It’s Never Too Late To Be What You Might Have Been George Eliot? Adelaide Anne Procter? Apocryphal? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: My favorite quotation about untapped potential and enduring spirit is attributed to the prominent Victorian novelist George Eliot: It is never too late to be what you might have been. This popular saying has been printed on refrigerator magnets, posters, shirts, and key chains. Quote Investigator: George Eliot was the pen name of Mary Ann Evans who died in 1880. The earliest evidence of an exact match known to QI appeared in “Literary News: A Monthly Journal of Current Literature” in 1881. Prize Question No 31. In June 1881 the excerpts submitted by readers were printed in the periodical; however, they were not fully vetted for accuracy. We present herewith the selections made by our readers from the writings of George Eliot. Statement 21 was correct though truncated. A very interesting partial match for the saying appeared earlier in a poem in 1859. Devorgill. Her power is sometimes almost Shakespearian.
symboldictionary.net Theophilus of Adana Saint Theophilus the Penitent or Theophilus of Adana (died ca. 538) was an Orthodox cleric in the sixth century Church who is said to have made a deal with the devil to gain an ecclesiastical position. His story is significant as it is the oldest story of a pact with the Devil, and was an inspiration for the Faust legend. His feast day is 4 February. Eutyches, who claimed to be an eyewitness of the events, is the first to record Theophilus’ story. Legend Theophilus was the archdeacon of Adana, Cilicia which is part of modern Turkey. Years later, fearful for his soul, Theophilus repented and prayed to the Virgin for forgiveness. Variations Different retellings of Theophilus’ tale introduce variations of certain details, including: Theophilus’ motivation for pursuing a deal with the devil is simple jealousy.The magician is specifically referred to as a Jew. Possible sources for the legend Importance The Virgin Mary increased in theological importance throughout the 11th century. References
Perry Index The Perry Index is a widely used index of "Aesop's Fables" or "Aesopica", the fables credited to Aesop, the story-teller who lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 560 BC. Modern scholarship takes the view that Aesop probably did not compose all of the fables attributed to him;[1] indeed, a few are known to have first been used before Aesop lived, while the first record we have of many others is from well over a millennium after his time. Traditionally, Aesop's fables were arranged alphabetically, which is not helpful to the reader.[2] Perry and Rodriguez Adardos separated the Greek fables from the Latin ones, with the Greek ones first; then they arranged each group chronologically and by source; finally they arranged the fables alphabetically within these groups.[2] This system also does not help the casual reader, but is the best for scholarly purposes.[2] Ben Edwin Perry (1892–1968) was a professor of classics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 1924 to 1960.
Bodleian Library | Opie Collection of Children's Literature This site uses cookies to support some content and functions, and also Google Analytics. By using this site you agree to their use. Find out more and opt out » This site uses cookies to support some content and functions, and also Google Analytics. More » Home Bodleian Libraries Ask a librarianSite map Contact Go to desktop site Bodleian Library & Radcliffe Camera University of Oxford Menu Section menu 1 3 Share0 Home » Finding resources » Special Collections » Special Collections catalogues & finding aids » Opie Collection of Children's Literature Opie Collection of Children's Literature RThis page contains the finding aids currently in use for the Opie Collection. AA StoriesBB Books of InstructionDD Biography and HistoryEE Moveables [no index currently available]FF Natural ScienceGG Primers and AlphabetsHH Travel and GeographyJJ Periodicals and AnnualsKK Games and PastimesLL Religious InstructionPP Poetry and VerseQQ Keepsakes and Miscellanies; Almanacs and Birthday Books Back to top Address
The Word Detective Expressions & Sayings Index If you prefer to go directly to the meaning and origin of a specific expression, click on its relevant entry in the alphabetical list below. Use this alphabet to speed up your search: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Word Spy Flotsam and jetsam Meaning Ships' goods which are lost at sea. Also used figuratively in non-nautical contexts to means odds and ends, bits and pieces. Origin Flotsam and jetsam are rarely seen apart nowadays although the words, in a variety of spellings, have separate meanings and were frequently used independently in the 17th century. John Cowell, in his 1607 publication The interpreter: or booke containing the signification of words [what we would now prosaically call a dictionary] wrote of "Flotsen alias (Flotzam)". "[At a special brother-hood held at Sandwich: Decreed to give the Lord Warden of free gift and not otherwise the third part] of all wrecks and fyndalls floating and the half of all wrecks and fyndalls jottsome, viz. dryuen to the londe yshore." There's a simple mnemonic that helps distinguish flotsam from jetsam. Whenever flotsam and jetsam meet for a drink they always reminisce about the family's long-lost triplet - lagan. See also - phrases coined by Sir Walter Scott.
trope @ TheFreeDictionary.com The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. trope (trəʊp) n 1. 2. [C16: from Latin tropus figurative use of a word, from Greek tropos style, turn; related to trepein to turn] Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003 trope (troʊp) n. a. b. 2. [1525–35; < Latin tropus figure in rhetoric < Greek trópos turn, turn or figure of speech, akin to trépein to turn] -trope a combining form meaning “one turned toward” that specified by the initial element (heliotrope); also occurring in concrete nouns that correspond to abstract nouns ending in -tropy or -tropism: allotrope. Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. trope - A figurative or metaphorical use of a word or phrase. Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. Translations trope
Cupid and Psyche Psyche and Amor, also known as Psyche Receiving Cupid's First Kiss (1798), by François Gérard: a symbolic butterfly hovers over Psyche in a moment of innocence poised before sexual awakening.[1] Cupid and Psyche is a story from the Latin novel Metamorphoses, also known as The Golden Ass, written in the 2nd century AD by Apuleius. It concerns the overcoming of obstacles to the love between Psyche (/ˈsaɪkiː/, Greek: Ψυχή, "Soul" or "Breath of Life") and Cupid (Latin Cupido, "Desire") or Amor ("Love", Greek Eros), and their ultimate union in marriage. Although the only extended narrative from antiquity is that of Apuleius, Eros and Psyche appear in Greek art as early as the 4th century BC. The story's Neoplatonic elements and allusions to mystery religions accommodate multiple interpretations,[2] and it has been analyzed as an allegory and in light of folktale, Märchen or fairy tale, and myth.[3] In Apuleius[edit] The story[edit] Violation of trust[edit] Wanderings and trials[edit]