💧 Going to the Well Once Too Often: When Asking Isn’t the Answer 💔
Definition:
Persistently relying on or exploiting a resource until it is no longer viable, functioning, or willing to provide.
Similar Terms and Related Expressions:
- Milk a cow dry 🐄
- Play the same tune over 🔄
- Overstay one’s welcome 🕰️
- Push one’s luck 🍀
Synonyms:
- Exploit
- Drain
- Deplete
- Overuse
Antonyms:
- Conserve
- Preserve
- Rejuvenate
- Replenish
Historical Usage:
The sentiment of exhausting patience or resources harkens back to an ancient proverb. In Jean de La Fontaine’s stories, the principle resonates through the ages in many versions and languages since the fourteenth century. Thomas Fuller immortalized it succinctly in his “Gnomologia” (1732): “The pitcher that goes often to the well comes home broken at last.”
Humorous Quote:
“Going to the well too often? They should install a revolving door at that well.” — Anonymous
Proverbs:
- “He who works his plans will mend his wells.” — Ancient Saying
- “Constant dropping wears away a stone.” — Ovid
Fun Fact:
This cliché shares universality; you find it in idioms across cultures, including African and Asian proverbs!
Recommendations for Further Reading and Exploration:
- 📖 [Book] “Out of the Blue: More Than 1,400 Newly Coined Similes, A Close Look at Burned-Out Bridges and Other Euphemistic Journeys” by Ashley M. Gartland
- 🎥 [Movie] “Groundhog Day” - Unpacking repetitive reliance on a concept 🕰️
- 🎼 [Song] “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon 🎸
- ✒️ [Poetry] “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost 📜
Farewell by Lorelei Lingo Words are endless wells from which wisdom flows. When wisely managed, they continually sustain us. So remember, nurture your wells, preserve your words, and may you find an ever-refreshing source in your linguistic journey. 🌟
