English

Proverb

every cloud has a silver lining

1. In every bad situation there is an element of good
   • 1881, National Academy of Code Administration (U.S.), Folio, page 417:

     Every cloud has a silver lining; but in the old-fashioned meeting-houses every cloud of hymnal melody generally had a nasal lining before the congregation […]

   • 1887, Shakers, Religion, page 36:

     […] that "a little reserve and thou'lt fail surely," will prove to be true in our experience. Every cloud has a silver lining and so has every sorrow, […]

   • 1918, George Jean Nathan, Performing Arts, page 222:

     But the most popular attitude toward what we may call "sad" plays is the peculiar one of believing that, since every cloud has a silver lining, […]

Translations

See also

• silver lining
• every silver lining has a cloud