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Seize The Day, Then Die
I thought I had some strange teachers in my time, but none as strange as this Manchester teacher who told her students that a meteor was going to hit the earth in a week and they were all going to die. Her point: to motivate them to 'seize the day'. The logic seems to be 'make them think they're going to die so they appreciate what they have.' Kind of like that guy who tried to save his marriage by electrifying his wife in the bathtub.
On a completely unrelated note, the widespread use of the phrase seize the day (from the latin carpe diem) is a pet peeve of mine, since I think it's mistranslated. The latin word carpe is principally an agricultural term meaning to harvest, pluck, or gather. It only secondarily has a military usage. So the phrase should really be translated as harvest the day, which is a lot more laid back than seize the day. Though maybe my real problem with the term are those people who are always lecturing other people to seize the day.
On a completely unrelated note, the widespread use of the phrase seize the day (from the latin carpe diem) is a pet peeve of mine, since I think it's mistranslated. The latin word carpe is principally an agricultural term meaning to harvest, pluck, or gather. It only secondarily has a military usage. So the phrase should really be translated as harvest the day, which is a lot more laid back than seize the day. Though maybe my real problem with the term are those people who are always lecturing other people to seize the day.
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Categories: Death, Literature/Language Posted by Alex on Fri Nov 19, 2004 |
Comments (11) |
| More from the Hoax Museum Archives: | |||
Reminds me of a few years ago
A drama teacher told her class that a foreign power had just launched a nuclear strike against the country. The kids freaked.
Posted by Sharruma on Fri Nov 19, 2004 at 03:07 PM
A drama teacher told her class that a foreign power had just launched a nuclear strike against the country. The kids freaked.
Sheesh, if you want to scare your students, there's no need to make something up. Just tell them that Bush and Cheney just "won" a rigged election and the likes of Karl Rove and Tom Delay now control all three branches of government.
Posted by Big Gary C in Dallas, Texas on Fri Nov 19, 2004 at 04:01 PM
So much seizing. I'd rather just enjoy the day, thanks.
Posted by Sakano on Fri Nov 19, 2004 at 05:33 PM
Alex - I like your interpretation of the phrase, and believe it's more accurate. To "harvest" the day just seems so much more positive, and livable.
Posted by stork in the spiracles of space on Sat Nov 20, 2004 at 01:51 AM
I believe the word "carpe" is the root of the word "capture" & is also the origin of the word "coppers" for policemen.
Posted by Dale Irwin in Waiheke Island on Sat Nov 20, 2004 at 09:01 AM
The word 'capture' comes from this root:
capio, cepi, captum: to take in hand, take hold of, lay hold of, take, seize, grasp.
But we do get the english word 'to carp' from carpo, carpsi, carptum, which is the root of carpe.
Posted by Alex in San Diego on Sat Nov 20, 2004 at 12:56 PM
capio, cepi, captum: to take in hand, take hold of, lay hold of, take, seize, grasp.
But we do get the english word 'to carp' from carpo, carpsi, carptum, which is the root of carpe.
Harvest or gather reminded me of this poem.
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles today
Tomorrow will be dying.
Posted by Brenda in San Antonio, TX on Sat Nov 20, 2004 at 04:30 PM
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles today
Tomorrow will be dying.
Yes, Brenda, and
In Flanders fields
The poppies grow;
Between the crosses,
Row on row.
Posted by stork in the spiracles of space on Sat Nov 20, 2004 at 11:57 PM
In Flanders fields
The poppies grow;
Between the crosses,
Row on row.
Rigged election?
Posted by Jeff in Florida on Mon Nov 22, 2004 at 03:30 PM
I always liked "carpe corpus".
Posted by Lounge Lizard in El Paso, Tx on Wed Jul 19, 2006 at 05:47 PM
"Harvest the day" is just a wimped out way to put it. There are hunters and there are gatherers.
I'm a hunter, so I "seize" what I want. I don't slowly pick it, or harvest it if you will.
Dale is wrong. The nickname "coppers...cops" originated in reference to the police stars or badges police officers donned in the early 1900's. They were made of Copper, hence they were called Coppers and later, Cops.
Posted by Luke Feerer in Dayton, OH on Sun Feb 03, 2008 at 09:10 PM
I'm a hunter, so I "seize" what I want. I don't slowly pick it, or harvest it if you will.
Dale is wrong. The nickname "coppers...cops" originated in reference to the police stars or badges police officers donned in the early 1900's. They were made of Copper, hence they were called Coppers and later, Cops.
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