#114228 - 10/22/03 07:00 PM
he who laughs first
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stranger
Registered: 04/04/03
Posts: 19
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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 =)
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#114229 - 10/22/03 08:47 PM
Re: he who laughs first
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addict
Registered: 01/28/02
Posts: 477
Loc: Sydney, Australia
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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.")
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#114230 - 10/22/03 09:47 PM
Re: he who laughs first
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 04/09/00
Posts: 3065
Loc: Jakarta
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I've always heard/read it as "He who laughs last, laughs longest."
Bingley
_________________________
Bingley
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#114231 - 10/22/03 09:50 PM
Re: he who laughs first
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 09/28/00
Posts: 2888
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Yup, are you sure about that laughs first part? I've only ever heard the laughs last version.
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#114233 - 10/22/03 10:23 PM
Re: he who laughs first
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 04/09/00
Posts: 3065
Loc: Jakarta
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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
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#114236 - 10/23/03 10:28 AM
Re: he who laughs first
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addict
Registered: 04/24/02
Posts: 475
Loc: manchester uk
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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.
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#114238 - 10/23/03 11:13 AM
Ya left out "he who laughs last, laughs best" 1230
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 04/03/00
Posts: 10463
Loc: this too shall pass
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#114242 - 10/23/03 02:05 PM
Re: he who laughs first
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 03/15/00
Posts: 6511
Loc: lower upstate New York
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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?
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#114243 - 10/23/03 03:46 PM
Re: he who laughs first
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addict
Registered: 04/24/02
Posts: 475
Loc: manchester uk
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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?
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#114249 - 10/24/03 04:40 PM
Re: he who laughs first
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member
Registered: 10/18/01
Posts: 104
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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
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#114250 - 10/24/03 05:35 PM
Re: he who laughs first
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addict
Registered: 12/03/02
Posts: 555
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So, - he who laughs first, laughs least?
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