🕯️ The Game is Not Worth the Candle 🕯️
Definition: The undertaking does not warrant the time, effort, or expense involved.
Context and Origins:
This expression hails from a time when evenings were spent by candlelight, and it did not just light the room but lit up our language with idiomatic toss-ups. Derived from the French essayist Michel de Montaigne’s statement “Le jeu ne vaut pas la chandelle” (1580), its sentiment was as plain as daylight: a game isn’t worth the candle burning down! Since John Ray popped it in his 1678 collection of proverbs, it stuck around longer than any old game night!
Synonyms:
- Not worth it
- Cost outweighs the benefit
- A fool’s errand
- Not worth the trouble
Similar Terms, Proverbs, and Phrases:
- Barking up the wrong tree: Pursuing a futile course of action.
- Throwing good money after bad: Investing more money into a failing project.
- A storm in a teacup: A lot of fuss over relatively insignificant matters.
- Snipe hunt: A futile or imaginary search or endeavor.
Quotes:
- “Don’t burn a candle both ends for a game that doesn’t even spark a match!” — Wise Old Witty
- “Some games just aren’t worth leaving the light on.” — A Grandparent’s Much-Needed Advice
Related Literature, Music, and References:
- Literature:
- Essais by Michel de Montaigne, 1580
- A Collection of English Proverbs by John Ray, 1678
- Books:
- The Joy of Less: A Minimalist Living Guide by Francine Jay
- It’s All Too Much by Peter Walsh
- Movies:
- Moneyball (2011) – Sometimes the risk carries a thin value.
- Songs:
- “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica
- “Price Tag” by Jessie J
- Poetry:
- “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost – Reviewing choices that require wisdom in investment, though maybe not regarding candles!
Fun Quiz Time! 🕯️🕹️
💡 Inspiration: While the glow of a single candle may seem small, how it illuminates a task is entirely another matter. Choose wisely where you spend both your time and light.
Author: Penelope Phrasemaker
Publishing Date: October 2, 2023
Farewell with illuminating insights and the clarity to discern when to light that candle and when to snuff it out. Illuminatingly yours… 🕯️✨
