a friend in need is a friend indeed
Etymology：
The idea that false friends will abandon a person in times of adversity while true friends will reveal themselves and provide help is ancient: the Greek playwright Euripides (c. 480 – c. 406 BC) wrote in Hecuba (424 BC); and English translation as“it is in trouble's hour that the good most clearly show their friendship; though prosperity by itself in every case finds friends”
But beside the above etymological cognition, the literal wording of "a friend in need is a friend indeed" can lead to ambiguities.
Is it 'a friend (when you are) in need' or 'a friend (who is) in need'? If the former, then the phrase means: 'someone who helps you when you are in need is a true friend'. If the latter, it is 'someone who needs your help becomes especially friendly in order to obtain it'.
So, that gives us the follow options:
1. A friend, (when you are) in need, is indeed a true friend. ('indeed')
2. A friend, (who is) in need, is ('indeed') inclined to stress their frienship in order to obtain your help.
For us? Using No. 1 with a straight-face, and using both with LOL.
