APAD: Neither here nor there

本帖于 2025-07-27 08:08:24 时间, 由普通用户 最西边的岛上 编辑

"Neither here nor there" is an idiom meaning something is unimportant, irrelevant, or inconsequential. It suggests that a particular piece of information or point of discussion is not relevant to the matter at hand. The idiom can also be used to dismiss something as unimportant or immaterial.

It first appeared in Arthur Golding’s 1574 translation of a collection of sermons by John Calvin, The sermons of "J. Calvin on Deuteronomie": “True it is that our so doing is neither here nor there (as they say) in respect of God.”

- From online with editing
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Believe it or not, the idiom was also used by Shakespeare in his play "Othello" (Act 4, Scene 3), where Emilia said: "‘Tis neither here nor there".  As such, some even thought the phrase was coined by The Bard of Avon.

Somehow it reminds me of another phrase that WAS coined by The Bard: "The be-all and end-all" ("Macbeth")

I think, as ordinary people (at least for myself 微笑), our lives probably have much more of the "neither here nor there" moments than the "be-all and end-all" events.  The key to be happy is to find joy and learn to enjoy the ordinary and trivial things, IMHO.

Here comes another point: if there isn't "neither here nor there", there won't be any "be-all and end-all". 得意

Happy Sunday to you all.

 

所有跟帖: 

Happiness is the most over-hyped&neither here nor there. -7grizzly- 给 7grizzly 发送悄悄话 7grizzly 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 07/27/2025 postreply 08:36:54

Is Zeno always indifferent? -最西边的岛上- 给 最西边的岛上 发送悄悄话 最西边的岛上 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 07/27/2025 postreply 08:45:24

Who knows? Or maybe more relevant, who cares? :-) -7grizzly- 给 7grizzly 发送悄悄话 7grizzly 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 07/27/2025 postreply 08:51:02

StartedLaughing @what U said 1st, but then tears come out .. -最西边的岛上- 给 最西边的岛上 发送悄悄话 最西边的岛上 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 07/27/2025 postreply 08:54:09

justRealizeNow Y I ain't stoic even want 2b: feel 2 much & -最西边的岛上- 给 最西边的岛上 发送悄悄话 最西边的岛上 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 07/27/2025 postreply 09:02:00

care 2 much & was born this way ... -最西边的岛上- 给 最西边的岛上 发送悄悄话 最西边的岛上 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 07/27/2025 postreply 09:03:39

neither hear nor there; in the middle of nowhere. -移花接木- 给 移花接木 发送悄悄话 移花接木 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 07/27/2025 postreply 11:27:54

Like where Santa Claus lives (North Pole, Canada, H0H 0H0)? -最西边的岛上- 给 最西边的岛上 发送悄悄话 最西边的岛上 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 07/27/2025 postreply 11:41:39

Is Santa Claus here or there in respect of God? -移花接木- 给 移花接木 发送悄悄话 移花接木 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 07/27/2025 postreply 11:55:36

2 young 1s & believers, they might b the same thing? -最西边的岛上- 给 最西边的岛上 发送悄悄话 最西边的岛上 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 07/27/2025 postreply 12:07:32

Thanks for sharing! 无足轻重? -硅谷居士- 给 硅谷居士 发送悄悄话 硅谷居士 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 07/28/2025 postreply 08:50:50

准确! -最西边的岛上- 给 最西边的岛上 发送悄悄话 最西边的岛上 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 07/28/2025 postreply 09:05:36

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