“Huwag kang mag-alala, it’s a blessing in the sky.”
Those consoling words came one day while I was moping about one case I lost. And, believe it or not, they were uttered by our former househelper, Pusit. That instant, I wanted to correct her: “Uh, I think you meant ‘blessing in disguise,’” but I didn’t dare attempt. I knew Pusit had a canned response: “Bayaan mo na, pareho din ‘yun. Magkatunog naman yung ‘in the sky’ tsaka ‘in disguise.’ “
Proverbs. Adages. Aphorisms. We hear them every now and then. People love to use them to make their language sound more colorful. But are we hearing – or saying — the right ones?
Here are a few of the often-used wise sayings that are worth revisiting:
No news is good news. (Not hearing any news signifies that nothing is wrong.)
Strike while the iron is hot. (When you have an opportunity to do something, do it before you lose your chance.)
You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. (You can give people the opportunity to do something, but you cannot force them to do it if they do not want to.)
If you lie down with dogs, you’ll get up with fleas. (If you become involved with bad company, there will be negative consequences.)
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. (When there is an indication or sign of something bad, usually the indication is correct.)
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. (It is better to accept or be content with what one has than to try to get more and risk losing everything.)
Better late than never. (It is better to do something late than to never do it at all.)
Children should be seen and not heard. (Children should be quiet.)
Just for fun, I gave the first 3 to 4 words of the each adage to my four school-aged kids, and asked them to complete the sentences. What I got were hilariously witty quips. Here they are in all their childlike naiveté:
No news is… true.
Strike while the… enemy is stunned.
You can lead a horse to water but… not on people who are lying down.
If you lie down with dogs, you’ll… wake up in the morning with dog drool.
Where there’s smoke, there’s… a smoker and cigarette vendor beside him… in other words, pollution.
A bird in the hand… can peck you.
Better late than… absent.
Better late than… face the principal.
Children should be seen and not… be given homework.
Now, if you are still moping over a bugging concern even after reading the kids’ wisecracks, just remember the Pusit-ism: “Huwag kang mag-alala, it’s a blessing in the sky.”
Quote for the week:
“He who laughs last
didn’t get it.”
– Helen Giangregorio
Those consoling words came one day while I was moping about one case I lost. And, believe it or not, they were uttered by our former househelper, Pusit. That instant, I wanted to correct her: “Uh, I think you meant ‘blessing in disguise,’” but I didn’t dare attempt. I knew Pusit had a canned response: “Bayaan mo na, pareho din ‘yun. Magkatunog naman yung ‘in the sky’ tsaka ‘in disguise.’ “
Proverbs. Adages. Aphorisms. We hear them every now and then. People love to use them to make their language sound more colorful. But are we hearing – or saying — the right ones?
Here are a few of the often-used wise sayings that are worth revisiting:
No news is good news. (Not hearing any news signifies that nothing is wrong.)
Strike while the iron is hot. (When you have an opportunity to do something, do it before you lose your chance.)
You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. (You can give people the opportunity to do something, but you cannot force them to do it if they do not want to.)
If you lie down with dogs, you’ll get up with fleas. (If you become involved with bad company, there will be negative consequences.)
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. (When there is an indication or sign of something bad, usually the indication is correct.)
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. (It is better to accept or be content with what one has than to try to get more and risk losing everything.)
Better late than never. (It is better to do something late than to never do it at all.)
Children should be seen and not heard. (Children should be quiet.)
Just for fun, I gave the first 3 to 4 words of the each adage to my four school-aged kids, and asked them to complete the sentences. What I got were hilariously witty quips. Here they are in all their childlike naiveté:
No news is… true.
Strike while the… enemy is stunned.
You can lead a horse to water but… not on people who are lying down.
If you lie down with dogs, you’ll… wake up in the morning with dog drool.
Where there’s smoke, there’s… a smoker and cigarette vendor beside him… in other words, pollution.
A bird in the hand… can peck you.
Better late than… absent.
Better late than… face the principal.
Children should be seen and not… be given homework.
Now, if you are still moping over a bugging concern even after reading the kids’ wisecracks, just remember the Pusit-ism: “Huwag kang mag-alala, it’s a blessing in the sky.”
Quote for the week:
“He who laughs last
didn’t get it.”
– Helen Giangregorio
