🥫 Keep Body and Soul Together, To ☕
Definition: To sustain life, often just barely. This term frequently describes a job that pays scarcely enough to live on.
Origin: The saying rests on the idea that the soul gives life to the body, which dies when the soul is separated from it. Dating from the early eighteenth century, it became a cliché by the mid-nineteenth century.
Humorous Quote: Writing on prostitution in The Manchester Guardian in 1974, Suzanne Lowry quipped, “Keeping body and soul together is never as difficult as trying to keep them separate.”
Related Terms
- Barely making ends meet: Struggling financially; just managing to survive.
- Scraping by: Living with just enough resources to continue but with difficulty.
- Hand-to-mouth existence: Living with whatever little the day provides, with nothing left over.
Similar Expressions
- Living from paycheck to paycheck: Reliant entirely on payday to meet living expenses.
- Making do: Managing with what you have even if it’s not ideal.
Proverbs and Expressions
- “A penny saved is a penny earned.” Your carefulness with little money leads to survival.
- “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Hard times force creative survival tactics.
Synonyms and Antonyms
- Synonyms: Survive, subsist, endure
- Antonyms: Thrive, flourish, prosper
Literature, Books, Songs, Poetry, Movies
- Book: Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck - A poignant tale of survival.
- Song: “Hard Knock Life” by Jay-Z - Reflecting the feelings of barely getting by.
- Poetry: “If” by Rudyard Kipling - Celebrating endurance against all odds.
- Movie: Pursuit of Happyness - Chronicles a man’s struggle to survive and provide.
Inspirational Farewell
Life may often feel like a game of twister with bad knees, but the act of “keeping body and soul together” builds an indomitable spirit. Remember, even if it feels like the world is taking one potato chip out of your survival bag at a time, each small victory is worth celebrating. Always keep that flicker of hope alive!
Remember, in the spirited endeavor to keep body and soul together, humor and resilience are our best allies. Keep smiling through the struggle; your story of survival is a legend in the making. 🌟
