[Ads-l] "Ants on a log" -- Request from a freelance writer

[Barretts Mail]

Perhaps related, Plato says this in “Phaedo” 

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0170%3Atext%3DPhaedo%3Asection%3D109a <http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0170:text=Phaedo:section=109a>

****
“Secondly,” said he, “I believe that the earth is very large and that we who dwell between the pillars of Hercules and the river Phasis live in a small part of it about the sea, like ants or frogs about a pond, and that many other people live in many other such regions.
####
####

Benjamin Barrett (he/his/him)
Formerly of Seattle, WA

> On 21 Jul 2019, at 10:59, Barretts Mail <mail.barretts at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Mohammed and His Successors
> Washington Irving (1849 as per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Irving <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Irving>)
> http://trisagionseraph.tripod.com/Texts/Irving6.html <http://trisagionseraph.tripod.com/Texts/Irving6.html>
> Called “Mahomet and His Successors” at https://archive.org/details/mahomethissucces09irvi/page/n6 <https://archive.org/details/mahomethissucces09irvi/page/n6>
> 
> ****
> The feelings of the Arab conquerors had widely changed in regard to naval expeditions. When Amru, the conqueror of Egypt, was at Alexandria, the Caliph Omar required of him a description of the Mediterranean. “It is a great pool,” replied Amru, “which some foolhardy people furrow; looking like ants on logs of wood.” The answer was enough for Omar, who was always apprehensive that the Moslems would endanger their conquests by rashly-extended enterprises.
> ####
> ####
> 
> Benjamin Barrett (he/his/him)
> Formerly of Seattle, WA
> 
>> On 21 Jul 2019, at 10:02, Cohen, Gerald Leonard <gcohen at MST.EDU <mailto:gcohen at MST.EDU>> wrote:
>> 
>> Dear ads-l members,
>> 
>> 
>> I've received the request below concerning "ants on a log" (a type of food
>> 
>> I had never heard of before); the request led to an initial response from
>> 
>> Barry Popik on his invaluable website barrypopik.com <http://barrypopik.com/>
>> 
>> (https://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/ants_on_a_log_floating/ <https://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/ants_on_a_log_floating/>
>> 
>> The writer's email to me appears below my signoff.  Can anyone help her
>> 
>> with any additional information?  Her article promises to be an interesting one.
>> 
>> 
>> Gerald Cohen
>> 
>> Missouri University of Science & Technology
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> From: Mara Weinraub <mara.weinraub at gmail.com <mailto:mara.weinraub at gmail.com><mailto:mara.weinraub at gmail.com <mailto:mara.weinraub at gmail.com>>>
>> Sent: Friday, July 19, 2019 3:45 PM
>> To: Cohen, Gerald Leonard
>> Subject: Media Inquiry: Ants on a log origin
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> <snip>
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Barry Popik recommended I reach out to you. I'm researching an article
>> 
>> on the origin of the "ants on a log" for an article in Food52.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> From my research the "ants on a log" (the snack) first appeared in print
>> 
>> around 1959. But I'm interested in learning about the origin of the phrase
>> 
>> beyond food. I spoke with researcher at Cornell and he said the phrase
>> 
>> seems to have currency in America as a way of describing a group of people
>> 
>> undergoing change while having the illusion of being in control. "I've seen
>> 
>> one article attribute the phrase to Mark Twain, but it seems more likely to
>> 
>> have been a common simile."
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> If you have any insight or leads, I'd very much appreciate it.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Thank you for your time and consideration,
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Mara Weinraub
>> 
>> Freelance Writer
>> 
>> --
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org <http://www.americandialect.org/>
> 


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