where did the phrase "of mice and men" originate?

Question

I know the book, but the title was taken from a nursery rhyme or poetry or other source. Trying to get an answer for a friend with MS. Any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

I believe the phrase comes from an old Scottish proverb that dates from medieval times or before, and goes something like this, "The best laid plans, o' mice and men, o'er go astray". John Steinbeck chose it as his title for his short book in the 1930's.

Answer 2

If you have the book, I believe the poem is reproduced in the beginning of it. Like other answerers said, the poem is Scottish and can be interpreted more familiarly as, "The best laid plans of mice and men/ go often astray..."

Steinbeck was originally going to call his book "Something That Happened," but chose "Of Mice and Men" instead.

I'd suggest putting the Scottish lines that the other answerers provided into Google and seeing what you get. I tried this while adding "Steinbeck," but you get things like Spark Notes.

This is probably not satisfactory, but I found this on
http://www.newi.ac.uk/englishresources/workunits/ks4/fiction/ofmicemen/llshort/factsheet.html :

The title of the novel comes from a poem by the Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759 - 96):

The best laid schemes o' mice and men
Gang aft agley [often go wrong]
And leave us nought but grief and pain
For promised joy!

Answer 3

Ah, yes, my favorite poem. Indeed, everyone is right; Robert Burns:
"To A Mouse, On Turning Her Up In Her Nest With The Plough"

http://www.robertburns.org/works/75.shtml

He apologizes to the mouse, says he wouldn't hurt it, talks about how hard it must have worked to build the nest now in ruin with the winter coming on and how the mouse doesn't have a lot of chance. That's when he says that about the best-laid schemes of mice and men.

In the last verse, however, he says that the mousie is still blessed compared to him because the mouse only knows about right now and he can rue the past and worry about the future.

Robert Burns is the best known Scottish poet, and he wrote hundreds of poems, including the still-sung 'auld lang syne,' and from which many of our modern day quotes have evolved.

He must have been quite an interesting guy. From "To a Louse, On Seeing One On A Lady's Bonnet, At Church 1786" to "Under The Pressure Of Violent Anguish" to "Address to the Toothache," his poems are quite diverse.

The book is tragic and rather disturbing.

Natasha

Answer 4

When trying to describe the flavor of meat the listener has never eaten, a common declaration is that it tastes like chicken. The expression has been used so often that it has become somewhat of a cliché. As a result, the phrase also sometimes gets used for incongruous humor, by being deployed for foods or situations to which it has no real relevance. The expression has made its way into popular culture in a variety of contexts. The phrase has made modern appearances in the media, such as in The Lion King, Six Days Seven Nights, The Matrix, Stargate, Surf's Up and the initial season of the reality television show Survivor. As an explanation of why unusual meats would taste more like chicken than common alternatives such as beef or pork, different possibilities have been offered. One suggestion is that chicken has a bland taste because fat contributes more flavor than muscle (especially in the case of a lean cut such as a skinless chicken breast), making it a generic choice for comparison. Also, chicken reportedly has lower levels of glutamates that contribute to the "savory" aspect of taste sometimes known as umami; processing or tenderizing other meats would also lower glutamate levels and make them taste more like chicken. Another suggestion, made by Joe Staton of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, is that meat flavors are fixed based on the evolutionary origin of the animal. Accordingly, birds (the most numerous form of meat by type) would naturally taste more like chicken than mammals. Furthermore, based on evidence for dinosaurs as the ancestors of birds, reptile meat might also taste somewhat like chicken. Seafood, however, would logically have a more distinctive flavor. Staton's lighthearted study of the question was published in the Annals of Improbable Research.

Answer 5

T W and Tina are correct. It was written by Robbie Burns, the ploughman's poet, in 1785 when he was tilling his earth in October and uncovered a mouse's nest. "wee sleekit cowrin' timrous beastie". There is a translation available here into current English. Actually I have a tattoo with a mouse that says "the best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley" but was torn on getting another great line from the best poem ever "I'm truly sorry man's dominion has broken nature's social union...." Here's the link - enjoy!

http://www.worldburnsclub.com/poems/translations/554.htm

Answer 6

it is a line from the poem "To a Mouse," by Robert Burns, the 18th century Scottish poet. The full quote, however, is the two-line stanza: "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men/Gang aft a-gley." (A free translation of the second line could be: Often go awry or become unraveled.)

great book!

Answer 7

Probably from the poem “To a Mouse,” by Robert Burns, wherein he coins the phrase " The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men".

Answer 8

its called To a Mouse
by the great scottish poet Robert Burns



The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men,
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!
(The best laid schemes of Mice and Men
oft go awry,
And leave us nothing but grief and pain,
For promised joy!)

Answer 9

i think it was a poem something like this:
best-laid plans of mice and men oft go awry
the poem is by Robert Burns

Answer 10

well all i can think of is the book and i dunno if this will help but here it goes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=phrase+of+mice+and+men&go=Go

good luck and i hope you will find your answer soon!