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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 he who laughs first #114228 10/22/03 11:00 PM Joined: Apr 2003 Posts: 19 G guest OP stranger OP guest stranger G 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 =) Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: he who laughs first #114229 10/23/03 12:47 AM Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 477 Sydney, Australia H hev addict hev addict H Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 477 Sydney, Australia 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.") Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: he who laughs first #114230 10/23/03 01:47 AM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Jakarta B Bingley Carpal Tunnel Bingley Carpal Tunnel B Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Jakarta I've always heard/read it as "He who laughs last, laughs longest." Bingley Bingley Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: he who laughs first #114231 10/23/03 01:50 AM Joined: Sep 2000 Posts: 2,891 B belMarduk Carpal Tunnel belMarduk Carpal Tunnel B Joined: Sep 2000 Posts: 2,891 Yup, are you sure about that laughs first part? I've only ever heard the laughs last version. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: he who laughs first #114232 10/23/03 02:08 AM Joined: Oct 2000 Posts: 5,400 rego park of troy Carpal Tunnel of troy Carpal Tunnel Joined: Oct 2000 Posts: 5,400 rego park 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!) my other obsession Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: he who laughs first #114233 10/23/03 02:23 AM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Jakarta B Bingley Carpal Tunnel Bingley Carpal Tunnel B Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Jakarta 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 Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: he who laughs first #114234 10/23/03 04:44 AM Joined: Sep 2000 Posts: 2,788 Seattle, Washington, USA Father Steve Carpal Tunnel Father Steve Carpal Tunnel Joined: Sep 2000 Posts: 2,788 Seattle, Washington, USA "He who laughs last, laughs best." ~The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. 2002. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: he who laughs first #114235 10/23/03 06:13 AM Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 3,230 Te Ika a Maui sjmaxq Carpal Tunnel sjmaxq Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 3,230 Te Ika a Maui Up here, it's normally, "he who laughs last, laughs longest." noho ora mai http://maxqnzs.com/References.html Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: he who laughs first #114236 10/23/03 02:28 PM Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 475 manchester uk D dodyskin addict dodyskin addict D Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 475 manchester uk 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 adage noun [C] a wise saying; proverb: (from Latin i fink, means saying) proverb noun 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. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: googlesults #114237 10/23/03 03:03 PM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Ya left out "he who laughs last, laughs best" 1230 Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. 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