More from Chrysti M. Smith
Until the Fat Lady Sings
(00:02:03)
From: Chrysti M. Smith
The expression "the opera ain't over until the fat lady sings" gained national attention in 1978.
Leotard
(00:02:02)
From: Chrysti M. Smith
Jules Leotard is the eponym of the costume worn by dancers, gymnasts and acrobats.
The Full Monty
(00:02:03)
From: Chrysti M. Smith
The Full Monty means "the entire amount, the whole enchilada." Why?
Dressed to the Nines
(00:02:02)
From: Chrysti M. Smith
"Dressed to the nines," like so many English idioms, is a mysterious expression.
Amazon
(00:02:03)
From: Chrysti M. Smith
Who were the original Amazons, and why do they share a name with the South American river and the bookselling giant amazon.com?
Rule of Thumb
(00:02:03)
From: Chrysti M. Smith
The genesis of the phrase "rule of thumb" is uncertain.
Good Samaritan
(00:02:03)
From: Chrysti M. Smith
The story behind the coinage of the common expression "good Samaritan."
Related Pieces
Piece Description
In this "Chrysti the Wordsmith": we outline the history of the expression "the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry" (from a poem by Robert Burns). "Chrysti the Wordsmith" two-minute modules are produced at KGLT Montana State University- Bozeman, and broadcast in Montana and Wyoming on Yellowstone Public Radio and Montana Public Radio, and internationally on the Armed Forces Radio and TV Network.
Broadcast History
"Chrysti the Wordsmith," a two-minute module on the origins and histories of words and phrases, was initiated in 1989 at KGLT-FM, Bozeman, MT by host Chrysti M. Smith and engineer Barrett Golding in. It's currently carried on the producer station as well as Yellowstone Public Radio, Billings MT; Montana Public Radio in Missoula; and Armed Forces Radio and TV Network.
Transcript
The Best Laid Plans
When our most carefully fashioned strategies are ruined by unforeseen events, a familiar response is to repeat the philosphical cliché “well, the best laid plans of mice and men…”
This expression of resignation is another common saying extracted from the canon of English poetry. The Scots bard Robert Burns penned the verses that inspired this phrase in the late 1700s.
Robert Burns, sometimes called the “Ploughman Poet,” was born to a farm family in 1759. With an early talent for writing, Burns began composing verses celebrating Scottish country life and romance while he was still a teen-ager. One windy autumn day, while Burns and his brother were plowing a piece of land, Robert spied a field mouse scurrying from a freshly turned furrow.
The small incident inspired him to compose To A Mouse, On Turning Up Her Nest with the Plough, November, 1785. In th...
Read the full transcript
Musical Works
Intro/Outro music
"Pencils--Family Suite"
Stuart Weber
Hired Man's Dream
Bridger Records
1992
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