Tuesday, October 13, 2009

'It is nought good a slepyng hound to wake.

When I step out of bed in the AM, I make it up before I leave the room. Today I threw the pillow in one of the DOG chairs that they sleep in. Later, I missed Baby and this is where I found her, then Jake had to have his turn.
I thought, ok, let sleeping dogs lie! then I wondered what google would say about that phrase I have heard all my life.
Per Googleese........

"Let sleeping dogs lie -- To let a matter or person which at the present is at rest stay at rest, rather than to create a disturbance by bringing the matter up again or arousing the person. (in this case person = dogs)


Chaucer wrote this in just the reverse form --
'It is nought good a slepyng hound to wake.' ('Troylus and Crisedye,' 1374)
- and it was still so recorded some two hundred years later by John Heywood ('A Dialogue Conteynyng Prouerbes and Epigrammes,' 1592),
'It is ill wakyng of a sleapyng dogge.' (my personal favorite)
But by the time of Charles Dickens ('David Copperfield, 1850) it had been turned about into the order of today's usage." From "Heavens to Betsy!" by Charles Earle Funk (Harper & Row, New York, 1955).

7 comments:

photowannabe said...

Well they certainly love your bed pillow. The look on their faces makes one not want to disturb them.

Sunny said...

I'm sorry that I'm so far behind with my favorite blogs, I hope I can get caught up soon!
Your pictures are priceless.
Sunny :)

SquirrelQueen said...

Aw, one look at those eyes would make me tiptoe quietly from the room so they could go back to sleep. I love your photos.
I had no idea that phrase had such a history, I enjoyed the info.
Judy

Ann said...

lol, they look so comfortable. I just love that first picture. The look that kind of says, "enough with the camera, I'm trying to sleep here" This one made me smile

Anonymous said...

I would like to thank You for being the member of this website. Please allow me to have the chance to show my satisfaction with Host Gator web hosting. They have professional and quick support and they also offering many [url=http://adf.ly/213105/thankyou-hostgator ]Hostgator coupon codes[/url].

I like HostGator hosting, you will too.

http://housing-smart.com/database2/index.php?action=profile;u=13575

Marg said...

Great pictures of some nice sleepy dogs. Great sayings too. Best to leave them alone when they are having a great snooze. Have a great day.

Julie said...

Luffs it!!!! What great pictures....maybe I should DEMAND a pillow as well, hehe
Loves and licky kisses
Princess Leah xxx