reaction 4- haley weinger

“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” My own interpretation of this expression is that it refers to the fact that children are generally very similar to their parents. It seems as though this is primarily used to describe family relationships, in contexts that can be both positive and negative. It is a clear way to illustrate why parents and children have similarities. This expression is of Eastern origin and is used to describe the “continuity of family characteristics.” The expression was first used in Germany in the 16^th century and was then used by Ralph Waldo Emerson, a famous American philosopher in an English letter in 1839. However, Emerson’s use of the phrase was a bit different. He used it to describe “that tug that often brings us back to our childhood home.” More recent English texts have used the phrase in the context of its original interpretation. The phrase has also been used in Russian literature. (www.wiki.answers.com) It appears as though the phrase “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree has taken on more than one meaning, however, its use in recent years is similar to the initial meaning I referenced. The meaning most likely evolved from a reference to childhood to a more specific reference of a specific family member in order to evoke a more direct and unambiguous meaning. It appears as though the connotation to similarities among members of the same family is its most common use today.

 “The grass is greener on the other side.” My initial interpretation was that this meant that people always think the circumstances are better for other people, or that whatever situation they are in, the opposite is the better option. It often occurs in the context of two individuals in differing circumstances and how each one see’s the others position to be the more desirable one.  Somewhat surprisingly, it turns out that this proverb is actually one of the most common in the English language. The phrase is described as a metaphor for “discontent, envy and jealousy.” There has even been scientific articles written based on this expression. One scientist proved that “optical and perceptual laws alone will make the grass at a distance look greener to the human eye than grass perpendicular to the ground.” The earliest recorded reference of this proverb actually only dates back to 1957, however, a similar proverb, “hills are green far away” dates back to 1887 (http://www.deproverbio.com/). This official wording of this proverb is actually “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.” In terms of its vernacular use, it was probably shortened to “the grass is always greener on the other side” because as land was developed, objects such as fences might not have been as common, and therefore, the meaning would not necessarily hold the same connotation. Regardless of its form, the words used in this proverb (grass, fence, green) are very common to an individual’s everyday experiences while most likely aided in its widespread use. As used today, this proverb is used to say that “the things other people have or their situations always look better than your own,
 even when they are not really so.”  The last part of this statement is the key to this expression.

“There are plenty of fish in the sea.” This expression is often used in the context of an individual who’s relationship ends and they are having a difficult time coping with the need or desire to find a new partner. It implies that there are many people out there. Interestingly, this is actually considered a universal idiom, with equivalent metaphors in Russia, Polish, Greek, Spanish, and even China. This implies that the ideas behind this phrase surround a “universal human experience.  Examples of definitions include: “there are plenty of other people to date and many perhaps better,” “the world is full of opportunity,” “there are many men/women out there” (http://www.claritaslux.com/blog/plenty-of-fish/). It appears as though this is not just a universal expression, but an expression who’s use in a vernacular context has not changed much, if at all, over time. This most likely could be attributed to the fact that relationships, and dilemmas involving relationships have been around for as long as humans have.