2006-08-09 05:58:20 · 3 answers · asked by Chris I 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
A DROWNING MAN WILL CATCH AT STRAWS - "A desperate person will try anything to save himself, no matter how unlikely. The proverb has been traced back to 'Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation' (1534) by Thomas More (1478-1535). First cited in the United States in 'Colonial Currency' (1720). The proverb is found in varying forms" a drowning man will clutch at a straw; A drowning man grabs at a straw; A drowning man snatches at straws, etc. The proverb has its counterpart in other languages too."
2006-08-09 06:05:02 · answer #1 · answered by rattgrrrl 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thanks for the interesting answer Ratgrrrl. I thought it came from the times when the ancient Egyptians made bricks and one of the chores the Pharaoh set for the Israelites was making bricks without providing any straw. The straw was what made the bricks hold together, so the Israelites had to scrounge in the desert to find straws so they could make their quota of bricks. Grasping at straws meant grabbing anything you could get that would serve the purpose, and that's reportedly what they did. But other than the biblical stories, I don't have references as explicit as yours.
2006-08-09 13:51:34 · answer #2 · answered by old lady 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, if you try to hold on to or pull on a piece of straw, it's just going to be pulled out of the pile, and you'll be left with a single piece of straw. That's why the saying is used to mean "attempting a futile task."
2006-08-09 13:04:49 · answer #3 · answered by answerator 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋