lose

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable | 2006 | 686 words | Copyright

lose have nothing to lose be in a situation that is so bad that even if an action is unsuccessful it cannot make it any worse.
what you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts proverbial saying, early 20th century, meaning that one's losses and gains tend to cancel one another out; a fairground metaphor used in a variety of forms.
you cannot lose what you never had used in consolation or resignation (compare what you've never had you never miss). The saying is recorded from the late 16th century.

See also lose face, heads I win, tails you lose, lend your money and lose your friend, lose one's marbles at marble, lose the plot, lose the thread, you win a few, you lose a few.

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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "lose." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "lose." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-lose.html

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "lose." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-lose.html

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