Winning English - Mastering Idioms, Slang, and References
Asking Forgiveness • On the Blink • Comfort Food
Change can be hard. United States Navy Rear Admiral Grace Hopper knew that. Back in the mid-20th century, she was one of the earliest computer programmers. One day she came up with an idea that programming should rely on plain English, instead of complex symbols. (Personally, I’m a fan of that.) She faced resistance, but she developed her ideas, anyway. She’s credited with saying:
“It’s easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission.”
Eventually, her ideas were accepted and led to the development of COBOL, the widely used computer language.
Photo by Alex Motoc on Unsplash
Sometimes you have a great idea, but you know it won’t be popular with someone - a boss, a friend, etc. You might choose to act on your idea and apologize later, rather than first convince them that you have a good idea.
A little more history - even though Rear Admiral Hopper made this saying popular, it appears to have been in the culture long before then.
Finally, I would change some words if I were saying this idiom: “It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission.” I like the way it sounds when “ask for” is repeated.
Speaking of computers, sometimes they go on the blink. Usually turning the power off and back on solves the problem.
Photo by Daan Stevens on Unsplash
“To go on the blink” means a piece of electronic equipment isn’t working right in some way. It might be malfunctioning in a small way, or it might be completely broken.
Finally, talking about apologizing and machines breaking might be making you feel nervous and stressed. If so, you might want to eat some comfort food. I find most people like something sweet. I like salty potato chips.
Photo by 🇨🇭 Claudio Schwarz | @purzlbaum on Unsplash
Some foods just make us feel happy or relaxed. Maybe it’s a favorite treat. Maybe it’s a favorite meal that you ate as a child. We call these foods “comfort foods” because they give us comfort and make us feel good.