cheezywhywhy t1_japwvwt wrote on March 3, 2023 at 4:56 AM Reply to comment by SCWarriors44 in TIL "to pull oneself up by one's bootstraps" is an example of an impossible task. The idiom dates at least to 1834, from the Workingman's Advocate: "It is conjectured that Mr. Murphee will now be enabled to hand himself over the Cumberland river or a barn yard fence by the straps of his boots. by meat-juice MLK said “it is cruel to tell a bootless man to pull himself up by his bootstraps.” Permalink Parent 6
cheezywhywhy t1_j5x8rr9 wrote on January 26, 2023 at 4:36 AM Reply to comment by frankybling in TIL Jonny Greenwood pretended to play keyboards for months when he joined Radiohead. He was told "I can’t quite hear what you’re doing, but I think you’re adding a really interesting texture" by btb331 Dunning Kruger Permalink Parent 2
cheezywhywhy t1_japwvwt wrote
Reply to comment by SCWarriors44 in TIL "to pull oneself up by one's bootstraps" is an example of an impossible task. The idiom dates at least to 1834, from the Workingman's Advocate: "It is conjectured that Mr. Murphee will now be enabled to hand himself over the Cumberland river or a barn yard fence by the straps of his boots. by meat-juice
MLK said “it is cruel to tell a bootless man to pull himself up by his bootstraps.”