Microbes Maketh Man, and vice versa

[David A. Daniel]

Except that the article is about how we are made up of trillions of bacteria
and that humans are not really one being but sort of a package of trillions
of little tiny beings all working together in a big happy community. Also,
the Wykeham fellow - he of the original Manners Maketh Man - seems to have
been pretty taken by the idea that politeness is what keeps society
together, so the original at least is seemingly meant to be read forward and
not backward, though some writers say it applies both ways.
DAD


Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
Subject:      Re: Microbes Maketh Man, and vice versa
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One commentator suggested that the headline should be understood as
object - verb - subject, so that the verb is really a correct
singular: "Man Maketh Microbes".  An absurd notion about English word
order, I think.  But to see that both are true -- microbes make man
and man makes microbes -- one might read Theodor Rosebury's "Life on
Man".  (Microscopic) things one doesn't really want to be introduced to.

Joel

At 8/20/2012 11:43 AM, Laurence Horn wrote:
>On Aug 20, 2012, at 6:21 AM, David A. Daniel wrote:
>
> > But wait. The Economist got it right and O'Hare got it wrong. They were
> > playing with the Manners Maketh Man motto. Or am I missing something?
> > DAD
>
>Yes, that comes up in the comments, which are actually somewhat
informative.
>
>LH
> >
> >
> > Poster:       Victor Steinbok <aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM>
> > Subject:      Mike O'Hare, Language Cop
> >
>
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> >
> >
>
http://www.samefacts.com/2012/08/language-and-usage/language-police-blotter/
> >
> > Oy! Just confirms my personal disdain for the Economist.
> >
> >     VS-)
> >

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