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Weekend Trivia: Saturday

Good morning, friends.

Sorry to be so late today. I actually woke up at 6am, but decided that was just an unreasonable hour to get up on a Saturday, so I went back to bed. Three and a half hours later...somewhat unreasonable as well. I imagine Nancy has been a work for hours by now.

My question today comes from a little book DH was reading this week on the origins of sayings/phrases and one he shared seemed to be a good fit for me as a special ed teacher with students who are different from most and for all of us here as lovers of language.

Have you ever heard of Sydney Smith? He was an English clergyman, philosopher, and critic who lived from 1771-1845. One thing he said that I really like is "It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do little."

So, here is today's quote. Can you figure out the short phrase we use sometimes to say the same thing?

"It is a very wise rule in the conduct of the understanding, to acquire early a correct notion of your own peculiar constitution of mind, and to become well acquainted, as a physician would say, with your idiosyncrasy. Are you an acute man, and see sharply for small distances? or are you a comprehensive man, and able to take in, wide and extensive views into your mind? Does your mind turn its ideas into wit? or are you apt to take a common-sense view of the objects presented to you? Have you an exuberant imagination, or a correct judgment? Are you quick, or slow? accurate, or hasty? a great reader, or a great thinker? It is a prodigious point gained if any man can find out where his powers lie, and what are his deficiencies, � if he can contrive to ascertain what Nature intended him for: and such are the changes and chances of the world, and so difficult is it to ascertain our own understandings, or those of others, that most things are done by persons who could have done something else better."

Cynthia

Comments (22)

  • thinman
    12 years ago

    I can think of a two-word phrase. Could that be right?

    TM

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    12 years ago

    Good morning everyone, a couple of things are coming to mind but I think I'll hang around for a hint or two, or six :).

    Annette

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    No, not two words.

    "Hang around" could be a clue, actually, if we think about garages and storage maybe.

    I always think of one of my son's favorite toys when he was a toddler. Boy did he like to bang away at things!

    Cynthia

  • thinman
    12 years ago

    I was thinking of know thyself, which I think is pretty good, but I'll try to think of another.

    TM

  • thinman
    12 years ago

    I thought of a longer version of my same quote, but it has the word thine in it. It doesn't seem to fit the clues, though.

    TM

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Ooh, both of those are good, but not what I am looking for here.

    Perhaps if you think along the lines of don't try to fit yourself into someone else's idea of how one should be.

    Keep hammering away at it.

    Cynthia

  • thinman
    12 years ago

    I was thinking about hammers and such, but I didn't get the phrase until your last (pretty explicit:) ) clue.

    TM

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    So, you have it pegged, TM?

    Cynthia

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    So, you have it pegged, TM?

    Cynthia

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    12 years ago

    I think I may have it, if I'm on the right track they just don't fit do they :).

    Annette

  • midnightsmum (Z4, ON)
    12 years ago

    lol. Here I am - home again, riggedy-jig!! A saying of my paternal Grandmother's. I was thinking of 'to thine own self be true', but a days worth of guesses and clues have me thinking of an 80's TV show about freak and geeks.....hmmm.....and maybe the glimmer of an idea for my next-weeks trivia question!!

    Nancy. - and I wanted to sleep in today, really, I did!!

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Not even if you keep hammering on them!

  • midnightsmum (Z4, ON)
    12 years ago

    Oh, I wish I had my camera in hand!! lol. PITA is on the desk, between keyboard and monitor, curious of the pointer!! lol. So funny!

    Off to cook dinner, finally!! Nancy.

  • thinman
    12 years ago

    Yes, Cynthia, I think I am all squared away on this trivia.

    TM

  • mnwsgal
    12 years ago

    I am coming in late today but think I know from all the clues.

    What a verbose mouthful the original quote is. My DH, a retired pastor, often says, "You know we get paid by the word, don't you?" LOL

    The ten word quote I am thinking of reminds me of a game we used to play with our young kids Tupperware shape sorting ball. We adults (a few young parents) would be blindfolded and timed to see who could get all the shapes in the ball the quickest. Pretty silly game but so funny.

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Bobbie, I remember those balls! Had one for my son, I think, and we definitely had them at the early intervention program where I began my special ed. teaching career! Great comparison. :)

    So, **** for TM, Bobbie, Annette, and Nancy!

    Here is the end of what Smith said:

    "If you choose to represent the various parts in life by holes upon a table, of different shapes, � some circular, some triangular, some square, some oblong, � and the persons acting these parts by bits of wood of similar shapes, we shall generally find that the triangular person has got into the square hole, the oblong into the triangular, and a square person has squeezed himself into the round hole. The officer and the office, the doer and the thing done, seldom fit so exactly, that we can say they were almost made for each other."

    This was shortened (perhaps by non-clergymen who aren't paid by the word-teehee-your DH is very funny, Bobbie. Growing up in the Presbyterian Church, our pastors were very good at keeping sermons to only 20 minutes since people tended to expect an hour-long service and not a minute more-ha) to "You can't fit a square peg in a round hole."

    I thought your guesses of "To thine own self..." were good. My comment on my kids was meant as a clue for all those of us who don't quite fit in with the mainstream and then later, I was thinking of those wooden or plastic kids workbenches with pegs that toddlers pound on over and over...if I just keep whacking at it, I am sure I can get it to fit-lol.

    Thanks for playing. Enjoy your Sunday everyone. I will be checking with Chuck to see what he is reading this week!

    Cynthia

  • thinman
    12 years ago

    For your trivial information: Sometimes in woodworking, wooden pegs are used to hold pieces together. Some workers like to drive a judiciously-sized square peg into a round hole, the idea being to make a tighter longer lasting joint.

    TM

  • midnightsmum (Z4, ON)
    12 years ago

    Oh cyn, I don't think I deserve stars for coat-tail riding!! lol. I finally got my question posted, so hope everyone can chime in. My steadfast buddy Nicademus is helping my at the computer this am, but I think he is really that he is really waiting for leftover milk from my cereal. Sadly, today it will be a cooked breakfast - hmmmm, eggs and bacy or french toast? I have some left-over oatmeal orange bread that I made, bet that will make yummy french toast!!

    Nancy.

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    12 years ago

    Thanks for the stars Cyn, earlier on I was thinking "Marching to a different beat" but finally picked up on the clues :).

    Annette

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    TM, I was trying to come up with a clue using antique pegged furniture. Had no idea they forced those square pegs into round holes. Very cool. Guess my toddler son was just just channeling his ggg-grandfather who was a carpenter as he banged away at those pegs! :)

    Thanks again for playing everyone!

    Cynthia

  • mnwsgal
    12 years ago

    I took a couple of adult woodworking classes and used those round pegs. I vaguely remember being told about the square pegs thing, TM. From watching TV woodworking shows I see nowadays they use a thin disk which they slip into machine made slots in the wood. I made a dry sink and a cradle but never did learn how to make picture frames, my reason for taking the class in the first place. Instructor laughed when I told him I wanted to make picture frames. Guess I should be able to figure it out myself.

    Cynthia, I also thought of my son's carpenter's bench. He didn't really play with it much. But I remember other kids pounding away. Weren't all the pegs round and maybe different colors or different diameters? Memory isn't too great on the details.

    Nancy, what is eggs and bacy? Is bacy short for bacon? French toast from oatmeal orange bread sounds delicious.

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I think you're right Bobbie. I am sure they were different colors and maybe the tops looked different, but they were probably all round.

    I think we all should convene at Nancy's house next Sunday for breakfast-sounds delcious no matter what it is!

    Cynthia

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