Proverbial Parachutes (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Laurence Horn]

At 9:52 AM -0500 6/18/10, Mullins, Bill AMRDEC wrote:
>Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
>Caveats: NONE
>
>Dance with the girl what brung you.

Not quite the same, since that one implies sticking with what works
whether out of loyalty or a desire for security (even when a possibly
more attractive but potentially risky option is available), while
playing the hand you're dealt implies being forced to go (or make do)
with the only option you have.  A subtle difference, but I think a
real one.

For those who follow basketball, last night in the Boston Celtics'
losing effort in the championship game against the Lakers, their
coach Doc Rivers had to *play the hand he was dealt* (thus having to
eschew the services of his injured starting center Kendrick Perkins)
but he also chose to *dance with the girl what brung him* (thus
leaving his tiring starters on the court to play too many minutes
rather than risk calling on his bench players).

LH

>  > >
>>  >Sorry, spoke too soon. Rumsfeld himself was snowcloning, since there
>>  >are earlier examples of the template, going back to the poker
>>  >expression "You play the hand you're dealt, not the one you wish you
>>  >had." Google Books has an example from a 1992 congressional hearing
>  > >("But we have a saying in poker that you have got to play the hand
>  > >that is dealt you, not the one that you wish you had") with some
>>  >earlier variations on the "play the hand you're dealt" theme.
>>  >
>>  Not as resonant to my ear as the versions with repetition.  Here are
>>  3 that I just googled up, all from military/political/ideological
>>  contexts rather than actual references to poker:
>>
>>  you have to make do with the hand you're dealt, not the hand you wish
>>  you were dealt.
>>
>>  You take the hand you're dealt, not the hand you wish you were dealt.
>>
>>  But I do know you have to play cards with the hand you are dealt, not
>>  with the hand you wish you were dealt.
>>
>>  LH
>>
>>  ------------------------------------------------------------
>>  The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
>Caveats: NONE
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org