In his book Was Wir Wissen1 (“what we know”), German author Benjamin von Stuckrad-Barre tried to find the everyday life contexts in which proverbs are used – and he used Google to do so. For example, he searched for “Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones” and then listed who was being referred to on the resulting web pages (like discussion boards, or news articles). Let’s follow the same approach for English proverbs here!
Who shouldn’t throw stones in a glass house?
· The plywood industries of
· People who say Michael is guilty
· Those who tell on people who don’t follow a site’s Terms of Service
·
· People who call Greeks liars
What conquers all?
· Love
· Labor and perseverance
· Courage
· Truth
· Humor
· Linux
What can’t a man live by alone?
· Bread
· Rice
· Incompetence
· Crimefighting
· Chocolate
· Bagels
·
What’s not everything?
· Money
· Winning the prize, or the tournament
· Wikipedia
· Salad
· Ecology
· Speed
· Base salary
· Technological superiority
What best things in life are free?
· Sun Java Studio
· Computers
· The
· Online Black Jack
· Business opportunities
· A smile
·
Who let the dogs out?
· 49ers
· Karl, Bob, and Paulie
· Rumsfeld
· FOX
· Karl Rove
· Nintendo
What is the new black?
· Lurid pink
· Keylogging
· Green Teat
· Fluffy
· Gray, or fuchsia, or red
· Caucasian
· UNPOP
· Benjamin
· Simplicity
· BeOSmodule
· Scrolling
· Blacker
· Polygamy
· Apathy
· Pacifism
· Downshifting
What shouldn’t you throw out with the bathwater?
· Musicians
· The crown
· The pervert
· The BabyCenter.com
· The leak
· The monitor
· The culture
· The dressed up chihuahua
· The concept of rural
· The artistic effort
· The Furbies
· The appraisal
· God
· SOAP
· Pearls
· The fluoride
