😞 Coming to Grief: Misfortune’s Many Faces and Faltering Footsteps 🙃
Meaning and Usage
“To fail or to falter; to experience a misfortune.” Once a common saying in the early nineteenth century, it rapidly became cliché. Its heyday in the Victorian period is exemplified by Thackeray, who wrote, “We were nearly coming to grief,” in The Newcomes (1854).
Synonyms and Related Terms
- Bite the dust: Fail spectacularly.
- Hit rock bottom: Reach the lowest possible point.
- Meet one’s Waterloo: Encounter a decisive defeat.
- Come a cropper: Suffer a sudden defeat or collapse.
- Fall by the wayside: Be neglected or fail to keep up.
Antonyms
- Triumph: To achieve victory or success.
- Prevail: To succeed or win out.
- Soar to new heights: To achieve great success or improvement.
Humor-Filled Quotes
- “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” — Winston Churchill
- “If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving is not for you.” — Steven Wright
Proverbs and Wisdom
- “Fall seven times, stand up eight.” (Japanese Proverb): Emphasizes resilience despite multiple failures.
- “Every cloud has a silver lining.”: Advocates finding positive aspects in times of adversity.
Literature Recommendations
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Books:
- The Newcomes by William Makepeace Thackeray: Famous for employing this phrase.
- Moby-Dick by Herman Melville: Features epic failings and philosophical musings on misfortune.
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Songs:
- I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor: A classic anthem about overcoming adversity.
- Tubthumping by Chumbawamba: “I get knocked down, but I get up again.”
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Poetry:
- If— by Rudyard Kipling: Discusses handling failure as part of growing up.
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Movies:
- Rocky: Ultimate tale of rising after hitting rock bottom.
- Slumdog Millionaire: Journey through misfortune to triumph and fortune.
### Which of these is a real phrase?
- [x] Bite the dust
- [ ] Slide on toast
- [ ] Dance with a pickle
- [ ] Hibernate like a donut
> **Explanation:** "Bite the dust" is an idiom meaning to fail or lose, while the others are fanciful creations.
### Which phrase indicates failure?
- [x] Hit rock bottom
- [ ] Soar to new heights
- [ ] Bask in glory
- [ ] See the light
> **Explanation:** "Hit rock bottom" means reaching the lowest point possible, while the others are associated with achievement or realization.
### True or False: "Meet one's Waterloo" is a cliché for experiencing a decisive defeat.
- [x] True
- [ ] False
> **Explanation:** True. This phrase stems from Napoleon's final defeat at Waterloo and symbolizes experiencing a conclusive defeat.
### Which of these means to falter?
- [x] Come a cropper
- [ ] Walk on air
- [ ] Break a leg
- [ ] Get a second wind
> **Explanation:** "Come a cropper" refers to experiencing a severe stumble or failure, whereas the other options indicate positivity or encouragement.
### Finish the idiom: "Fall by the..."
- [x] wayside
- [ ] rainbow
- [ ] hammock
- [ ] starlight
> **Explanation:** The correct idiom is "fall by the wayside," meaning to be left behind or fail to continue.
Authored by Penelope Pithywords, October 2023
Final Thoughts
Embrace your moments of faltering and grief—they’re the grounding steps beneath the leaps of our greatest triumphs. Life’s stumbles teach us resilience, and sometimes, the missteps are merely a detour to something unexpectedly wondrous. 💫 Keep stepping forward, with a smile, even when you’re down.
