with friends like these who needs enemies

English

Etymology

The Yale Book of Quotations cites American comedian Joey Adams as the originator of this line.[1]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /wɪθ fɹɛn(d)z laɪk ðiːz hu niːdz ˈɛnəmiːz/

Phrase

with friends like these who needs enemies?

Indicating that one's close associates prove more adversarial than one's opponents.
- 1979 August 11, John Kyper, “Gay Shame!”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 4, page 5:
  Three years ago Elaine Noble came out to San Francisco and campaigned against Harvey Milk, at the behest of Foster and David Goodstein. These people now have the gall to take Harvey's name in vain. With "friends" like these, who needs enemies? Hypocrites!

Alternative forms

with friends like those who needs enemies

Translations

indicating that one's close associates prove more adversarial than one's opponents

French: avec des amis comme ça, on n’a pas besoin d’ennemis
German: wer solche Freunde hat, braucht keine Feinde
Portuguese: com amigos assim, quem precisa de inimigos
Spanish: con amigos así, ¿para qué quieres enemigos? (literally “with friends like those, why would you want enemies?”); con amigos así, ¿para qué quiero enemigos? (literally “with friends like those, for what purpose I want [to have] enemies?”)

References

Shapiro, Fred R. (ed.) (2006) The Yale Book of Quotations‎, Yale University Press, page 478

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