A colloquial variant of the succeeding proverb.
No halfers—findee keepee, lossee seekee.
[1825 J. T. Brockett Glossary of North Country Words 89]
We have a proverb—‘Losers seekers finders keepers.’
[1856 C. Reade Never too Late iii. xiii.]
If I could find the right owner of this money, I'd give it to him; but I take it he's buried. ‥‘Finders, keepers,’ you know.
[1874 E. Eggleston Circuit Rider xv.]
Where I come from it's finders keepers, losers weepers.
[1969 Daily Express 17 Mar. 9]
‘Mr. Crankshaft‥I think I left my pencil box on your bus! Can I look in your lost and found box?’ ‘Forget it‥I don't have one! Haven't you ever heard of the legal concept “Finders keepers, losers weepers”?’
[2002 Washington Times 23 Jan. E4 (Crankshaft comic strip)]
Related to: gains and losses
Bibliography of major proverb collections and works cited from modern editions is available here.
