🤕 Add Insult to Injury, To
Definition:
To make harm worse by adding humiliation. The phrase has been traced to a Greek fable about a bald man. Trying to kill a fly on his head, he misses and hits himself very hard, and the fly replies, “You wanted to kill me for merely landing on you; what will you do to yourself now that you have added insult to injury?” It has since been applied to countless situations by as many writers and has long been a cliché.
Synonyms:
- To rub salt in the wound 🧂
- To twist the knife ⚔️
- Kick someone while they’re down 🥾
Antonyms:
- To soften the blow 🌸
- To ease the pain 💊
- To let someone down gently 🚸
Humor-filled Quotes:
- “My life feels like a never-ending episode of ‘Add Insult to Injury.’ At least I’m great at multitasking!” – Arnold W. Oops
Proverbs:
- “Misfortunes never come singly.” (English Proverb)
- “Bad news has wings.” (Elisabeth Elliot)
Literature Try-Outs:
- “David Copperfield” by Charles Dickens 📚: Life continuously throws misfortunes at David, truly adding insult to injury.
- “A Series of Unfortunate Events” by Lemony Snicket 📖: The Baudelaire orphans experience a never-ending stream of “insults to injury.”
Musical Inspiration:
- “You Can Have It All - Don’t Worry!” by Phantom Kant (from the fictional band ‘The Melodramatics’)
Watching Pleasure:
- Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004) 🎬
- The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) 🎥
Literary Lust:
- Poem: “Annus Horribilis” 💔 by Helen Dast
Thought-Provoking Farewell: Gratitude is often the hardest when fortune wavers. One day the added insults become stepping stones for greater heights. 🌟
Author: Emma G. Nigma 📕 Date: 2023-10-02 📅
### Which of these is a synonym for "add insult to injury"?
- [x] To rub salt in the wound
- [ ] To back someone up
- [ ] To find a needle in a haystack
- [ ] To butter someone up
> **Explanation:** "To rub salt in the wound" is a synonymous expression. Others don’t share the same woeful sentiment.
### What is the origin story of "add insult to injury"?
- [ ] A Roman anecdote about cheese
- [ ] A Greek fable about a bald man and a fly
- [ ] An Egyptian myth regarding a cactus
- [ ] A Norse legend on picking apples
> **Explanation:** A Greek fable about the bald man and a fly. Always trust the ancients for a good idiom!
### True or False: "Add insult to injury" means to mend someone's feelings.
- [ ] True
- [x] False
> **Explanation:** False! It means to worsen the already bad situation. Not your go-to for a pick-me-up.
### In which novel might you see "add insult to injury" aptly applied?
- [ ] "Little Women" 🎀 by Louisa May Alcott
- [x] "David Copperfield" 📚 by Charles Dickens
- [ ] "Pride and Prejudice" 💌 by Jane Austen
- [ ] "The Road" 🌾 by Cormac McCarthy
> **Explanation:** "David Copperfield" is filled with ample examples of accumulated miseries, quite fitting for the idiom!
### What’s an antonym for "add insult to injury"?
- [ ] To kick someone while they’re down
- [ ] To twist the knife
- [x] To let someone down gently
- [ ] To betray someone
> **Explanation:** "To let someone down gently" is a more soothing, direct opposite to adding insult to the existing woes.
