The saying “act in haste, repent at leisure” is typically a warning that means “if you make a hasty decision, you’ll have plenty of time to mull over your mistake later.” It’s likely a variation of an older version, “Marry in haste, repent at leisure.” David Foster Wallace had a most apt use of the phrase in his novel Infinite Jest: “The shopworn ‘Act in Haste, Repent at Leisure’ would seem to have been custom-designed for the case of tattoos.” Be it a tattoo or a marriage, it’s wise to think about the consequences before you act. This is part of a complete episode.
More from this show
What makes a great first line of a book? How do the best authors put together an initial sentence that draws you in and makes you want to read more? We’re talking about the openings of such novels as George Orwell’s 1984...
To slip someone a mickey means to doctor a drink and give it to an unwitting recipient. The phrase goes back to Mickey Finn of the Lone Star Saloon in Chicago, who in the late 19th century was notorious for drugging certain customers and relieving...