Why We Say: #2
Title page of Three Hundred Aesop’s Fables (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Continuing on with what could be an enlivening series of posts is #2: “Adding Insult to Injury”
History:
This expression is traced back to Aesop, the storyteller who attached morals onto his flash fiction parables.
Story:
Apparently a man who possessed hair deficit disorder swatted at a fly and in doing so missed the fly and smacked himself in the head. Not only did the fly get away (the insult), but the man got a lump on his noggin for his efforts (the injury).
Application:
Today, when someone says or does something that hurts another person, either verbally or physically, and then does something that furthers this problem, such as not apologizing for the initial incident, or creates another problem, that person is said to add insult to the injury.
My Thoughts:
Did it really matter that the guy in Aesop’s story was bald to begin with? Was that the insult–that not only did the guy have no hair, now he had a lump for everyone to see.
Related articles
- Free Aesop for Children app brings classic fables to iOS (reviews.cnet.com)
You are so right to point that out – and maybe if everyone could see the lump that would add shame to the insult that is added to the injury!
Good point–seeing the evidence is part of the lesson. Can’t make an object lesson work if there is nothing to see!
This is great– in depth analysis of Aesop’s fables. Sometimes, I just didn’t “get” some of the sayings.
My interpretation is not exactly in-depth, just a wild stab based off what was in the book. I don’t always get Aesop either.
You will be my summer reading, Cricketmuse. 🙂 I’m always learning things from you.