new proverb

[Jonathan Lighter]

The "proverb" doesn't say anything about "far from water," which would still
have fit on the marquee if substituted for "on dry land."

I still pick number one, because boats are usually built on dry land, mostly
in factories or shipyards - if you think of ships as boats.

The super-subtle ironic interpretation (not common to church marquees)
could mean, "Going against the flow is the intelligent and practical thing
to do, even if it might not seem obvious to one who's never done it."

But since Noah went with, not against, God's flow, the whole idea might be
just a confused jumble from the beginning - especially if the originator
didn't know squat about building boats.

It may catch on - particularly if no one really understands it.

JL

On Mon, Mar 21, 2011 at 3:16 PM, Baker, John <JMB at stradley.com> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Baker, John" <JMB at STRADLEY.COM>
> Subject:      Re: new proverb
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>        Clearly not number one - church marquees always support going
> against the flow.  Google reveals that it's a reference to Noah, who
> built a boat on dry land far from the water.  Actually, the Bible does
> not indicate where Noah built the Ark, but presumably it wouldn't have
> been too close to the water's edge, since it wasn't to be used until the
> Flood.  Although it's not clear to me exactly how going against the flow
> is like building a boat on dry land far from the water, it's probably an
> advertisement for a sermon in which this would be explained.
>
>
> John Baker
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
> Of Jonathan Lighter
> Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2011 5:49 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: new proverb
>
> On a marquee outside a local church:
>
> "Going Against the Flow is like Building a Boat on Dry Land."
>
> Somebody knows less than squat about boat-building. Or else is
> a black-belt in proverb irony.
>
> I pick number one.
>
> JL
>
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