Watch what you wish for

A discussion of word histories and origins.
bnjtokyo

Watch what you wish for

Postby bnjtokyo » Thu Mar 01, 2007 3:39 am

Does anyone have an origin for this expression?

I thought it was from Aesop, but my Google search suggests it is not a particularly old phrase.

Thanks,

Bailey
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Postby Bailey » Thu Mar 01, 2007 11:36 am

I've always heard as Be Careful what you wish for.
But that lends nothing to the discussion.

mark wishing-like-a-mad-chimp Bailey
Last edited by Bailey on Fri Mar 02, 2007 10:17 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Perry
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Postby Perry » Thu Mar 01, 2007 11:44 am

According to this chap, Iit is an opening quote from the Monkey's Paw, which is a classic horror story apparently written by W.W. Jacobs,, first appearing in Harpers Monthly in 1902. The author attributed the saying to Anonymous.
"Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once. Lately it hasn't been working."
Anonymous


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