two parties fight, third party benefits
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesidiom
when the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman profits; when two parties fight, a third party benefits
formalDerived from a story in 'Strategies of the Warring States' (战国策·燕策二), where a snipe (鹬) pecks at a clam (蚌) that has opened its shell to sun itself. The clam clamps down on the snipe's beak, and neither will yield. A fisherman comes along and catches both. Used to warn against internal conflicts that allow outsiders to profit. Often shortened to 鹬蚌相争.
If you two companies fight each other, a third party will benefit, allowing competitors to seize the market.
These two countries have been at war for a long time; while they fight, third parties benefit, and neighboring states expand their influence.
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Don't fight over trivial matters and let a third party profit.
The result of the snipe and the clam fighting is often that both sides suffer.