A friend in need is a friend indeed

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Meaning

A true friend proves loyal by helping when you are in difficulty. Indeed is standard. The punning spelling in deed can emphasize help shown through action. Regional use: Old English proverbial ancestry with classical parallels; exact modern rhyme now widespread.

Origin

The English ancestry reaches back beyond Middle English. One of the Durham Proverbs, added to an eleventh-century manuscript in the mid-eleventh century, says in Old English that a person must test or come to know friends in time of need. Middle English descendants include Caxton's 1489 statement that at need the friend is known. The exact rhyme A friend in need is a friend indeed is recorded in John Ray's 1678 collection. The traditional sense is that help during adversity proves friendship; the possible indeed and in deed wordplay is secondary, not a secure account of the proverb's origin.

Research Sources

  1. Phrase Finder: A friend in need is a friend indeed Phrase Finder
  2. Catalogue of Durham Cathedral Library MS B.III.32 Durham University Library Archives and Special Collections
  3. The Cambridge Old English Reader Cambridge University Press
  4. Tilley's Proverbs: A friend in need is a friend in deed (indeed) Tilley's Proverbs

Variants

  • A friend is known in time of need

Usage Examples

  • Jo drove through the night to help; a friend in need is a friend indeed.
  • A friend in need is a friend indeed, and Arun stayed throughout the hearing.
  • When the shop flooded, Leila stayed all night to help clean up: a friend in need is a friend indeed.

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