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fandom_grammarIt’s a day for the kids on today’s Say What? Both of the sayings we’ll be taking a look at deal with children in some way. Let’s discuss “little pitchers have big ears” and “spare the rod and spoil the child.”
Little pitchers have big ears
“Wait, what’s this?” you ask. “I thought this was about kids!” This saying has long been used as a caution to adults to be careful what they talk about while there are kids around. Indeed, it’s found in John Heywood’s Proverbes, published in 1546, as “Avoyd your children: small pitchers have wyde eares,” though doubtless it’s been around for much longer than that. The “big ears” part of the saying refers to the shape of handles on pitchers and other vessels for liquid.
As to the meaning of the saying, most people have been present when a child reveals something that his or her parents would probably prefer wasn’t widely known—for example, what Mommy really thinks about Grandma’s cooking—or even just using a curse word and proclaiming “But Daddy says it all the time!” Kids overhear and understand (or at least are able to repeat) more than adults would like, as evidenced by this unknown author’s wisdom: “Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn’t have said.”
Any time your characters want to avoid later embarrassment from any resident children, this is the proverb for them to bear in mind:
Spare the rod and spoil the child
This saying has been around for a long time. It first appears in the form we’re familiar with in Samuel Butler’s satire Hudibras, published in 1662, but likely the sentiment behind the saying was drawn from the Bible. In (coincidentally enough) Proverbs 13:24, the following is found:
What it boils down to is discipline. If one spares the rod—in other words, if one does not discipline one’s child—then the child is apt to grow up spoiled, thinking he or she should be indulged all the time. It has been inferred to mean corporal punishment of the child, but as thinking has evolved, so too has the intent behind the saying. The punishment meted out doesn’t have to be physical in order to correct the child’s behavior.
In addition, it’s interesting to note that many different words in the original Hebrew are translated into English as “rod”, and not all of them mean an actual, physical stick. The shepherd uses his rod (which is different from his staff) not only to protect his flock from wolves and other dangers, but to guide it as well. If sheep stray in an unwanted direction, the shepherd can throw the rod so that it lands in front of them, startling them and bringing them back to the flock. Many times when rods are referred to in the Bible, particularly in connection with shepherds, they’re symbolic of divine guidance.
Given some of the unpleasant connotations of the modern meaning of “rod,” this saying might be used by characters who are of an older or sterner mindset:
Ultimately, both of the sayings we’ve looked at today are fairly old-fashioned. Whenever children crop up in stories, either of these sayings might well come into play. Usage, however, will probably depend on the circumstances or the age and outlook of the people saying them.
Sources:
Little pitchers have big ears
“Wait, what’s this?” you ask. “I thought this was about kids!” This saying has long been used as a caution to adults to be careful what they talk about while there are kids around. Indeed, it’s found in John Heywood’s Proverbes, published in 1546, as “Avoyd your children: small pitchers have wyde eares,” though doubtless it’s been around for much longer than that. The “big ears” part of the saying refers to the shape of handles on pitchers and other vessels for liquid.
As to the meaning of the saying, most people have been present when a child reveals something that his or her parents would probably prefer wasn’t widely known—for example, what Mommy really thinks about Grandma’s cooking—or even just using a curse word and proclaiming “But Daddy says it all the time!” Kids overhear and understand (or at least are able to repeat) more than adults would like, as evidenced by this unknown author’s wisdom: “Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn’t have said.”
Any time your characters want to avoid later embarrassment from any resident children, this is the proverb for them to bear in mind:
Havoc smirked around his cigarette. “Breda, that girl was a sight to make a blind man weep for joy. She had curves that…” He made an exaggerated hourglass motion with his hands.
Breda held up a hand. “Later, Havoc,” he said, and tilted his head toward the nearby alley where Ed and Al lurked. “Didn’t you know that little pitchers have big ears?”
“I’m not a little pitcher!” Ed yelled after them as Havoc laughed.
Spare the rod and spoil the child
This saying has been around for a long time. It first appears in the form we’re familiar with in Samuel Butler’s satire Hudibras, published in 1662, but likely the sentiment behind the saying was drawn from the Bible. In (coincidentally enough) Proverbs 13:24, the following is found:
He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
What it boils down to is discipline. If one spares the rod—in other words, if one does not discipline one’s child—then the child is apt to grow up spoiled, thinking he or she should be indulged all the time. It has been inferred to mean corporal punishment of the child, but as thinking has evolved, so too has the intent behind the saying. The punishment meted out doesn’t have to be physical in order to correct the child’s behavior.
In addition, it’s interesting to note that many different words in the original Hebrew are translated into English as “rod”, and not all of them mean an actual, physical stick. The shepherd uses his rod (which is different from his staff) not only to protect his flock from wolves and other dangers, but to guide it as well. If sheep stray in an unwanted direction, the shepherd can throw the rod so that it lands in front of them, startling them and bringing them back to the flock. Many times when rods are referred to in the Bible, particularly in connection with shepherds, they’re symbolic of divine guidance.
Given some of the unpleasant connotations of the modern meaning of “rod,” this saying might be used by characters who are of an older or sterner mindset:
“Well,” Colonel Mustang said, staring at the stone slabs and broken bits of metal that lay in various craters in the street, “at least we know Fullmetal was here.”
General Grumman shook his head as he surveyed the damage. “That boy was never told to clean up after himself. His parents should have been stricter with him. You know what they say, Mustang—spare the rod and spoil the child.”
“I really don’t think that Fullmetal was spoiled as a child, General,” Mustang murmured.
Ultimately, both of the sayings we’ve looked at today are fairly old-fashioned. Whenever children crop up in stories, either of these sayings might well come into play. Usage, however, will probably depend on the circumstances or the age and outlook of the people saying them.
Sources:
- Dictionary.com here and here
- The Free Dictionary here and here
- Little pitchers have big ears at
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word_ancestry - Spare the rod and spoil the child
- Rod at Bible History
