v25.8: You Idiom! - 11

Good morning folks,

-slurp-

I was on my way into work this morning when I had a great idea for a musing.  In fact, this idea may be so great that it may end up being a series of musings.  I was looking to explain those age old sayings we usually say without thinking.  For example, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.".  What the hell does that mean?  Read on and find out!

-slurp-

I may as well start with the one in my post summary.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

My father used to use this one on me all the time growing up.  I was sitting at work one day and it popped into my head so I just had to look it up and figure out what it meant.  Basically it means it is better to keep what you have than to give it up and be greedy for something more.  In some cases, you may end up with nothing so having that bird in your hand is indeed worth more than the two in the bush.  Think of that game show "Deal or No Deal".  That is a perfect example of this idiom.

Let's call it a day

How many times have you used this one?  I use it all the time and while it's meaning is somewhat well known, I figured I'd mention it here.  Basically it means to give up on a task or a job or quit what you're doing.

A stitch in time saves nine

You don't hear this one very often anymore or if you do it is shortened down to just "a stitch in time".  Basically it means it is better to take time and deal with an issue now rather than wait and deal with it later when it is much worse.  Think of a hole in your clothes.  At first the hole is very small and could easily be fixed with a stitch or two.  If you wait, that hole will become bigger resulting in many more stitches required to fix it.  The same saying can be applied to your life and the tasks you deal with on a daily basis.  It is better to deal with something right away when it is an issue than to wait until it is a bigger issue and requires more time and effort.

Look before you leap

We've all heard this one.  Usually it means to make sure you check the water out before you leap into it.  Thousands of people are hurt every month because they fail to check the waters before leaping in.  In most cases, the water "looks" deep but is too shallow when jumped into.  The saying can also be applied to common every day thinking, for example think before you act.  Since every decision in life could be likened to jumping into water, you should always know what you are "jumping into" when you make decisions.  Think first, then react.

Murphy's Law

Oh boy!  How many times have you heard this one uttered?   What the hell is Murphy's Law?!  Murphy's Law simply states that anything that CAN go wrong, WILL go wrong.  For example, when you drop a piece of buttered bread, the damn thing will always land on the buttered side; or it seems like it does.  Or when you watch your child carrying a full bowl of cereal from the counter to the table and just "know" that bowl is somehow going to end up on the floor.  Murphy's Law is a powerful force and it promotes negative thoughts because you're always expecting the worst.

Famous last words

I hear this one almost every single day.  It is usually uttered after someone makes a bold comment or statement about something.  Basically this is something you say in order to emphasize what someone else said is wrong or is very likely to be wrong.

Scared stiff

This one is fairly simple to understand.  It means that someone is so scared they are unable to move (or are afraid to move).  We see this a lot in movies where someone is being chased by some unknown person and when they come face to face with the person they are unable to move because they are so scared.

-slurp-

That is all I have today folks, tomorrow I hope to have a few more to share with some more definitions and meanings for you.  If you have any sayings you're just dieing to know the history and meanings of, feel free to post them in the comments section and I'll go ahead and do the research and post them in my next musing.

-slurp-

Until next time...

Cheers,
Al