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The top 10 misquoted phrases in Britain -- "damp squid" -- Stephen Fry
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Hen Hanna
May 19, 2016, 4:36:42 PM5/19/16
to
The phrase 'all that glisters is not gold' from Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice is frequently misquoted
---- does Led Zeppelin get 90% of the blame for this ?
Top of the league is a "damp squib", a term for failure named after a dud 19th century explosive mining device, which is often mispronounced as "damp squid."
Others in the chart include "one fell swoop" which was originally uttered by MacDuff in Shakespeare's Macbeth but which is often mistakenly repeated as "one foul swoop".
Others mix up the 19th century nautical term "batten down the hatches", instead saying "batting down the hatches"
The 14th century phrase "On tenter hooks" which derives from a wooden frame that hung wet clothes out to dry is often mistaken as "on tender hooks."
The phrase "Find a pin and pick it up," the first line of a poem in "The Real Mother Goose" book of nursery rhymes is now misquoted as "Find a penny pick it up".
"For a nation that produced Shakespeare, Wordsworth and Stephen Fry, it seems we Brits aren't as a literary as we think."
The top ten misquotes by British people are as follows:
1) A damp squid (a damp squib)
2) On tender hooks (on tenter hooks)
3) Nip it in the butt (nip it in the bud) <-------- ?
--- I see. Cigarette imagery
4) Champing at the bit (chomping at the bit)
5) A mute point (a moot point)
6) One foul swoop (one fell swoop)
7) All that glitters is not gold (all that glisters is not gold)
8) Adverse to (averse to)
9) Batting down the hatches (batten down the hatches)
10) Find a penny pick it up (find a pin pick it up)
________________
>>> "For a nation that produced Shakespeare, Wordsworth and Stephen Fry, it seems we Brits aren't as a literary as we think." <<<
------ I had NO idea that Stephen Fry was so highly regarded ! ! !
HH
![Peter Duncanson [BrE]'s profile photo](http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/a-/ALV-UjU1GGYFBCZgBCNB-pRgkosMu-ej0qpnECw3jc8uGYOTiF8a=s40-c)
Peter Duncanson [BrE]
May 19, 2016, 6:11:02 PM5/19/16
to
On Thu, 19 May 2016 13:36:41 -0700 (PDT), Hen Hanna <henh...@gmail.com>
wrote:
>
>The phrase 'all that glisters is not gold' from Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice is frequently misquoted
>
> ---- does Led Zeppelin get 90% of the blame for this ?
>
>
>Top of the league is a "damp squib", a term for failure named after a dud 19th century explosive mining device, which is often mispronounced as "damp squid."
>
>
>Others in the chart include "one fell swoop" which was originally uttered by MacDuff in Shakespeare's Macbeth but which is often mistakenly repeated as "one foul swoop".
>
>
>
>Others mix up the 19th century nautical term "batten down the hatches", instead saying "batting down the hatches"
>
>The 14th century phrase "On tenter hooks" which derives from a wooden frame that hung wet clothes out to dry is often mistaken as "on tender hooks."
>
>The phrase "Find a pin and pick it up," the first line of a poem in "The Real Mother Goose" book of nursery rhymes is now misquoted as "Find a penny pick it up".
>
>
>
>
>"For a nation that produced Shakespeare, Wordsworth and Stephen Fry, it seems we Brits aren't as a literary as we think."
>
>The top ten misquotes by British people are as follows:
>
>1) A damp squid (a damp squib)
>
>2) On tender hooks (on tenter hooks)
>
>3) Nip it in the butt (nip it in the bud) <-------- ?
>
> --- I see. Cigarette imagery
The "bud" is the bud of a flower.
OED:
"to nip in the bud": to suppress, check, or destroy, esp. at an
early stage.
and:
Phr. "in bud" (said of plants; cf. in leaf, in flower): budding.
"in the bud": not yet developed; often fig. = young, immature, ‘in
the germ’. "to nip or crush in the bud": fig. to repress or destroy
(a project, etc.) in its first beginnings
>
>
>4) Champing at the bit (chomping at the bit)
"chomp at the bit" is a later version of "champ at the bit". They mean
the same thing.
The OED has the first example of champ" in 1530, and then "chomp" in
1645.
>5) A mute point (a moot point)
>
>6) One foul swoop (one fell swoop)
>
>7) All that glitters is not gold (all that glisters is not gold)
>
>8) Adverse to (averse to)
>
>9) Batting down the hatches (batten down the hatches)
>
>10) Find a penny pick it up (find a pin pick it up)
>
>________________
>
>>>> "For a nation that produced Shakespeare, Wordsworth and Stephen Fry, it seems we Brits aren't as a literary as we think." <<<
>
>
>------ I had NO idea that Stephen Fry was so highly regarded ! ! !
> HH
--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.english.usage)
wrote:
>
>The phrase 'all that glisters is not gold' from Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice is frequently misquoted
>
> ---- does Led Zeppelin get 90% of the blame for this ?
>
>
>Top of the league is a "damp squib", a term for failure named after a dud 19th century explosive mining device, which is often mispronounced as "damp squid."
>
>
>Others in the chart include "one fell swoop" which was originally uttered by MacDuff in Shakespeare's Macbeth but which is often mistakenly repeated as "one foul swoop".
>
>
>
>Others mix up the 19th century nautical term "batten down the hatches", instead saying "batting down the hatches"
>
>The 14th century phrase "On tenter hooks" which derives from a wooden frame that hung wet clothes out to dry is often mistaken as "on tender hooks."
>
>The phrase "Find a pin and pick it up," the first line of a poem in "The Real Mother Goose" book of nursery rhymes is now misquoted as "Find a penny pick it up".
>
>
>
>
>"For a nation that produced Shakespeare, Wordsworth and Stephen Fry, it seems we Brits aren't as a literary as we think."
>
>The top ten misquotes by British people are as follows:
>
>1) A damp squid (a damp squib)
>
>2) On tender hooks (on tenter hooks)
>
>3) Nip it in the butt (nip it in the bud) <-------- ?
>
> --- I see. Cigarette imagery
OED:
"to nip in the bud": to suppress, check, or destroy, esp. at an
early stage.
and:
Phr. "in bud" (said of plants; cf. in leaf, in flower): budding.
"in the bud": not yet developed; often fig. = young, immature, ‘in
the germ’. "to nip or crush in the bud": fig. to repress or destroy
(a project, etc.) in its first beginnings
>
>
>4) Champing at the bit (chomping at the bit)
the same thing.
The OED has the first example of champ" in 1530, and then "chomp" in
1645.
>5) A mute point (a moot point)
>
>6) One foul swoop (one fell swoop)
>
>7) All that glitters is not gold (all that glisters is not gold)
>
>8) Adverse to (averse to)
>
>9) Batting down the hatches (batten down the hatches)
>
>10) Find a penny pick it up (find a pin pick it up)
>
>________________
>
>>>> "For a nation that produced Shakespeare, Wordsworth and Stephen Fry, it seems we Brits aren't as a literary as we think." <<<
>
>
>------ I had NO idea that Stephen Fry was so highly regarded ! ! !
> HH
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.english.usage)
Hen Hanna
May 19, 2016, 6:45:34 PM5/19/16
to
On Thursday, May 19, 2016 at 3:11:02 PM UTC-7, Peter Duncanson [BrE] wrote:
> >The top ten misquotes by British people are as follows:
> >
> >1) A damp squid (a damp squib)
> >
> >2) On tender hooks (on tenter hooks)
> >
> >3) Nip it in the butt (nip it in the bud) <-------- ?
> >
> > --- I see. Cigarette imagery
>
> The "bud" is the bud of a flower.
> OED:
>
> "to nip in the bud": to suppress, check, or destroy, esp. at an
> early stage.
> and:
> Phr. "in bud" (said of plants; cf. in leaf, in flower): budding.
> "in the bud": not yet developed; often fig. = young, immature, ‘in
> the germ’. "to nip or crush in the bud": fig. to repress or destroy
> (a project, etc.) in its first beginnings
>
It took me a few seconds, but I remembered the right answer.
I bet half of the people here don't know the answer.
>>> [Nip in the butt] is suprisingly common. On the web, it appears about once for every 18 instances of [nip in the bud]. [Nip in the butt] can make sense if we use our imagination, <<<
Here I'm not sure about the right answer. HH
Don Phillipson
May 20, 2016, 7:55:24 AM5/20/16
to
"Hen Hanna" <henh...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:bab7384a-a557-409a...@googlegroups.com...
>> Phr. "in bud" (said of plants; cf. in leaf, in flower): budding.
>> "in the bud": not yet developed; often fig. = young, immature, 'in
>> the germ'. "to nip or crush in the bud": fig. to repress or destroy
>> (a project, etc.) in its first beginnings
>
> and why would anyone want to nip a bud?
> . . .
growing plants appropriately (e.g. to produce more fruit or
fewer but larger blossoms) they must remove certain parts
of a plant early in their development (i.e. nip them in the bud:)
but young people brought up in urban apartments rather than
houses with gardens are often unaware of these techniques.
Personal experience was different when "everyone" grew
up in a house or cottage with a garden.
--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)
news:bab7384a-a557-409a...@googlegroups.com...
>> Phr. "in bud" (said of plants; cf. in leaf, in flower): budding.
>> "in the bud": not yet developed; often fig. = young, immature, 'in
>> the germ'. "to nip or crush in the bud": fig. to repress or destroy
>> (a project, etc.) in its first beginnings
>
> and why would anyone want to nip a bud?
> I bet half of the people here don't know the answer.
This may be plausible. Gardeners know that, in order to shape
growing plants appropriately (e.g. to produce more fruit or
fewer but larger blossoms) they must remove certain parts
of a plant early in their development (i.e. nip them in the bud:)
but young people brought up in urban apartments rather than
houses with gardens are often unaware of these techniques.
Personal experience was different when "everyone" grew
up in a house or cottage with a garden.
--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)
Hen Hanna
May 20, 2016, 1:50:23 PM5/20/16
to
> > >
> > >3) Nip it in the butt (nip it in the bud) <-------- ?
> > >
> > > --- I see. Cigarette imagery
> >
> > The "bud" is the bud of a flower.
> > OED:
> >
> > "to nip in the bud": to suppress, check, or destroy, esp. at an
> > early stage.
> > and:
> > Phr. "in bud" (said of plants; cf. in leaf, in flower): budding.
> > "in the bud": not yet developed; often fig. = young, immature, ‘in
> > the germ’. "to nip or crush in the bud": fig. to repress or destroy
> > (a project, etc.) in its first beginnings
> >
>
>
> and why would anyone want to nip a bud?
>
> It took me a few seconds, but I remembered the right answer.
>
> I bet half of the people here don't know the answer.
>
>
>
> >>> [Nip in the butt] is suprisingly common. On the web, it appears about once for every 18 instances of [nip in the bud]. [Nip in the butt] can make sense if we use our imagination, <<<
>
>
> Here I'm not sure about the right answer. HH
>>> Some plants thrive when buds are selectively nipped—even when the nipped buds are not especially harmful—so a slightly different metaphorical meaning of nip in the bud would be to end something early for the sake of a greater good. But the phrase is usually used in the first sense. <<<
[even when the nipped buds are not especially harmful]
sounds strange.
I think the growing buds (per se) are never harmful.
[Nip it in the butt] -- Cigarette imagery is possible.
◾“We take the dangers of alcohol seriously,” said Spangler, in his second year as the golf coach. “It’s better to nip it in the butt sooner than later.” (Daily Nebraskan, Oct. 31, 2002)
◾This incident surfaces now because computer systems manager Bill Witkowski is fed up with being harassed and wants to nip it in the butt. (New Haven Advocate, Feb. 27, 2003)
◾“The story of our season is we have been giving up the big inning and when you give up the big inning and you don’t nip it in the butt both pitching wise and defensive wise. You lose ball games.” (Metropolitan State College of Denver, Met Online, Apr. 17, 2003)
Anton Shepelev
May 20, 2016, 3:57:04 PM5/20/16
to
Don Phillipson:
> Gardeners know that, in order to shape growing
> plants appropriately (e.g. to produce more fruit
> or fewer but larger blossoms) they must remove
> certain parts of a plant early in their develop-
er Nature that Her works should be imperfect. Or is
that Her concept of perfection is different from
that of the garden-tender?
--
() ascii ribbon campaign - against html e-mail
/\ http://preview.tinyurl.com/qcy6mjc [archived]
> Gardeners know that, in order to shape growing
> plants appropriately (e.g. to produce more fruit
> or fewer but larger blossoms) they must remove
> ment (i.e. nip them in the bud:)
I have always wondered what the matter is with moth-
er Nature that Her works should be imperfect. Or is
that Her concept of perfection is different from
that of the garden-tender?
--
() ascii ribbon campaign - against html e-mail
/\ http://preview.tinyurl.com/qcy6mjc [archived]
Anton Shepelev
May 20, 2016, 4:00:59 PM5/20/16
to
Hen Hanna quoting oft-misquoted phrases:
> Batting down the hatches (batten down the hatches)
What do people study in the literature classes if
not Moby Dick, whence I leanred the word?
> Batting down the hatches (batten down the hatches)
not Moby Dick, whence I leanred the word?
Anton Shepelev
May 20, 2016, 4:02:53 PM5/20/16
to
I miswrote:
> What do people study in the literature classes if
> not Moby Dick, whence I leanred the word?
Change the first occurence of 'the' to 'their' or
omit it altogether.
> What do people study in the literature classes if
> not Moby Dick, whence I leanred the word?
omit it altogether.
John Varela
May 20, 2016, 9:10:20 PM5/20/16
to
On Fri, 20 May 2016 17:50:20 UTC, Hen Hanna <henh...@gmail.com>
wrote:
>
> > > >
> > > >3) Nip it in the butt (nip it in the bud) <-------- ?
> > > >
> > > > --- I see. Cigarette imagery
>
>
> > >
> > > The "bud" is the bud of a flower.
> > > OED:
> > >
> > > "to nip in the bud": to suppress, check, or destroy, esp. at an
> > > early stage.
> > > and:
> > > Phr. "in bud" (said of plants; cf. in leaf, in flower): budding.
> > > "in the bud": not yet developed; often fig. = young, immature, in
> > > the germ . "to nip or crush in the bud": fig. to repress or destroy
> > > (a project, etc.) in its first beginnings
> > >
> >
> >
> > and why would anyone want to nip a bud?
> >
> > It took me a few seconds, but I remembered the right answer.
> >
> > I bet half of the people here don't know the answer.
> >
> >
> >
> > >>> [Nip in the butt] is suprisingly common. On the web, it appears about once for every 18 instances of [nip in the bud]. [Nip in the butt] can make sense if we use our imagination, <<<
> >
> >
> > Here I'm not sure about the right answer. HH
>
>
> http://grammarist.com/usage/nip-in-the-bud/
>
> >>> Some plants thrive when buds are selectively nipped even when the nipped buds are not especially harmful so a slightly different metaphorical meaning of nip in the bud would be to end something early for the sake of a greater good. But the phrase is usually used in the first sense. <<<
>
> [even when the nipped buds are not especially harmful]
> sounds strange.
> I think the growing buds (per se) are never harmful.
You don't do much gardening, do you?
For example, roses produce flowers at the ends of stems. Often, a
first bud will appear at the tip of the stem and one or two smaller
buds will then appear on short branches below the tip. One nips
those smaller buds so that they won't take strength from the the
first bud. This will produce one large flower instead of two or
three smaller flowers.
With woody plants, growth buds often appear where they are not
wanted. It's much easier to nip them as soon as they appear than to
wait to remove them when they have grown into sizeable branches.
This isn't always practical if the bud is high in the tree.
> [Nip it in the butt] -- Cigarette imagery is possible.
>
>
> We take the dangers of alcohol seriously, said Spangler, in his second year as the golf coach. It s better to nip it in the butt sooner than later. (Daily Nebraskan, Oct. 31, 2002)
>
> This incident surfaces now because computer systems manager Bill Witkowski is fed up with being harassed and wants to nip it in the butt. (New Haven Advocate, Feb. 27, 2003)
>
> The story of our season is we have been giving up the big inning and when you give up the big inning and you don t nip it in the butt both pitching wise and defensive wise. You lose ball games. (Metropolitan State College of Denver, Met Online, Apr. 17, 2003)
Those errors could be on the part of the reporter, not the speaker.
--
John Varela
wrote:
>
> > > >
> > > >3) Nip it in the butt (nip it in the bud) <-------- ?
> > > >
> > > > --- I see. Cigarette imagery
>
>
> > >
> > > The "bud" is the bud of a flower.
> > > OED:
> > >
> > > "to nip in the bud": to suppress, check, or destroy, esp. at an
> > > early stage.
> > > and:
> > > Phr. "in bud" (said of plants; cf. in leaf, in flower): budding.
> > > "in the bud": not yet developed; often fig. = young, immature, in
> > > the germ . "to nip or crush in the bud": fig. to repress or destroy
> > > (a project, etc.) in its first beginnings
> > >
> >
> >
> > and why would anyone want to nip a bud?
> >
> > It took me a few seconds, but I remembered the right answer.
> >
> > I bet half of the people here don't know the answer.
> >
> >
> >
> > >>> [Nip in the butt] is suprisingly common. On the web, it appears about once for every 18 instances of [nip in the bud]. [Nip in the butt] can make sense if we use our imagination, <<<
> >
> >
> > Here I'm not sure about the right answer. HH
>
>
> http://grammarist.com/usage/nip-in-the-bud/
>
> >>> Some plants thrive when buds are selectively nipped even when the nipped buds are not especially harmful so a slightly different metaphorical meaning of nip in the bud would be to end something early for the sake of a greater good. But the phrase is usually used in the first sense. <<<
>
> [even when the nipped buds are not especially harmful]
> sounds strange.
> I think the growing buds (per se) are never harmful.
For example, roses produce flowers at the ends of stems. Often, a
first bud will appear at the tip of the stem and one or two smaller
buds will then appear on short branches below the tip. One nips
those smaller buds so that they won't take strength from the the
first bud. This will produce one large flower instead of two or
three smaller flowers.
With woody plants, growth buds often appear where they are not
wanted. It's much easier to nip them as soon as they appear than to
wait to remove them when they have grown into sizeable branches.
This isn't always practical if the bud is high in the tree.
> [Nip it in the butt] -- Cigarette imagery is possible.
>
>
> We take the dangers of alcohol seriously, said Spangler, in his second year as the golf coach. It s better to nip it in the butt sooner than later. (Daily Nebraskan, Oct. 31, 2002)
>
> This incident surfaces now because computer systems manager Bill Witkowski is fed up with being harassed and wants to nip it in the butt. (New Haven Advocate, Feb. 27, 2003)
>
> The story of our season is we have been giving up the big inning and when you give up the big inning and you don t nip it in the butt both pitching wise and defensive wise. You lose ball games. (Metropolitan State College of Denver, Met Online, Apr. 17, 2003)
--
John Varela
John Varela
May 20, 2016, 9:14:27 PM5/20/16
to
On Fri, 20 May 2016 19:57:26 UTC, Anton Shepelev
<anto...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Don Phillipson:
>
> > Gardeners know that, in order to shape growing
> > plants appropriately (e.g. to produce more fruit
> > or fewer but larger blossoms) they must remove
> > certain parts of a plant early in their develop-
> > ment (i.e. nip them in the bud:)
>
> I have always wondered what the matter is with moth-
> er Nature that Her works should be imperfect. Or is
> that Her concept of perfection is different from
> that of the garden-tender?
Humans have always tried to improve on nature. Consider the variety
<anto...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Don Phillipson:
>
> > Gardeners know that, in order to shape growing
> > plants appropriately (e.g. to produce more fruit
> > or fewer but larger blossoms) they must remove
> > certain parts of a plant early in their develop-
> > ment (i.e. nip them in the bud:)
>
> I have always wondered what the matter is with moth-
> er Nature that Her works should be imperfect. Or is
> that Her concept of perfection is different from
> that of the garden-tender?
of breeds of dogs.
In the case of flowering plants, M.N. wants may want more, smaller
flowers in order to attract more polinators and thus more seeds,
while the gardener wants larger, more perfect blossoms for show.
--
John Varela
Hen Hanna
May 21, 2016, 2:34:44 AM5/21/16
to
the growing buds (per se) are never harmful.
-- it's not as if some (un-nipped) buds are turning into
poison flowers or anything.
> > [Nip it in the butt] -- Cigarette imagery is possible.
smoldering (cigarette) butts fully
before we have a fire hazard.
I have another, more fanciful theory / imagery
for [Nip it in the butt]
Peter Duncanson [BrE]
May 21, 2016, 6:44:17 AM5/21/16
to
On Fri, 20 May 2016 10:50:20 -0700 (PDT), Hen Hanna <henh...@gmail.com>
wrote:
>
>> > >
growth of a plant. The phrase "nip it in the bud" is used to mean
"destroy something before it becomes a big problem".
Some plants can be a big problem.
This article in the "Gardening, Problem solving" section of a UK
newspaper is titled:
"The UK's most invasive plants"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/problem-solving/the-uk-s-most-invasive-plants/
Extracts:
Giant hogweed
Rather similar in looks to an overgrown cow parsley, giant hogweed
can grow to 10 feet high and can also be harmful to the skin if its
sap makes contact.
Japanese knotweed
The problem with Japanese knotweed, is that despite the fact it dies
back throughout the winter, its root system is both extensive and
strong.
The roots are the only way in which the plant can spread, as it
doesn't produce seeds.
This vigorous characteristic has resulted in it being an offence
against the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act to grow it, and if it
isn't controlled by those who have it in their garden, a community
protection notice can even be given.
Rhododendron ponticum
Although Rhododendron ponticum produces the most gorgeous mauve
flowers, it does have an extremely negative impact on both wildlife
and the ecology of the site which it inhabits.
The Forestry Commission has found that it can significantly reduce
the numbers of earthworms, birds and plants in the area and it is
also considered to be toxic to herbivores.
Himalayan balsam
Despite a display of rather pretty pink flowers, Himalayan balsam
can be extremely difficult to get rid of if it takes hold in your
garden.
Producing 800 seeds every year, which can survive for up to two
years whilst floating in rivers or streams, and extremely tolerant
of shady positions, Himalayan balsam is extremely invasive.
New Zealand pigmyweed
New Zealand pigmyweed, as opposed to the other invasive species
detailed here, grows primarily in water, or soil with a heavy water
content near to the sides of lakes/streams etc.
Not only does it provide hefty competition to other native plants,
but also due to the dense matting it creates on the surfaces of
ponds etc, it can also reduce the oxygen available to fish and
frogs. Like Japanese knotweed, it is an offence to plant it - as
well as an offence to buy/sell it.
The phrase "nip in the bud" was probably created before those plants
were imported to the UK but the principle is the same: if a plant is
going to be a problem, destroy it at the earliest stage.
>
>
>
>[Nip it in the butt] -- Cigarette imagery is possible.
>
>
>?“We take the dangers of alcohol seriously,” said Spangler, in his second year as the golf coach. “It’s better to nip it in the butt sooner than later.” (Daily Nebraskan, Oct. 31, 2002)
>
>?This incident surfaces now because computer systems manager Bill Witkowski is fed up with being harassed and wants to nip it in the butt. (New Haven Advocate, Feb. 27, 2003)
>
>?“The story of our season is we have been giving up the big inning and when you give up the big inning and you don’t nip it in the butt both pitching wise and defensive wise. You lose ball games.” (Metropolitan State College of Denver, Met Online, Apr. 17, 2003)
wrote:
>
>> > >
>> > >3) Nip it in the butt (nip it in the bud) <-------- ?
>> > >
>> > > --- I see. Cigarette imagery
>
>
>> >
>> > The "bud" is the bud of a flower.
>> > OED:
>> >
>> > "to nip in the bud": to suppress, check, or destroy, esp. at an
>> > early stage.
>> > and:
>> > Phr. "in bud" (said of plants; cf. in leaf, in flower): budding.
>> > "in the bud": not yet developed; often fig. = young, immature, ‘in
>> > the germ’. "to nip or crush in the bud": fig. to repress or destroy
>> > (a project, etc.) in its first beginnings
>> >
>>
>>
>> and why would anyone want to nip a bud?
>>
>> It took me a few seconds, but I remembered the right answer.
>>
>> I bet half of the people here don't know the answer.
>>
>>
>>
>> >>> [Nip in the butt] is suprisingly common. On the web, it appears about once for every 18 instances of [nip in the bud]. [Nip in the butt] can make sense if we use our imagination, <<<
>>
>>
>> Here I'm not sure about the right answer. HH
>
>
>http://grammarist.com/usage/nip-in-the-bud/
>
>>>> Some plants thrive when buds are selectively nipped—even when the nipped buds are not especially harmful—so a slightly different metaphorical meaning of nip in the bud would be to end something early for the sake of a greater good. But the phrase is usually used in the first sense. <<<
>
>[even when the nipped buds are not especially harmful]
> sounds strange.
>I think the growing buds (per se) are never harmful.
The idea is that the production of buds is an early stage in the annual
>> > >
>> > > --- I see. Cigarette imagery
>
>
>> >
>> > The "bud" is the bud of a flower.
>> > OED:
>> >
>> > "to nip in the bud": to suppress, check, or destroy, esp. at an
>> > early stage.
>> > and:
>> > Phr. "in bud" (said of plants; cf. in leaf, in flower): budding.
>> > "in the bud": not yet developed; often fig. = young, immature, ‘in
>> > the germ’. "to nip or crush in the bud": fig. to repress or destroy
>> > (a project, etc.) in its first beginnings
>> >
>>
>>
>> and why would anyone want to nip a bud?
>>
>> It took me a few seconds, but I remembered the right answer.
>>
>> I bet half of the people here don't know the answer.
>>
>>
>>
>> >>> [Nip in the butt] is suprisingly common. On the web, it appears about once for every 18 instances of [nip in the bud]. [Nip in the butt] can make sense if we use our imagination, <<<
>>
>>
>> Here I'm not sure about the right answer. HH
>
>
>http://grammarist.com/usage/nip-in-the-bud/
>
>>>> Some plants thrive when buds are selectively nipped—even when the nipped buds are not especially harmful—so a slightly different metaphorical meaning of nip in the bud would be to end something early for the sake of a greater good. But the phrase is usually used in the first sense. <<<
>
>[even when the nipped buds are not especially harmful]
> sounds strange.
>I think the growing buds (per se) are never harmful.
growth of a plant. The phrase "nip it in the bud" is used to mean
"destroy something before it becomes a big problem".
Some plants can be a big problem.
This article in the "Gardening, Problem solving" section of a UK
newspaper is titled:
"The UK's most invasive plants"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/problem-solving/the-uk-s-most-invasive-plants/
Extracts:
Giant hogweed
Rather similar in looks to an overgrown cow parsley, giant hogweed
can grow to 10 feet high and can also be harmful to the skin if its
sap makes contact.
Japanese knotweed
The problem with Japanese knotweed, is that despite the fact it dies
back throughout the winter, its root system is both extensive and
strong.
The roots are the only way in which the plant can spread, as it
doesn't produce seeds.
This vigorous characteristic has resulted in it being an offence
against the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act to grow it, and if it
isn't controlled by those who have it in their garden, a community
protection notice can even be given.
Rhododendron ponticum
Although Rhododendron ponticum produces the most gorgeous mauve
flowers, it does have an extremely negative impact on both wildlife
and the ecology of the site which it inhabits.
The Forestry Commission has found that it can significantly reduce
the numbers of earthworms, birds and plants in the area and it is
also considered to be toxic to herbivores.
Himalayan balsam
Despite a display of rather pretty pink flowers, Himalayan balsam
can be extremely difficult to get rid of if it takes hold in your
garden.
Producing 800 seeds every year, which can survive for up to two
years whilst floating in rivers or streams, and extremely tolerant
of shady positions, Himalayan balsam is extremely invasive.
New Zealand pigmyweed
New Zealand pigmyweed, as opposed to the other invasive species
detailed here, grows primarily in water, or soil with a heavy water
content near to the sides of lakes/streams etc.
Not only does it provide hefty competition to other native plants,
but also due to the dense matting it creates on the surfaces of
ponds etc, it can also reduce the oxygen available to fish and
frogs. Like Japanese knotweed, it is an offence to plant it - as
well as an offence to buy/sell it.
The phrase "nip in the bud" was probably created before those plants
were imported to the UK but the principle is the same: if a plant is
going to be a problem, destroy it at the earliest stage.
>
>
>
>[Nip it in the butt] -- Cigarette imagery is possible.
>
>
>
>?This incident surfaces now because computer systems manager Bill Witkowski is fed up with being harassed and wants to nip it in the butt. (New Haven Advocate, Feb. 27, 2003)
>
>?“The story of our season is we have been giving up the big inning and when you give up the big inning and you don’t nip it in the butt both pitching wise and defensive wise. You lose ball games.” (Metropolitan State College of Denver, Met Online, Apr. 17, 2003)
Anton Shepelev
May 21, 2016, 4:25:08 PM5/21/16
to
John Varela to Anton Shepelev:
> > fect. Or is [it] that Her concept of perfection
serve man not Nature. The original work of Adam and
Eve themselves was to attend (to?) the garden of
Eden.
> In the case of flowering plants, M.N. wants may
> want more, smaller flowers in order to attract
> more polinators and thus more seeds, while the
> gardener wants larger, more perfect blossoms for
> show.
Wild flowers too vary in size, probably because
large ones are more conspicious and visible from fa-
ther away. Small flowers are pleasing to the sight
of man, for good taste bears no gigantomania.
Weird-fiction and horror writer Fred Chappell ex-
pressed his anguish about it in his short story
"Gift of Roses":
"That's right," said the reverend. "We live in a
time of generic penury. The big, flashy hybrids
have conquered the world of roses. Painted hussies,
I call them.
"But without perfume," Penny chirped.
"No more smell than a sheet of notepaper," he
declared, "So we're grateful for your efforts."
> > Don Phillipson:
> >
> > > Gardeners know that, in order to shape growing
> > > plants appropriately (e.g. to produce more
> > > fruit or fewer but larger blossoms) they must
> > > remove certain parts of a plant early in their
> > > development (i.e. nip them in the bud:)
> >
> > > Gardeners know that, in order to shape growing
> > > plants appropriately (e.g. to produce more
> > > fruit or fewer but larger blossoms) they must
> > > remove certain parts of a plant early in their
> >
> > I have always wondered what the matter is with
> > mother Nature that Her works should be imper-
> > I have always wondered what the matter is with
> > fect. Or is [it] that Her concept of perfection
> > is different from that of the garden-tender?
>
> Humans have always tried to improve on nature.
> Consider the variety of breeds of dogs.
As my question hints, those breeds are intended to
>
> Humans have always tried to improve on nature.
> Consider the variety of breeds of dogs.
serve man not Nature. The original work of Adam and
Eve themselves was to attend (to?) the garden of
Eden.
> In the case of flowering plants, M.N. wants may
> want more, smaller flowers in order to attract
> more polinators and thus more seeds, while the
> gardener wants larger, more perfect blossoms for
> show.
large ones are more conspicious and visible from fa-
ther away. Small flowers are pleasing to the sight
of man, for good taste bears no gigantomania.
Weird-fiction and horror writer Fred Chappell ex-
pressed his anguish about it in his short story
"Gift of Roses":
"That's right," said the reverend. "We live in a
time of generic penury. The big, flashy hybrids
have conquered the world of roses. Painted hussies,
I call them.
"But without perfume," Penny chirped.
"No more smell than a sheet of notepaper," he
declared, "So we're grateful for your efforts."
Jenny Telia
Jun 16, 2016, 3:06:35 AM6/16/16
to
On 21/05/2016 03:14, John Varela wrote:
> On Fri, 20 May 2016 19:57:26 UTC, Anton Shepelev
> <anto...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Don Phillipson:
>>
>>> Gardeners know that, in order to shape growing
>>> plants appropriately (e.g. to produce more fruit
>>> or fewer but larger blossoms) they must remove
>>> certain parts of a plant early in their develop-
>>> ment (i.e. nip them in the bud:)
>>
>> I have always wondered what the matter is with moth-
>> er Nature that Her works should be imperfect. Or is
>> that Her concept of perfection is different from
>> that of the garden-tender?
>
> Humans have always tried to improve on nature.
Yep, the have tried. Consider cosmetic surgery.
> On Fri, 20 May 2016 19:57:26 UTC, Anton Shepelev
> <anto...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Don Phillipson:
>>
>>> Gardeners know that, in order to shape growing
>>> plants appropriately (e.g. to produce more fruit
>>> or fewer but larger blossoms) they must remove
>>> certain parts of a plant early in their develop-
>>> ment (i.e. nip them in the bud:)
>>
>> I have always wondered what the matter is with moth-
>> er Nature that Her works should be imperfect. Or is
>> that Her concept of perfection is different from
>> that of the garden-tender?
>
> Humans have always tried to improve on nature.
>Consider the variety
> of breeds of dogs.
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