Friday, October 1, 2021

Better Late Than Never (MY Eng #27)

This is part of a running series about English idioms - less about language, more about life itself. Previously, we covered 'missing the woods for the trees', 'the elephant in the room', 'practising what you preach', blowing hot and cold', 'no smoke without fire', 'one swallow does not make a summer', 'apples and oranges', 'cut to the chase', 'leave no stone unturned', 'that's the way the cookie crumbles', 'can't have your cake and eat it too', 'old is gold', 'putting the cart before the horse', 'mountain out of a molehill', 'pot calling the kettle black', 'bite the bullet', 'go the extra mile', 'silence is golden', 'the devil is in the details', 'sink or swim', 'once bitten twice shy', 'don't count your chickens before they hatch', 'don't put all your eggs into one basket', 'chicken and egg', 'walking on eggshells' and 'flogging a dead horse'.

Okay, this one is crystal clear. Straight as an arrow. Make no bones about it. Ain't no beating rounnd the bush this time. Let's cut to the chase.

Gotcha! Now, I can sense your confusion. Five idioms in quick succession is an overkill. Too many cooks spoil the broth, eh?

Maybe one day, I'll write an entire article just by using idioms, and nothing else. That's quite a challenge. Maybe once I've build up a larger stash. But that day just has to wait, for now.


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Anyway, no prizes for guessing the idiom of the day. Better late than never means exactly as it what says. Better get your task done or attend an appointment as promised, even if you're way past the deadline.

Of course, this sometimes doesn't work well in practice. Depends on the length of delay, and the importance of the occasion. No one will bat an eyelid if you're late for your brother-in-law's second cousin's half-sister's wedding. If you overslept on the day on your own wedding, then maybe your lateness is a symptom of a bigger problem which questions the whole point of attendance...

These days, I'm swamped by work, sudden and urgent. No problem. I enjoy the adrenaline rush. Keeps me on my toes. Polish the rust away. Reassures me that I've still got "it".

But even for someone whose favourite mantra is "sleep is for the weak", these past few days have been truly gruelling. Don't worry. I'm still alive and kicking ass. I've not fallen off the wayside. Yes, I've STILL GOT "IT"!
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Still, I do feel bad for missing an appointment and breaking a promise or two. Sorry, folks. Everyone drops the ball, every now and then.

Nevertheless, better late than never, eh? Better be half there than missing in action altogether. My mind may wander, but my heart's always at the right place...

Okay, I think I'm starting to ramble random words, so it's best to the draw the line here, for now. Better safe than sorry. Better to burn out than to fade away...

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