| General Fiction posted November 17, 2021 | Chapters: |
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An idiom
A chapter in the book Idioms Explained
The Cup and The Lip
by damommy
This is an idiom my grandmother used, and I do, too.
“There many a slip twixt a cup and the lip.” This means a lot of things can happen before you reach your goal. It’s a warning to be prepared for the unexpected.
We’ve passed this down through the family, and I hope it keeps going through future generations.
Another one we use is, “Needs must when the devil drives.” I found a bit of information about that.
The expression is one of the older proverbs in the language, somewhat predating the U.S., so it must be British. Shakespeare used it in All’s Well that Ends Well: “My poor body, madam, requires it: I am driven on by the flesh; and he must needs go that the devil drives”. However, it is actually older — the earliest I can find is in John Lydgate’s Assembly of Gods, written about 1420: “He must nedys go that the deuell dryves”.
It isn’t easily understood, but it boils down to sometimes there is not choice and one is compelled to whatever it takes, even when you’d rather not.
So many idioms to choose from, but these are two of my favorites.
This is an idiom my grandmother used, and I do, too.
“There many a slip twixt a cup and the lip.” This means a lot of things can happen before you reach your goal. It’s a warning to be prepared for the unexpected.
We’ve passed this down through the family, and I hope it keeps going through future generations.
Another one we use is, “Needs must when the devil drives.” I found a bit of information about that.
The expression is one of the older proverbs in the language, somewhat predating the U.S., so it must be British. Shakespeare used it in All’s Well that Ends Well: “My poor body, madam, requires it: I am driven on by the flesh; and he must needs go that the devil drives”. However, it is actually older — the earliest I can find is in John Lydgate’s Assembly of Gods, written about 1420: “He must nedys go that the deuell dryves”.
It isn’t easily understood, but it boils down to sometimes there is not choice and one is compelled to whatever it takes, even when you’d rather not.
So many idioms to choose from, but these are two of my favorites.
What a great idea for a book, Helen. Thanks for letting us share in it.
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