Don’t Upset the Applecart: Ruining Plans And Other Mischiefs 🚧
upset the applecart, to - To ruin carefully laid plans. This metaphor, without the modifying “apple,” dates from Roman times. Both Plautus and Lucian used “You’ve upset the cart” to mean “You’ve spoiled everything.” Specifying “applecart” dates from the late eighteenth century, and the changed phrase is the one that survives. Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1796) suggests that “applecart” stood for the human body, and that the phrase meant to throw a person down, but that interpretation was either mistaken or the particular symbolism died out.
Related and Similar Terms
- 🛑 Throw a wrench in the works: To cause confusion or difficulty in a planned operation or activity.
- 💣 Blow to smithereens: To completely shatter or spoil something.
- 😬 Put one’s foot in it: To say or do something that upsets or offends someone else.
- 🌪 Cause upheaval: To create disturbance or trouble in an environment or situation.
Synonyms
- Disrupt
- Spoil
- Derail
- Sabotage
- Mess up
Antonyms
- Facilitate
- Aid
- Assist
- Support
- Smooth over
Humor-Filled Quote
“Did you just upset my applecart? Congrats, you just invented apple smoothie on wheels!” 🍏
Proverbs
- “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” - Robert Burns, “To a Mouse”
- “Man plans, and God laughs.”
Recommended Literature, Books, Songs, Poems, and Movies
- 📚 Books:
- “The Best Laid Plans” by Sidney Sheldon
- “Good Omens” by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
- 🎬 Movies:
- “Ocean’s Eleven” (2001) – A heist movie where carefully laid out plans face unexpected mishaps.
- “The Adjustment Bureau” (2011) – A romantic thriller showcasing fate versus human has plan disruptions.
- 🎵 Songs:
- “Man Plans God Laughs” by Public Enemy
- “Life is What Happens” by John Lennon
- 📝 Poem:
- “To a Mouse” by Robert Burns
Quizzes
Farewell Note
Inspirational Thought: Remember, the journey counts more than the applecart we might occasionally knock over. Life’s unexpected twists add zest to our stories. So if plans go awry, learn, laugh, and live on!
For now, Keep calm and enjoy your apples! 🍏🍎
xx, Eve L. Lexicon
