That Thing Called Luck

Southland Times, Issue 23297, 6 September 1937, Page 14

That Thing Called Luck

What Proverbs Say

V'OBODY has been able to define the word luck in an entirely satisfactory way. We usually regard it as accidental good fortune, but many say there is no such thing, and point to the fact that “good luck” and “bad luck” immediately place it in the realm of superstition. Luck and superstition certainly go hand in hand at times. The word superstition means that which survives after its companions are dead; Roman soldiers who escaped death from battle were called superstites and regarded as lucky tnen. There are many interesting proverbs regarding luck which prove that people all the world over have thought a good leal about it. There is an Arab proverb which says, “Pitch a lucky man into the Nile and he will come up with a fish in his mouth." This corresponds with a Spanish proverb which declares, “Give your son luck and then throw him inti the sea.” Both these have something psychological about them which remind us of the German proverb, “Luck seeks those who flee, and flees those who seek it.” Another Spanish proverb says that luck pushes its way by elbowing, and Goethe wrote that luck inspired pluck. “See a Pin ...” AU these proverbs go to show that luck is a fragile, emotional thing, coming ■ from the outside to-begin with, but stir- ■ ring our imaginations to such a degree j that personality comes into play with a , power which forces success. To pick up ’ a pin in the- street before starting an . important undertaking is, if we believe , it to be lucky, sufficient to set luck j rolling as it were, and give us the cour-

age that may be lacking. Another German proverb says that too much good luck is bad luck, and this warns us not to be ungrateful for the good things which happen to us. If we are, we immediately become careless of our intuitions, our emotions, and the spontaneity, which, used rightly, gives us so much power th this thing called luck is attracted as by a magnet. An old English proverb says that luck is the idol of the idle. Certainly, if we trust to luck and nothing else, for eve! waiting for it to turn up, it will probably play us false. Luck likes to be taken advantage of, but hates being expected as a matter of course. There is nothing reasonable about it, and most likely we pass it by every day because we are afraid to be ourselves. An Italian proverb says that ill luck comes by the pound and goes away by the ounce. And somebody once wrote. “Good luck is the willing handmaiden of upright, energetic character, and conscientious observance of duty.” Shakespeare, knowing how strangely we are made, how’ we are influenced by little, peculiar things, how the heart beats high at a good omen, or falls into the boots at a bad one, laughed wisely, and wrote, “Good luck lies in odd numbers.” . It is Foolish to Magnify . . . Troubles—by thinking the worst. Try to think the best and so reduce them to tho minimum.

The virtues of children—to other people. The habit irritates friends and i? bad for the youngsters themselves. Little household accidents—when guests are present. Try not to get excited over spilt drink, a table burnt by a cigarette end, or some small culinary deficiency. Shabby comers in a room—by insisting on brilliant lights. If it is impossible to

re-decorate at once, be content with very subdued lighting in the main and conveniently placed reading lamps, i A coming pleasure—by great anticipal- - To keep conjuring up the de. lights of a holiday, a welcome visit, a , party or a dance, is to ask for a certain amount of disappointment when the time comes. Rumours—by believing and passing them on. A thousand to one most of them are false, and to magnify them only results in trouble. Inclination to stoutness—by wearing absurd little hats and the wrong dresses. Take care over clothes and, if possible, consult an expert before buying. Our “Slang” Words. A great many of our slang Acords have beer, so whitewashed by time that they are now considered quite respectable, and their shady past is almost forgotten. Their origin is difficult to define because there is no means of tracing the exact reason for them, slang having been the secret language of thieves. Our forefathers, who loved scapegoat? and disliked to be blamed for anything which touched their dignity, believed that slang was the language of gipsies, but the word itself appears to be de-' rived from the Norman, and means nothing less than insulting language. That thieves used a vocabulary of their own which was far from polite is well known, and it is supposed that certain words became known to more respectable members of society and were adapted to ordinary speech because they were expressive. Thus slang went through the phase of being vulgar, and, although much of it is still vulgar, there are some words which are so powerful that they have been accepted by everybody. A great many odd phrases were once

n gtcai considered slang and are now merely popular terms of expression. To be “down in the dumps” is a good example. Shakespeare used the phrase in “The Taming of the Shrew”: “How now, daughter Katherine, in your dumps?” It is an ancient expression, probably derived from the misadventurss of Dumops, King of Egypt, who built a pyramid, went to live in it, and died there of melancholy. As the gipsies were once called Egyptians, and it was believed that they came from Egypt when, for the first time they appeared in Europe in the year 1418, they may possibly be responsible for the queer saying. An amusing story is told of Ben Jonson and a certain peer of the realm, which has given rise to another popular saying. When introduced to the witty Ben the peer was so struck by his unusual appearance that he said laughingly: “You are the famous Ben Jonson? You look as if you could not say Bo to a goose!” “Bo,” replied Ben. The word Bo is common in old writings. The mythical Bo was a fierce soldier, son of Odin, and his name was used by his soldiers to take men by surprise and thus throw them into disorder. It is derived from the Latin, meaning to cry out aloud. The word bogie is supposed to be a little 80, so, with all these Bos in mind, his lordship obviously had something to go upon when he used the slang term to the famous dramatist When theatres developed ceilings, which was not until fairly modem times, 't was the fashion to paint them blue like the sky and decorate them with little Cupids disporting themselves unon *at clouds, and those who sat nearest ■he Cupids were so obviously among the gods that the term requires no further explanation.