Notable use:
This proverb was used in the movie The Help. It is in the scene where Charlotte (Allison Janney) is giving bedroom advice to Skeeter (Emma Stone).
16, POTD, Proverb of the Day,
Ricky Nelson performing this 1963 bossa nova-rock song based on this traditional proverb:
Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear)
written in 1940 by Johnny Mercer (lyrics) and Rube Bloom (music)
This song has been performed by a wide range of notable artists including Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Etta James, and Bow Wow Wow.
16, POTD, Proverb of the Day,
“Early bird catches the worm,” marks the pivotal
moment leading to the saving of 200,000 lives
in the true story of John Rabe.
Notable Use:
Expressed in the movie Vanity Fair.
16, POTD, Proverb of the Day,
The movie, Sin City, opens with an unexpected twist to this old adage:
16, POTD, Proverb of the Day,
The Rolling Stones introduce Howlin' Wolf performing 'How Many More Years':
16, POTD, Proverb of the Day,
Alternate versions:
Success breeds success.
Nothing breeds success better than success.
"Nothing succeeds like excess." ~ Oscar Wilde's popular variation
Notable Mention:
A variation of this proverb is used in the third season premier of Downton Abbey (S03,E01).
Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, repeats a quote from Oscar Wilde, "Nothing succeeds like excess." The Wilde quote is a humorous adaptation of the old English proverb.
16, POTD, Proverb of the Day,
16, POTD, Proverb of the Day,
Although this proverb has been handed down for centuries, it is immortalized by the comical variation delivered by Woody Allen: "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans."
Photo by Colin Swan (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cswan/87743769/)
[CC-BY-SA-2.0],
via Wikimedia Commons
16, POTD, Proverb of the Day,
16, POTD, Proverb of the Day,
Made famous by the poet John Donne, his words have been repeated for centuries. Joan Baez reads the immortal poem from Meditation 17 - Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions:
This well-known assessment of the individual's need for community has been portrayed through literature, film and music.
A 1962 film of the same name is the true story of George Tweed, an American Navy radioman stranded on Japanese-occupied Guam during WWII. It portrays just how dependent one is on his connection to others to survive and maintain a sense of normalicy.
Another film portraying the cruelty of an individual's isolation is Tom Hank's 'Cast Away.' Humans are a social creature and this scene shows the extent one goes through to overcome the sense of loneliness and despair that comes from extended isolation.
16, POTD, Proverb of the Day,
In the movie, Larry Crowne, Julia Roberts' character, intoxicated, mistakenly says, "When you assume, you make a pair of asses out of you and I . . . or something like that."
16, POTD, Proverb of the Day,
Also in the film, Al Pacino explains to Diane Keaton that "my father made him an offer he couldn't refuse," regarding a prior incident.
In both cases, the "offer" was the threat of death. Today, the words are commonly associated with business and negotiation tactics. As the words are used today, the "offer" is meant to provide an irresistable winning opportunity, or to suffer unfavorable consequences that are far less dramatic than what is portrayed.
Other famous lines from the movie:
A man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man. ~ Don Corleone to Johnny FontaneDon't ever tell anyone outside of the family what you are thinking again. ~ Don Corleone to Sonny
Fredo, you're my older brother and I love you. But don't ever take sides against the family again, ever. ~ Michael to Fredo
I spend my life trying not to be careless. Women and children can be careless, but not men. ~ Don Corleone to Michael
It's not personal. It is strictly business. ~ Michael Corleone
16q, QOTD,
Title inspiration for one of the few ballards written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards (with a strong contribution by Mick Taylor). The Rolling Stones from It's Only Rock and Roll, 1974:
"Time can tear down a building or destroy a woman's face
Hours are like diamonds, don't let them waste
"Drink in your summer, gather your corn
The dreams of the night time will have vanished by dawn
"And time waits for no one, and it won't wait for me
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Read Lyrics:
All through civilized history, there have been populations of poverty stricken people who have resorted to begging as a means of survival. During the Great Depression, America faced the highest percentage of unemployed citizens in US history. They became part of the 'nameless masses' that lived on the streets, stood in the soup lines, and begged for spare change. Their plight was humanized slightly by a song made popular by Bing Cosby and Rudy Vallee. Written by "Yip" Harburg and Jay Gorney, 'Brother Can You Spare a Dime?' (aka 'Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime?') is still a popular expression today.
16q, QOTD,
A variation of this popular proverb was used in the
Game of Thrones (S02, E03) 4/15/12
"A very small man can cast a very large shadow."
More English Proverbs
To see more Illustrated Proverbs click here. 16, POTD, Proverb of the Day,
This common request to know what someone is thinking takes a strange twist in the 1950's TV classic, The Twilight Zone:
Willie Nelson singing this beautiful ballad with the same title:
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