When you were at school, I’m sure that many of you read the book “Of mice and men”. But very few of you will have even thought about the source material. Today, I want to be talking about the Burns poem that it came from “to a mouse”. I’ll be looking at what it means, …
The best laid plans of mice and men – Meaning and Origin Read More »
Have you ever been in a situation where you do something you shouldn’t have done, and the person talking to you tells you “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes”? This phrase has been around for a while now, even before the days of the internet. “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes” just means that if …
Introduction Today, I want to talk about a quote from one of the most famous books of the 21st century. Such a passage might seem like just another throwaway line, but today, I want to explore the impact this quote has on the entire story, and how it’s even more valid today than when the …
It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen Read More »
Introduction In the English language, we have thousands of ways that we can say yes. Of Course, Sure, No Problem, Certainly, Yeah, Yaha. But one that goes one step further than all the others is the one I want to talk about in this article today, “For you, a thousand times over”. This phrase has …
“Live and Let Die” is probably best known as being a song by Guns and Roses. But what does it mean? To live and let die, means to live your life how you want, and allow others to live it how they want. Do not interfere with them, even if their lifestyle means they’re going …
“All the gods, all the heavens are within you”. That phrase is something that you might have heard said to you at some point in the past. And it’s a shortened version of the quote “all the heavens, all the hells are within you”. This is a phrase coined by literature professor Joseph Campbell. It …
In the modern world, there are lots of common phrases that have become popularised through their common usage. Some of these go back for hundreds of years, such as the Bard’s “Forever and a day” and “It’s Greek to me”. Others have come about more recently thanks to pop culture such as “It’s on like …
“So let it be written, so let it be done” – Meaning and Origin Read More »
