. Scarlett and I think of it this way: A FRIEND IN (YOUR TIME OF) NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friend-in-need-is-a-friend-indeed/148936/8 "2003-01-16T14:33:41Z")
(&%$\*#–accidentally hit submit before I was done.) A FRIEND IN (YOUR TIME OF) NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED. I would think that this makes sense to anyone, and doesn’t need further explanation. ---
**Author:** ![muttrox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a8b319/32.png) [@muttrox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muttrox)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friend-in-need-is-a-friend-indeed/148936/9 "2003-01-16T14:38:32Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Gary T \* > \*\* It describes not a true friend (“a friend indeed”), but an opportunist posing as a false friend._\* Indeed, that is exactly how I always understood the saying, as a cynical observation. I think the implication you and Scarlett pull out is rather tortured. Anyhow, I’m sure someone will come along with the definitive answer. I find it interesting that we get almost exact different meanings out of the same phrase. ---
**Author:** ![muttrox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a8b319/32.png) [@muttrox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muttrox)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friend-in-need-is-a-friend-indeed/148936/10 "2003-01-16T14:42:39Z")
From [http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/meanings/143400.html](http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/meanings/143400.html) Meaning The sad proverbial truth that friends become friendlier when they want something from you. [http://www.word-detective.com/030698.html](http://www.word-detective.com/030698.html) supports both interpretations. [http://www.adl.org/ctboh/lesson\_proverbs.asp](http://www.adl.org/ctboh/lesson_proverbs.asp) A FRIEND IN NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED - A real friend is one who can be counted on in difficult times. Looks like both interpretations are in common use. ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friend-in-need-is-a-friend-indeed/148936/11 "2003-01-16T14:48:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gary T \* > \*\*Many first think of it this way: > > A FRIEND (WHO IS) IN NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED. > > This is how you and LostCause were reading it. As he says, it doesn’t really make sense that way. No offense, but your tortured explanation above strikes me as grasping at straws. It describes not a true friend (“a friend indeed”), but an opportunist posing as a false friend. > > Scarlett and I think of it this way: > > A FRIEND IN (YOUR TIME OF) NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED. \*\* You know, I always thought of it the first way too, as though the proverb were expressing cynicism. I honestly never thought of it the other way. I like the second way better. Sincere thanks for that! It’s a cheerfuller way of looking at the proverb. ---
**Author:** ![H8\_2\_W8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c77e96/32.png) [@H8\_2\_W8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/H8_2_W8)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friend-in-need-is-a-friend-indeed/148936/12 "2003-01-16T14:51:47Z")
Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I think this answers your question: A Friend in Need by Coolidge [http://www.art.com/asp/sp.asp?PD=10044822&RFID=633434](http://www.art.com/asp/sp.asp?PD=10044822&RFID=633434) ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friend-in-need-is-a-friend-indeed/148936/13 "2003-01-16T15:02:21Z")
Doesn’t it always come down to dogs playing poker? Count me among the cynics – when someone needs something from you, suddenly they’re your “true friend.” ---
**Author:** ![Boobka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Boobka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boobka)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friend-in-need-is-a-friend-indeed/148936/14 "2003-01-16T15:05:42Z")
Drat I always thought the phrase was “A friend in need is a friend in deed” Which makes perfect sense to me …