Entertainment For Lively Minds
Useless proverbs
Posted by Brookster on 8 December 2011 - 12:05pm.
"Don't judge a book by its cover," says the old adage.
Cobblers to that. If we didn't, the publishing industry wouldn't put so much money and effort into designing them.
And can anyone name a decent paperback with a pink cover?
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If you judge the book by the cover,
then you judge the look by the lover.
So food for thought there.
Here's one with a Pink cover
http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/0349108390.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
A pink cover, you say?
This is a classic - eye-catching, stylish, and gives a good indication of what to expect inside. To be honest, it's the first edition hardback and I don't know if the paperback was the same design. But it's a beauty nonetheless.
Aren't some of them contradicted by other proverbs?
Such as
Many hands make light work
but
Too many cooks spoil the broth.
Hmmmmm
yes.
There's nothing as cold as charity,
but
Charity begins at home.
Look before you leap
He who hesitates is lost
Look after the pennies
and the pounds will look after themselves.
vs
Penny wise - pound foolish.
Don't judge a pork chop
by its wrapper.
Never take a chicken up a hill.
Oh, come on, guys, this is my first time on the speakytalky thing. I'm sooooo excited.
There are some
words that are just funny. Pork Chop is just funny. In fact it's funnier if said in a straight john cleese way. Try it!
Absence makes the heart grow fonder
I was told that 'distance lends enchantment to the view' is the opposite, but I'm fairly sure you can read it as a variation.
Proverbs
although dated, are far from useless. As far as songwriters are concerned they're one of the most fertile sources of inspiration.
Off the top of my head,
"The bitterest pill is hard to take" – The Jam
"These are the days it never rains but it pours" – Queen/David Bowie
Subverted proverbs include
"Time wounds all heels" – Nick Lowe
"Live and let Die" – Macca/Wings
Judging books by covers...
...I currently (not for long, though) work for an educational body who have budgets to buy books for primary schools. The past couple of days colleagues have, with a metaphorical cheque book to hand, been perusing booksellers/wholesalers sites and LITERALLY judging books by their covers. 'Oooh, lovely and bright - we'll have 15 of those'. The perceived quality (brightness) of sample illustrations also have an influence - but if the cover is 'yet to be designed' (as several of the 2012 wares seem to be) it won't get ordered.
Makes me glad I don't write children's books.
I think this quote
comes from the excellent film No Surrender (or it might have been Porridge):
"Don't judge a book by it's cover"
"I do, I can't read"
Wasn't the Porridge line as follows?
"I read a book once. It was green".
Yes
That was Heslop, Brian Glover's character.
But I was also thinking of Sam Kelly's character (Bunny Warren?) who was illiterate and to whom Fletcher had to read his wife's letters.
Pink covers
Wet Work by Christopher Buckley
Retromancer by Robert Rankin
Of course you may disagree that they are decent books
two from the movies
Stan Laurel: "You can lead a horse to water but a pencil must be lead".
Jon Vernon as Fletcher in The Outlaw Josey Wales: "Don't piss down my back and tell me its rainin".
Better a frog in the throat
than a toad in your hole.