The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1891-08-19
wELL-KNowN SAYINGS.
The Origin OF Some Phrases That Have
Become Proverbial.

The Origin OF Some Phrases That Have
Become Proverbial.
1t will be found on examination that
most sayings may be traced back to o
literary origin, says the New York Sun.
What more common, popular maxim Is
there than that "Procrastination is the
thief of time2" Yet it is the first line
of that most deadly dull Of books,
Young's "Night Thoughts" Crowds of
people have been befooled in imagining
that "The Lord tempers the wind to the
shorn lamb" is biblical saying, yet 1t
is only as old as Sterne's Sentimental
Journey" Everybody knows about the
man whorcad Hamlet" at an advanced
age, and said he would have liked II IL
it had not been so full of "chestnuts. !"
The fact is that great part Of 1t has
become proverbial, and SO common
property. We no longer have to read
the play to imbibe lot Of its philoso-
ply, for il is floating in the air about US.
On the other hand, some sayings un-
doubtedly have a popular origin. A
splendid example of the evolution Of
one occurs in the old testament, In the
history Of Saul. When the future first
king Of Israel appeared among the
prophets the people were astonished.
He had been of rather frivolous dispo'
sition. Some man in the crowd ex-
claimed; 'Is Saul also among the proph-
cts?" The expression caught on, and 1t
has been familiar saying ever since.
We have among ourselvesa very good
example of the same sort in the express
sion: "A good enough Morgan till after
election"
A difficulty here meets us. How is 1t
that among eastern illiterate nations
proverbs OF the most perfect form and
literary finish are found? The same
state of affairs occurs in Spain.
The explanation lies in the fact that
in both cases the people are able to get
at literature vicariously. In Persia and
the east generally the professional
story-teller comes TO a village. In the
evening the inhabitants sit around the
tent and he tells them tales, many OF
them thousands of years old and full OF
the condensed wisdom of ages. In
Spain the muleteer who wanders about
the country fills exactly the same po-
sition and to the literature popularized
by him must be largely attributed the
richness of Spanish in proverbs.
Tony Weller was the proverb-spinner
of the PickwiclS crowd. He got his fac
ulty In the very same way that the
Spanish muleteer and the Persian story
teller got theirs. He met great many
people In his trips on the coach and
his sayings got sharpness and clearness
ofoutline with every fresh repetition.
No doubt many Of them were retailed
by countless spprecistive hearers.
In the same way, the Jarvey in the
south Of Ireland is by nature manu-
facturer OF proverbs. He Is part Of all
chat he has met, and as action and re-
action are equal and opposite, all that
he has met become part Of him.
When q proverb has gained sure
place in one language. and strikes some
observer Of a different race and civiliza'
tion, there lisa difficulty about transport
ing II bodily. II nit be eastern IL viii
have reference that will not, for in
stance, appeal TO westerns. What then
happens Is that II Is localized. It |;
treated In the very way that names
are altered In good story TO give 4
local color In this way an eastern
proverb about a camel becomes {
western one about horse, and 50 on.