When someone says "Through thick and thin" which one is the good and which is the bad?

Answer 1

Thick is good, thin is bad.

Thin refers to no food or no money or no anything.

Thick refers to lots of friends, fame, fortune, and food.

Answer 2

Actually it is thick that is the good one and thin that is the bad one... thick refers to fortunate times when the pay is good and there is plenty to eat and drink and so a person grows a bit thick (back then it was important to be a bit thick so that you could make it through the winter - and people still have more weight gain naturally in winter), and thin refers to those times when there was not much to eat and so people grew a bit thin - most people back then did not have a lifetime job and did not know how the next year or even month would go in terms of money or food. They also did not have good means of preservation, so the best eating times were during harvests mostly, and the cupboard grew a bit bare at times otherwise. This saying obviously was way before people stupidly decided that thin was absolutely the thing to be - hence the eating disorders.

Answer 3

I don't think of it the way other people up there do. I've always thought it was like walking on ice. The thick is good because it's supportive and the thin is bad because it could crack at any time.

Most people think of cold weather as being bad. If you think of it as the thick being when you're dressed well in thick layers, then you're good because you're warm. Then that would mean the thin is bad because you'll be standing out in the cold in your underpants.

Or, you could think of it as financial issues in a marriage. When the money is thick, or plentiful, it's all gravy baby. When the money is thin, not so plentiful, it isn't so good anymore.

Those are just my thoughts. The one up there that looked it up and says it comes from horseback riding, go with him, he's probably right.

Answer 4

People usually use this term when referring to friendship or relationships on the whole. Like "We were friends through thick and thin." What you need to ask your self is, which would you consider a better friendship and thick one or thin one and then you will have your answer. While you are doing that think about this. How come people say they are overwhelmed but never say they are just whelmed when things are going good?

Answer 5

Through thick is the really hard things you have to go through in life and the thin is still things to deal with but not as bad or stressful as the thick.

Answer 6

when they say "thick" it means the really bad stuff and "thin" means the not so bad, but still bad stuff. Like your dog getting a bad haircut would be "thin" but a dog getting hit by a car would be "thick". Understand?

Answer 7

I think thick is the bad one and thin is the good one...

Answer 8

The thick is the bad part because it's much harder to get through. The thin is easy because it's so much easier to get through.

Answer 9

thick is the good one, thin is the bad

Answer 10

I believe "thick" means abundant times and "thin" is for lean times...