Are we a proverb culture anymore? In a largely urban society, we’re not likely to immediately recognize the meaning of the saying between hay and grass, meaning “weak” or “feeble.” This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Culture of Proverbs”
If you want to feel very left out of culture, go read books of old proverbs.
And there’s this whole world of agriculture that we don’t live in anymore.
And all the proverbs that go with it.
One that I came across recently, which I kind of love. It’s to say somebody is between hay and grass, and you’re suggesting that they’re weak or feeble.
Between hay and grass?
Yeah, because hay and grass, they bend easily.
They’re easily stomped on, broken, knocked down, that sort of thing.
Easy to cut, easy to manage.
So they stand up straight, but with the slightest bit of opposition, they fall down or bend.
Oh, between hay and grass.
If he’s between hay and grass, it means he’s easily beaten or subdued.
Huh.
Interesting.
And it’s an old one.
It goes back to 1700s.
Oh, good grief.
Yeah, well, yeah, I would have had no idea.
Are we a proverb culture anymore?
Do English speakers really fall back on any but the most common of proverbs?
You know, that’s a good question.
I mean, all I can think of when you say that is it’s always something.
I think modern proverbs.
Maybe we’ve just replaced them with catchphrases that we get from popular culture.
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