Famous Sayings And Phrases

Every once in a while someone utters a line that becomes famous. The odds of this happening are probably a millions times or more greater than the odds of winning the lottery, but as I said it does happen and has happened throughout history and sometimes some of this lines get corrupted into something entirely different. For example have you ever wondered about the line, “more than one way to skin a cat"? The thought of skinning a cat is on the repulsive side to most of us, but that is not the way that the saying was actually said, The correct saying is,”there is more than one way to skin a catfish.” Now doesn't this make a lot more sense?

Admiral Farragut
Photo Source: Public Domain

I guess we have all heard the saying “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead”. Why has this saying become so memorable? Sure we know that the statement was made during the Civil War by David Glasgow Farragut at the battle of Mobile Bay, but why has it been remembered? Well some say that is because it has become a navy tradition. I guess I will have to accept that, since I have no other explanation.

Another patriotic saying that is remembered is, "I only regret that I have but one life to give my country." Yes it is a little different than we were taught. I can understand this one being remembered, it has almost a religious tone to it and it was made during the American Revolutionary War when spirits rose very high and illustrated how far Americans would go to have a free country. Nathan Hale was a spy for this country and was caught by the British and hanged. Before his execution he uttered those famous words.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Photo Source: Public Domain

In was 1933 and this country was in the midst of the great depression and a new face was running for President. It was Franklin D. Roosevelt and he was running against Herbert Hoover, when he uttered these words about the depression, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. We are sort of in the same boat today as our current president, President Obama is taking many different steps to try and get the economy back on track, much as Roosevelt did.

Sometimes people can be very cruel and this is why a particular cruel thing that they said might be remembered. Marie Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI the king of France, had been told about the extreme famine that the people were suffering from. She was told that they had no bread to eat and at hearing that she is said to have responded by saying, "Then let them eat brioche." This didn't exactly translate to “Let them eat cake”, as we know the saying today, but brioche was like a spongy croissant that is sweet. It was still a mean thing to say under the circumstances.

Abraham Lincoln had lots of sayings. One that is pretty popular is that, “A friend is one who has the same enemies as you have” I think that this fits the bill for most politicians, because that is the way many of them think of things. I say this because I knew many and that is the way most of them felt.

The 15th century in England produced a lot of famous sayings. They were called English Proverbs and here are some of them:
“Children should be seen and not heard.” I think many adults agree with this one and many children hate it. It was specifically meant for young women.
“As you sow, so you reap”
“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”
“Clothes make the man.”
“Do unto others as you would they should do unto you.”
“Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. “
“Empty vessels make the most sound. “
“Familiarity breeds contempt. “
“Idleness is the root of all evil. “
“Ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it. “
“Lend your money and lose your friend. “
“Little strokes fell great oaks. “
“Man proposes, God disposes. “
“Money is the root of all evil. “
“Physician, heal thyself. “
“Save us from our friends. “
“Still waters run deep. “
“What’s done cannot be undone. “
“You can have too much of a good thing. “
“You can’t please everyone. “
“You cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. “

Wow those 15 century English people were really busy inventing sayings. You have to say that they succeeded, since so many have remained in common use today.

I think that many of us have heard this, “In the country of the blind, the one eyed man is king.” Anyway that is how it is said today. When it first came out, here is what it looked like, “An one eyed man is Well syghted when He is amonge blynde men. “

Aesop
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The phrase, “United we stand, divided we fall”, has been attributed to many different people and nations and appears in many different mottos. Some think that is comes from the United States founding fathers, but they could not be further from the truth. The phrase actually comes form Aesop in the tale The Four Oxen and the Lion .

Memorable phrases and saying will always be a part of our language and the languages of other nations and as time marches on, more will be created. Who knows, maybe you will, or have already said something, that will be remembered forever and are just not aware of it, yet as it works its way into our language. Don't get your hopes up though.