🌐 It’s a Small World: Recognizing Familiar Faces in Distant Places 🌍
One encounters familiar people or events in unexpected places. As might be expected, this expression originated only when widespread travel and the transportation facilities to make it possible became commonplace. “Not such a large world after all,” wrote G. A. Sala in 1886 upon unexpectedly meeting someone in San Francisco after an interval of thirty-one years (America Revisited). By 1906 George Ade wrote (In Pastures New), “‘It’s a small world.’ This is one of the most overworked phrases of the globe-trotter… most frequently by those who follow the beaten paths.”
Related and Similar Terms:
- “What a coincidence!”: Exclamation upon discovering an unexpected commonality or occurrence.
- “Fancy meeting you here!”: Expression of surprise upon encountering someone one knows in an unexpected place.
- “What were the odds?”: Rhetorical question indicating the improbability of a certain event.
- “The world is a big place, but it’s a small world”: A reminder of unexpected connections or similarities in a vast world.
- “Serendipity at its finest”: Happily finding something unexpected or making a discovery.
Synonyms & antonyms:
- Synonyms: World is small, Encountering Familiar Faces, Unexpected meetings
- Antonyms: Uncharted territories, Unfamiliar grounds
Humor-Filled Quotes:
- “It’s a small world, but I wouldn’t want to paint it.” - Steven Wright
- “The way our paths keep crossing, it’s like we’re on the same spaghetti noodle!” - Anonymous
Proverbs:
- “The hills may be high, but the world is small.”
- “An old friend is like a connection in a foreign land.”
Literature & References:
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Books:
- “On the Road” by Jack Kerouac: A story where characters often encounter familiar faces in unexpected places.
- “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert: A memoir of self-discovery that frequently includes unexpected encounters.
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Songs:
- “It’s a Small World” by Sherman Brothers: An iconic song that literally phrases this cliché.
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Movies:
- “Forrest Gump”: Character often meets famous people and old friends in unlikely situations.
- “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”: Story involving unexpected international encounters and adventures.
Quizzes:
Dear Reader,
May you always have the delight of bumping into familiar faces in the most surprising corners of your adventures, and find joy in seeing just how connected our world really is.
Stay curious, stay inspired! 🌏✨
E. J. Serendipity
October 2023
