double-edged sword

Etymology
From the notion that if two sides of the same blade are sharp, it cuts both ways. The metaphor may have originated from the expression  or from the  expression.

The metaphor is first attested to in English in the 15th century.

Noun

 * 1)   A benefit that is also a liability, or (a benefit) that carries some significant but not-so-obvious cost or risk.
 * 2)   A neutral  that has applications that may be either   or   to one's own interests.
 * 1)   A neutral  that has applications that may be either   or   to one's own interests.
 * 1)   A neutral  that has applications that may be either   or   to one's own interests.
 * 1)   A neutral  that has applications that may be either   or   to one's own interests.
 * 1)   A neutral  that has applications that may be either   or   to one's own interests.

Translations

 * Arabic: سَيْفٌ ذُو حَدَّيْنِ
 * Bulgarian: нож с две остриета
 * Chinese:
 * Mandarin:
 * Czech: dvousečný meč a double-edged sword
 * Danish: tveægget sværd
 * Dutch:
 * Esperanto: ambaŭtranĉa glavo
 * Finnish: kaksiteräinen miekka
 * French:
 * German: zweischneidiges Schwert
 * Greek: δίκοπο μαχαίρι
 * Hebrew:
 * Icelandic: tvíeggjað sverð
 * Indonesian:
 * Italian: arma a doppio taglio
 * Japanese:
 * Korean: 양날-의 검
 * Malay: serampang dua mata
 * Persian: شمشیر دو لبه
 * Polish: miecz obosieczny
 * Portuguese:
 * Romanian: sabie cu două tăișuri
 * Russian:, обоюдоо́стрый меч
 * Serbo-Croatian: мач са две оштрице, mač sa dve oštrice
 * Spanish: ,
 * Swedish: tveeggat svärd
 * Turkish: iki ucu boklu değnek
 * Zazaki: wurdna hektara tede mende