The game was worth the candle ⚖️🕯️

Meaning

The effort or trouble involved was justified by the reward or result.

Origin

This phrase, often attributed to Benjamin Franklin, paints a vivid picture of a bygone era. Imagine people gathered for an evening card game, but the room is dimly lit by flickering candles. Each participant might have had to chip in to buy the candles that illuminated their table. If the thrill of the game—the potential winnings, the camaraderie—was exciting enough, and the stakes were high, then the cost of the candles, even if you had to pay for them yourself, was a small price to pay for the enjoyment and potential gain. The game, in essence, 'outshone' the cost.

🏆 success ☠️ risk 💰💲 money commerce 💪📈 work

The game was worth the candle represented with emoji⚖️🕯️

This playful arrangement of scale and illumination ⚖️🕯️ serves as a delightful reminder that sometimes, the effort is indeed worth the sparkly reward. It functions as a visual wink, encouraging us to consider the value we place on our endeavors, and perhaps inspiring a bit of delightful risk-taking in our own lives.

Examples

  • After hours of studying, passing the difficult exam with flying colors showed that the game was worth the candle.
  • We spent all weekend setting up the booth for the craft fair, but the sales we made proved the game was worth the candle.
  • The knight trekked through the enchanted forest, braving grumpy gnomes and ticklish trolls, but retrieving the dragon's sneeze for the king's cure proved the game was worth the candle.
  • She painstakingly pieced together the constellation quilt, working through sleepless nights and pricking her fingers more times than she could count, yet the stunning starry result whispered that the game was worth the candle.

Frequently asked questions

Is 'the game was worth the candle' a proverb or an idiom?

The game was worth the candle' is generally considered an idiom. Idioms are phrases where the meaning cannot be deduced from the literal meaning of the words, much like this one, where the 'candle' refers to the cost or effort, not a literal candlestick.

What's the opposite of 'the game was worth the candle'?

An opposite sentiment could be expressed by phrases like 'a fool's errand' or 'not worth a pinch of salt'. These suggest that the effort expended was disproportionate to any potential reward or was ultimately fruitless.

Did Benjamin Franklin actually invent 'the game was worth the candle'?

While Benjamin Franklin is often credited with popularizing 'the game was worth the candle', the precise origin is difficult to pinpoint definitively. The saying likely evolved from observations about the costs associated with entertainment in earlier times, such as paying for light to play games.

Similar to "The game was worth the candle"

The juice is worth the squeeze
Both celebrate achieving a worthy outcome from effort, but this one's a bit more pungent and direct, like something you'd hear over a shot of whiskey
It paid off in spades
Both signify a significant reward for exertion, but this American idiom evokes a joyous, almost overwhelming success, a grander payoff than simply 'worth the candle'
No pain, no gain
Both link hardship to reward, but this one grimly insists on the suffering itself as the prerequisite, a starker, more stoic pronouncement than the candle's calculated gamble

Opposite of "The game was worth the candle"

A fool's errand
This phrase shouts that the effort was utterly wasted and the goal unattainable, a direct refutation of the candle's implied success and justification
A complete waste of time
This cuts to the chase, declaring the endeavor yielded nothing of value, starkly contrasting with the candle's assertion that the outcome redeemed the effort
Don't throw good money after bad
This warns against compounding a poor decision, arguing that further investment, even if seemingly justifiable, is a recipe for disaster, casting doubt on the 'worth' of continuing any effort

Related to "The game was worth the candle"

Born from the idiom 'to burn the candle at both ends'
This phrase shares the candle metaphor, but describes excessive, often unsustainable effort, setting the stage for a discussion of whether such exhausting endeavors ultimately prove their worth
Reached the promised land
Often uttered after a period of struggle, this phrase signifies arrival at a desired state or goal, echoing the reward aspect central to 'the game was worth the candle'
All's well that ends well
This proverb suggests that a successful conclusion retroactively justifies any preceding difficulties, resonating with the core sentiment of the candle idiom
Pay your dues
This reminds us that accomplishment often requires a period of humble or difficult work, a necessary precursor to the kind of reward that makes the effort 'worth the candle'