We all know the metaphorical interpretation of this proverb, but it is also scientifically true!
James Pomerantz, author of the scientific article ‘The Grass is always Greener: An Ecological Analysis of an Old Aphorism (1983). This scholar proves that ‘optical and perceptual laws alone will make the grass at a distance look greener to the human eye than the blades of grass perpendicular to the ground.’
Now that’s a really cool fact to keep up your sleeves!
Big shout out to GDKonstantine, a long time supporter of my website. He came up with this cartoon.
If you would like me to draw the cartoon to your single gag, drop me a line.
… and that’s why he’s hungry
…or so I thought, until I did more research…
Let me explain. I was surfing the net for inspiration for my next cartoon. Sometimes I like to draw cartoons that play on words or phrases. I found myself on an idiom site that listed popular sayings, of which ‘hungry ghost’ was one of them. I hadn’t heard of the saying before and the site didn’t offer an explanation, so I just assumed it referred to someone who is always hungry – just like a ghost would be because the food goes straight through them.
Well, I was wrong and should have realised that I was being a bit too literal with my interpretation. After drawing the cartoon I hunted the web for a definition and it didn’t take me long to find out how wrong I was. For those of you as unfamiliar with this one as I was, here’s what dictionary.com said
‘in Buddhism, a supernatural being filled with more desire than it can consume’
and provided this example
‘The hungry ghost is often depicted with large belly and tiny mouth, a metaphor for people futilely attempting to fulfil their illusory physical desires.’
Have you ever misinterpreted some of those funny english sayings before?
Share, we’ll both have a laugh together.
I’m the process of sprucing up my website with a range of things (actually ideas) I’ve been hiding on the back shelf until now. Â
But I can’t do this one on my own – I need your help by giving me your thoughts on this quick survey.
I’m creating a monthly newsletter for subscribers (this is in addition to the blog subscription you might already be on). But it’s a bit hard to entice people to click that funky new subscribe button without giving away something for free. So, here’s the question.
[polldaddy poll=8185877]
… but the obsession with oneself did
In a recent ad campaign, National Geographic decided ‘if you can’t beat them join them’. Titled ‘there are lots of terrible animal pictures out there’, National Geographic showed a series of animal selfies. The intent behind the campaign was to get people to look at the good shots that National Geographic take.
My favourite is the gorilla. What’s yours?
Ah yes, snacking before dinner – how to get every mother annoyed.
I sometimes find myself in snacking discussions with my children; holding the offending but circumstantial evidence (chocolate wrapper) in my hand. But I’m not perfect myself. I used to enjoy sneaking in a biscuit or two before dinner.
What’s your snacking weakness?
Download Doug the Dung Beetle – The long roll home for FREE!
As part of a promotion for the release of my next kid’s picture book, I want to spread the word of Doug. So please, if you’ve ever had a twitch to look at my book, but didn’t, here is your opportunity to do so for absolutely free. And as a favour to me, spread the word of Doug with your friends by sharing this post. Give them the gift of humour and dung, all in the one neat little package!
But offers like this don’t last forever. So go on, click here to visit NoiseTrade for your free copy (suitable for your Kindle, iPad and more).
Go on, make my day – download and share today!
So still here? Wondering if there’s a catch? Sorry, no catch. I don’t even expect a ‘tip’, but NoiseTrade forces you to select a tip amount (that’s how they make their money). In fairness, they make it clear that you are not obliged to tip. I’m just keen to build up my book reader audience by getting the book out there. And if you like my book and want to be notified about future book releases, you have a chance to subscribe to my ‘new book release’ email (along with all the specials that come with that). But as with the tips, that too is optional. So go on, download now.
History is littered with famous last words. Here are a few:
Either that wallpaper goes, or I do.
Oscar Wilde, writer, November 30, 1900
Go on, get out. Last words are for fools who haven’t said enough!
Karl Marx, revolutionary socialist, March 14, 1883
Damn it . . . Don’t you dare ask God to help me.
To her housekeeper, who had begun to pray aloud.
Joan Crawford, actress, d. May 10, 1977
I should never have switched from Scotch to Martinis.
Humphrey Bogart, actor, January 14, 1957
Waiting are they? Waiting are they? Well–let ’em wait.
In response to an attending doctor who attempted to comfort him by saying, ‘General, I fear the angels are waiting for you.’
Ethan Allen, American Revolutionary general, 1789