Weekend Open Forum

We've got wars everywhere and political wars on everything. Thank goodness there's still a safe space to speak your mind. Welcome to the W.O.F

Weekend Open Forum

Welcome to another Weekend Open Forum where the world is your oyster.

We all know what that phrase means but have you ever wondered about its origins?

Here's an answer from the History of English website.

The phrase “the world is your oyster” is believed to derive from William Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, a comedy that is believed to date back to 1602. The comedy is focused on John Falstaff’s attempts to seduce two women.

In the play, Falstaff states “I will not lend thee a penny”, meaning that he is refusing to give money. To this, Pistol replies “Why, then, the world’s mine oyster, which I with sword will open!”

What does this mean? Essentially, Pistol is saying that he is willing to use violence, namely his sword, to earn riches. Specifically, he wants to obtain the pearl that resides inside the oyster.

As you can see, this phrase was originally quite violent. It underlines the lengths that Pistol will go to in order to have his fortune. He will happily use his sword if it will help him obtain wealth. 

The modern version has removed this violent aspect, which gives it a more positive quality. Nowadays “the world is your oyster” merely refers to someone with freedom and the potential for good fortune.

Part of the reason why Pistol employs this violent language is that oysters are notoriously difficult to open. Oyster shells are durable. Therefore, a regular knife may not be sufficient to open this mollusk. Yet, this makes it a suitable metaphor for Pistol, as he doesn’t mind breaking into the symbolic oyster.

Some people are so clever. If this is real, it's the work of genius.

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And here's a couple of thought posers to get the nuerons firing.

Answer

The letter 'R'

Answer

The word is 'Short'

Now enjoy the weekend and the conversation below.

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