Category Archives: Proverbs

Motivation/American Dream Proverb

Informant Info

Race/Ethnicity: White

Age: 21

Occupation: College Student

Residence: Connecticut, USA

Date of Performance: February 13, 2025

Primary Language: English

Other Language(s): N/A

Relationship: Friend

Text: “The early bird gets the worm.” 

Context: This proverb was often shared by the informant’s parents throughout his childhood, particularly during his school years. Whenever the informant procrastinated on assignments, especially when the due date was approaching, his parents would remind him to stay ahead of his responsibilities with this saying. 

Analysis: This saying highlights the importance of getting ahead of things, working hard, and being disciplined. It taps into a major value in American culture, where the idea of the “American Dream” suggests that anyone can achieve success if they’re willing to put in the effort. The “early bird” idea is all about seizing opportunities and not waiting until the last minute, which speaks to the drive for success that’s so common in the U.S. The informant’s experience shows how this proverb wasn’t just some old piece of wisdom—it was a practical tool for getting things done, especially when it came to schoolwork. It reinforces the belief that taking initiative, being responsible, and staying ahead of your tasks can help you succeed, something that’s at the heart of how success is often viewed in Western culture.

Jack of all trades, master of none

Nationality: American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Language: English

Text: “Jack of all trades, master of none”

Informant: “‘Jack of all trades, master of none’ is a proverb that greatly resonates with me and my craft. I often find myself bouncing around from idea to idea, unable to hone in on one particular skill set. This proverb induces feelings of annoyance and stress as I navigate my field, looking for a route that satisfies me. In an industry of underpaid post-production workers, this proverb is especially worth contemplating, as much as I’d rather not.” 

Interpretation: The proverb “Jack of all trades, master of none” has been used as a warning against overstretching yourself rather than becoming an expert in just one area. The informant finds the statement to be stressful and frustrating, which is shown in the modern reality of creative industries where adaptability is frequently required but not always rewarding. Their story demonstrates the conflict between specialization and flexibility, particularly in a business like post-production in the film industry, where having several skills can be a source of both professional uncertainty and survival. The expression shifts from describing a straightforward reality to describing a continuous conflict in which the necessity to wear several hats and the pressure to succeed in one area collide.

Six of one half, dozen of the other – Proverb

Nationality: American
Age: 51
Occupation: Middle School Teacher
Residence: Park Ridge, Il
Language: English

The proverb comes in two types: The correct one and the one that had been twisted.

The correct proverb goes “six of one, half dozen of the other”, but MK frequently misspoke and said “six of one half, dozen of the other” enough to where it became its own proverb.

This proverb means something along the lines of “it’s all the same regardless,” meaning whichever direction or choice one makes, the results will be the same. However, MK so often misspoke when trying to say this proverb that her version, “six of one half, dozen of the other,” became its own proverb accidentally. This new proverb would then seemingly mean that the choices presented to the speaker are no longer equal, and there is a correct choice that will provide more value. Despite this, the proverb is still taken as its correct variation where both choices are equal when used in practice.

This proverb could have taken on a new meaning, but rather than becoming its own proverb to counter its original, it instead became an inside joke between MK and her husband, becoming used intentionally wrong to call back to the frequent accidental mistakes that made it its own version in the first place. Because of this, it is only really used between MK and her husband. What makes this version of the proverb stick then is the added meaning behind the shared joke that makes the proverb take on a new primary meaning of love and connection between the couple, as it is a proverb that only they can truly appreciate. MK said about this proverb but their family in general is that it is built off of ridicule, making these jabs a sign of love and respect between the family as a whole. The familial tradition of poking fun at one another gives it the staying power to stand as a new proverb despite its literal context losing logical sense as a proverb trying to say all choices are equal.

Make it a Great Day

Nationality: American
Occupation: Student, Construction Science
Residence: College Station, Texas
Language: English

Informant: “Every single day at school, our principal would do morning announcements before school started. We’d pray, say the pledge, and sometimes students would be on it, anywho, he would always end with ‘Make it a great day…’ then he would pause ‘or not, the choice is yours.’ He would always say that. We would always laugh about it and make fun of it, but it’s true: it really is your choice. Whether something goes good or bad, it’s how you choose to respond to it that determines the outcome. So, even though we would laugh at it, I can appreciate it now. Another one was “take the hit”. Man, if you think you’re gonna fail a test, don’t try and cheat and make up for the lack of effort; just take the hit. Basically, he’s saying it’s not worth it to try to get out of responsibilities. It’s also not good to get let off when you don’t put in the effort, and I think that point applies to college and work. I can’t go BS some numbers in my construction job. That could cost someone their life. I gotta do it right. So, taking the hit would be showing up late for me. But I would never do something half-minded and do a bad job.

Context:

The informant went to a Christian school where the principal would use this catchphrase at the end of the morning announcements. He and his friends often mocked the phrase and thought it was silly, but later in his life, he now sees the value in it and what the principal was trying to impart. The phrase “take the hit” was also repeated a lot at that school, especially when a teacher or the principal thought you were being suspicious and were likely to do something wrong, like cheat on an assignment, copy a friend’s homework, etc. They would often tell you this and then not do anything to stop you or punish you for whatever they thought you were going to do. Basically, giving you a chance to make the right choice.

Analysis:

I also went to this school, and I think it is pretty clear what the principal was trying to get us to consider. He wants us to be responsible people and understand that taking the easy way out eventually comes back to bite you. Additionally, he wants us to understand that it is completely within our power to control how we react to adversity. Something bad can happen to you, but that doesn’t mean it has to be a bad day. Of course, we would take this to the extreme with jokes like: Student 1: oh man, my dog died. Student 2: The choice is yours. However, as the informant points out, most of us understood that the message was good and have since sought to apply it to our lives, even if we mocked it back then.

There’s No Crying in Baseball

Nationality: American
Occupation: Real Estate Investment and Development
Residence: Rancho Santa Fe, California
Language: English

Informant: “It comes from the movie A League of Their Own, the professional girl’s baseball league, created in World War 2 because the major and minor leaguers went off to fight in the war. Starring Tom Hank as the manager, one of the girls on the team was crying, and he said ‘there’s no crying in baseball.’ ‘Playing baseball is hard. It’s the hard that makes it great. If it was easy, everyone would do it.’ She was crying because he yelled at her. That’s kind of the background. I used it because you guys were younger, and you’d get upset about something, so I’d say there’s no crying in baseball. What I meant by that is: ‘This isn’t worth being upset about. It’s over; its ok; you learn from your mistake, and life goes on.”

Context: I asked my father about this line that he used to say a lot when I was younger. He was coaching me at the time, and as young kids do, I would cry sometimes if I got hurt. As such, he would tell me this to calm me down and keep me in a positive mindset. As he mentioned, it is from a movie about an all-women baseball league, and the line is pretty funny in context, especially when you consider how baseball is a very traditional and male-dominated sport. Tom Hanks chews out a woman on his team who had just made an error, and she starts crying, to which he responds: “Are you crying? There’s no crying in baseball.” Ever since my dad first said that I have repeated the line without knowing where it came from, and I have also heard other coaches or older men who like baseball repeat this saying.

Analysis: I think this line reflects a great deal about both the culture and attitudes surrounding baseball. Baseball has a very traditional culture, and fans of the sport tend to place a lot of value on appearances. Whether that be displaying sportsmanship or refraining from celebrating too hard on a good hit, most of this culture revolves around traditionally masculine ideas like not displaying too much emotion. I believe this is the core reason behind my father’s adoption of the saying. He found it funny, but he also wanted to instill the values of baseball that he found important. You don’t talk trash, you don’t disrespect the umpire, and you definitely don’t cry. Additionally, he wanted me to be good at the game and mentally resilient. This phrase, in my dad’s mind, served as an attempt to reframe baseball, or whatever task is at hand, as a fun challenge. However, this use of the phrase differs from what it meant in the movie, where it was less light-hearted, in my opinion.