Sunday, April 29, 2007

A good horse never lacks a saddle

A good horse never lacks a saddle.

When there is a choice no one is going to pick a poor horse to go riding with, are they? Why give yourself unnecessary hassle?

This saying tells us that quality attracts success. An able person finds it easier to get a job. A good looking person is never short of dates. A good shop is never short of customers.

Present yourself well. Make sure that you have the best tools, education, clothes, car you can get and you won't go short of people who want to know you. Then, unlike the horse, you can be picky about who you want to associate with!

Sunday, April 22, 2007

All roads lead to Rome.

All roads lead to Rome.

This dates from the time of the Roman Empire when this would have been literally true of much of Europe. The Romans built great roads to move goods and troops with superb efficiency.

When the military might of Rome had passed away and been replaced with the power of the Roman Catholic Church this was used more metaphorically. In other words all true paths led to religious salvation. Whatever you were doing in life the true purpose was to get you to Heaven.

Perhaps today it could be understood as implying that all life has a common objective, whatever that might be.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

A good wife and health are a man's best wealth

A good wife and health are a man's best wealth.

The stress must be on the good part of this saying.

Finding a good match, that ideal partner is fundamental to domestic happiness. Most people rely on their instincts in choosing a mate but how much is natural attraction and how much rationalized from acquired attitudes. If you have the wrong attitudes and values you might be seeking the wrong kind of person. If you end up with a mismatch then your health could suffer from the stress and worry that the rows and disagreements create.

If you are lucky and find that perfect life companion your happiness and good sense will help to give the best chance for a long, happy and healthy existence.

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Sunday, April 08, 2007

Good luck come by cuffing

Good luck come by cuffing.

This saying seems to date to an era when spare the rod and spoil the child was common advice to parents.

The idea being that well brought up children who have been taught firm discipline are more likely to succeed, and therefore appear "lucky" to their less fortunate peers. Learning at the school of hard knocks is a similar idea.

You cannot cuff your children today but if you want them to grow up to expect good fortune then teaching them the importance of disciplined, regular hard work will increase their chances of success.

Sunday, April 01, 2007

A good head will get itself hats.

A good head will get itself hats.

Someone with a good head i.e. a competent, able person is likely to achieve success and wear the hat signifying their position.

Quite often, in many diverse human societies, rank or social importance has been indicated by the type of headgear a person wore. In the Britain of the Victorian era, lasting to around W.W.II when the fashion for men wearing hats died out, the managerial classes wore bowler hats and the workers a flat cap. The expression going cap in hand to the boss denotes this subservience.

In Native American tribes the war bonnet of eagle feathers showed someone who had demonstrated their courage and achievement in battle. A brave with a cool head in a crisis could get a feather in his cap.

The different ranks in organized armies often have different hats so that the soldiers know who to follow and salute. The ambitious person might aim to get himself promoted with the vision of putting on the coveted hat symbol. In the UK, paratroopers aspire to wear the red beret that shows they have achieved the honor of membership of the Parachute Regiment.

A Scottish Highland chieftain is entitled to have an eagle feather in his bonnet as an insignia of his position and the more important ones have two. The ultimate hat symbol of success is the monarch's crown.

Hats of course are also worn by ladies to enhance and project their femininity. There is an old saying to set one's cap at from the 18th century, when women wore fine, white linen or muslin caps that needed to be tied in place with ribbon. It meant trying to win a man's affections by setting a jaunty angle to their cap and showing off the crowning glory of their hair.

The Easter bonnet is worn by Christian churchgoers and is a colorful way of expressing the joy of the return of spring.

So, if you want to get ahead get a hat.