Noses
Stretch up, pretend to be tall, you will fall off your shoes.
Take giant steps, you will tire before you get anywhere.
Brag about your serenity and happiness, to show you are blind and lost.
Boast about how good you are, and everyone will look for evidence that you are not.
When it's all talk, you will have nothing made to hold in your hands.
When it's all for show, it will blow away like dust, like smoke.
To follow the way to life, drop all pretense.
Expecting praise and happiness is the surest way to miss both.
So, avoid them.
-Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, 1963, p 139.
The origin of the nose is not clear. That a college is built on a brewery site is not surprizing. My granny was born in 1890, which is my personal historic touchstone. Living memory.
Yes, I've picked up the tao again. These things take the time they take. Like waiting for the bus.
*That should be a long 'a' and 'o', but I can't figure out how to make the proper mark.
Take giant steps, you will tire before you get anywhere.
Brag about your serenity and happiness, to show you are blind and lost.
Boast about how good you are, and everyone will look for evidence that you are not.
When it's all talk, you will have nothing made to hold in your hands.
When it's all for show, it will blow away like dust, like smoke.
To follow the way to life, drop all pretense.
Expecting praise and happiness is the surest way to miss both.
So, avoid them.
Brasenose College (braz' noz)* (Oxford). Over the gate is a brass nose, the arms of the college; but the word is a corruption of the brasehuis, a brasserie or brewhouse, the college having been built on the site of an ancient brewery. For over 550 years the original nose was at Stamford, for in the time of Edward III the students, in search of religious liberty, migrated thither, taking the brazen nose with them. They were soon recalled, but the nose remained on their Stamford gateway till 1890 when, the property coming into the market, it was acquired by the College.
-Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, 1963, p 139.
The origin of the nose is not clear. That a college is built on a brewery site is not surprizing. My granny was born in 1890, which is my personal historic touchstone. Living memory.
Yes, I've picked up the tao again. These things take the time they take. Like waiting for the bus.
*That should be a long 'a' and 'o', but I can't figure out how to make the proper mark.
Posted by Zhoen on Wednesday, August 10, 2011
10 comments:
wonder where "follow your nose" came from?, meaning trust your intuition
gz,
I suspect from hunting dogs, on the scent.
When will you have time for a tour of Oxford? Let me know, won't you?
I am trying to find the connection between the Tao and the Noses.
"The origin of the nose is not clear."
Mine grew out of my face.
RR,
Definitely.
RtheS,
If you find one, let me know. I was looking up Brag in Brewer's, and came across this entry.
Pacian,
Do you have a brass nose? Must sound lovely when you blow it...
All talk and all show: nothing there.
No talk, no show: no one there.
Quiet talk, subtle show: this is how.
nice one
Enjoyed both these nuggets.
Wanted to thank you for the reassuring advice about the cortisone shot. Though the doc warned him to take it easy for a week and very easy for two days, Tom was a bit miserable about the pain and soreness after, so your comment was very timely and well received.
Lucy,
Glad to be of service. I had one long ago, and the next couple of days were rather alarmingly worse. After that, though, it got so much better.
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