|
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 19
stranger
|
OP
stranger
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 19 |
i'm curious about the "he who laughs first" adage*... (1) any ideas of its origin? (2) what is the actual quote... i've seen it as (a) he who laughs first laughs last (b) he who laughs first laughs best (c) he who laughs first cries at the last ?? (3) what is its point? *as an aside, and please don't let this divert the scholars from addressing my original question, but i'm curious as to the distinctions between [among? ] maxims, adages, proverbs and aphorisms... TIA =)
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 477
addict
|
addict
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 477 |
Hello guest,
I've only heard it as "He who laughs last, laughs loudest". I don't know what the guy who laughs first does. (Although I have also heard "He who laughs first didn't really understand the situation.")
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065 |
I've always heard/read it as "He who laughs last, laughs longest."
Bingley
Bingley
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891 |
Yup, are you sure about that laughs first part? I've only ever heard the laughs last version.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400 |
he who laughs last, is the slowest person to get the joke...
or more conventionally, he who laughs last, laughs best.. (i think its to do with pranks and practical jokes.. the person who get the last joke in gets the best laugh. but the just MHO!)
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065 |
I've always understood it as meaning, wait till the final result before you start crowing because the underdog can always make a comeback
Bingley
Bingley
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788 |
"He who laughs last, laughs best."
~The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. 2002.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230 |
Up here, it's normally, "he who laughs last, laughs longest."
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 475
addict
|
addict
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 475 |
I always thought it was, 'he who laughs last, laughs loudest' but my SO insists it is definitely, 'he who laughs last, laughs loudest'. As to it's meaning, I'm with Bingley. **incidentally** here's http://www.calvin.edu/~lhaarsma/maxims.html a muted chuckle. those googlesults in full he who laughs last, laughs loudest 231 he who laughs last, laughs longest 303 he who laughs first, laughs loudest 0 he who laughs first, laughs longest 0 he who laughs first laughs last 78 he who laughs first laughs best 1 he who laughs first cries at the last 0 from Cambridge Int. maxim noun [C] a brief statement of a general truth, principle or rule for behaviour adagenoun [C] a wise saying; proverb: (from Latin i fink, means saying) proverbnoun a short pithy saying in frequent and widespread use expressing a basic truth or practical concept. aphorism noun [C] a short clever saying which is intended to express a general truth. so, not much difference really. a maxim is more like a rule. proverb and adage really are the same thing. an aphorism seems to me to be more likely to be a direct quote, and doesn't have to be in widespread use.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
Ya left out "he who laughs last, laughs best" 1230
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661 |
He who told the joke laughed first.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
Ho who laughs first, laughs worst.
Well, hey! At least it rhymes!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 475
addict
|
addict
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 475 |
Ya left out "he who laughs last, laughs bestgoddammit
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511 |
I always thought it was, 'he who laughs last, laughs loudest' but my SO insists it is definitely, 'he who laughs last, laughs loudest'.I don't see any disagreement there, dody! Meanwhile, guest, shall the first be the last?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 475
addict
|
addict
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 475 |
aaaaarrrrrghh, what is wrong with me today? i'm putting it all down to the cold freezing my brain up ( heating has packed up again),on the other hand it's a poor workman who blames his tools, how many permutations d'you reckon that one has?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230 |
Well, I see that the preferred version up here has a slight lead, even if it's a statitistically insignifcant one.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
max, I see you're mantling "he who laughs last, laughs best" as well.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230 |
>max, I see you're mantling "he who laughs last, laughs best" as well.
Non capisco. I was only going off dody's list, is all. Sorry.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661 |
He who laughs last laughs' last. (the order of the laugh implies an enduring quality)
G*d forbid I may have put the apostrophe in the wrong spot... [ducking and running for cover-e]
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
Or, to put it more succinctly:
He who laughs, lasts.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 104
member
|
member
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 104 |
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. 2002. "He who laughs last, laughs best"
Which means: "You may laugh now, thinking you have won, but you may not prevail in the end." 1
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 555
addict
|
addict
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 555 |
So, - he who laughs first, laughs least?
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,328
Members9,182
|
Most Online3,341 Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
0 members (),
783
guests, and
0
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|