Can someone please explain the saying: “A friend in need is a friend indeed”?
A lot of people get confused by that phrase because “a friend in need” sounds like your friend is the one who is in need. Actually, it’s just a poetically shortened phrase that means, “Someone who is a friend during a time of (my) need,” so the phrase makes much more sense after that: “Someone who is a friend during my time of need is a friend indeed,” because most friends are “fair weather” friends–as soon as you’re not fun to be around anymore (like, when you’re in trouble or need their help), they’ll just turn tail and run. The people who stick with you during those hard times are “a friend indeed”–as in, a real friend. Hope that helps!
