Camel's nose

Last updated

The camel's nose is a metaphor for a situation where the permitting of a small, seemingly innocuous act will open the door for larger, clearly undesirable actions.

Contents

History

The phrase is not commonly used in the 21st century. According to Geoffrey Nunberg, the image entered the English language in the middle of the 19th century. [1] An early example is a fable printed in 1858 in which an Arab miller allows a camel to stick its nose into his bedroom, then other parts of its body, until the camel is entirely inside and refuses to leave. [2] Lydia Sigourney wrote another version, a widely reprinted poem for children, in which the camel enters a shop because the workman does not forbid it at any stage. [3]

The 1858 example above says, "The Arabs repeat a fable", and Sigourney says in a footnote, "To illustrate the danger of the first approach of evil habit, the Arabs have a proverb, 'Beware of the camel's nose.'" Nunberg could not find an Arab source for the saying, however, and suspected it was a Victorian invention. [1]

An early citation with a tent is "The camel in the Arabian tale begged and received permission to insert his nose into the desert tent." [4] By 1878, the expression was familiar enough that part of the story could be left unstated. "It is the humble petition of the camel, who only asks that he may put his nose into the traveler's tent. It is so pitiful, so modest, that we must needs relent and grant it." [5]

A 1909 essay by John B. West, founder of the West legal classification system, used the metaphor to describe the difficulty of trying to insert an otherwise innocuous set of facts into a rigid legal system:

three excellent digesters [] spent an entire day in disagreeing as to whether seal fishery cases should be classified under the topic 'Fish' or that of 'Game' .... It is the old story of the camel's head in the tent. What seems at first a plausible pretext for forcing some novel case or new principle into a topic or subdivision to which it does not naturally belong, leads to hopeless confusion. [6]

In a 1915 book of fables by Horace Scudder, the story titled The Arab and His Camel ends with the moral: "It is a wise rule to resist the beginnings of evil." [7]

U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater used the metaphor in expressing his opposition to the National Defense Education Act in 1958: [8]

This bill and the foregoing remarks of the majority remind me of an old Arabian proverb: "If the camel once gets his nose in the tent, his body will soon follow." If adopted, the legislation will mark the inception of aid, supervision, and ultimately control of education in this country by the federal authorities. [9]

The phrase was used in Reed v. King, 145 Cal.App.3d 261, 266, 193 Cal.Rptr. 130 (1983) "The paramount argument against an affirmative conclusion is it permits the camel's nose of unrestrained irrationality admission to the tent. If such an 'irrational' consideration is permitted as a basis of rescission the stability of all conveyances will be seriously undermined." The case in question involved a plaintiff suing because the defendant sold a house without telling them that the house's previous inhabitants had been brutally murdered 10 years earlier.

In 2019, a version of the phrase was used by Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley in a concurring opinion addressing a coverage dispute among feuding liability insurers (Steadfast Ins. Co. v. Greenwich Ins. Co., 2019 WI 6), noting that allowing a non-breaching insurer to recover its attorney's fees from a breaching insurer would abrogate the American Rule (each party is responsible for its own fees regardless of result) to such an extent that "once the camel's nose is in the tent, the rest will likely follow."

There are a number of other metaphors and expressions which refer to small changes leading to chains of events with undesirable or unexpected consequences, differing in nuances.

English language
Other languages

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slippery slope</span> Logical fallacy

In a slippery slope argument, a course of action is rejected because the slippery slope advocate believes it will lead to a chain reaction resulting in an undesirable end or ends. The core of the slippery slope argument is that a specific decision under debate is likely to result in unintended consequences. The strength of such an argument depends on whether the small step really is likely to lead to the effect. This is quantified in terms of what is known as the warrant. This type of argument is sometimes used as a form of fearmongering in which the probable consequences of a given action are exaggerated in an attempt to scare the audience.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Proverb</span> Short traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth

A proverb is a simple, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and use formulaic language. A proverbial phrase or a proverbial expression is a type of a conventional saying similar to proverbs and transmitted by oral tradition. The difference is that a proverb is a fixed expression, while a proverbial phrase permits alterations to fit the grammar of the context. Collectively, they form a genre of folklore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metonymy</span> Figure of speech in which something is referred to by the name of an associated thing

Metonymy is a figure of speech in which a concept is referred to by the name of something closely associated with that thing or concept.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Body language</span> Type of nonverbal communication

Body language is a type of communication in which physical behaviors, as opposed to words, are used to express or convey information. Such behavior includes facial expressions, body posture, gestures, eye movement, touch and the use of space. The term body language is usually applied in regard to people but may also be applied to animals. The study of body language is also known as kinesics. Although body language is an important part of communication, most of it happens without conscious awareness.

Wuḍūʾ is the Islamic procedure for cleansing parts of the body, a type of ritual purification, or ablution. The 4 Fardh (Mandatory) acts of Wudu are: washing the face, then the arms, then wiping the head, then washing or wiping the feet, and doing these in order, without any big breaks between them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knocking on wood</span> Apotropaic tradition believed to ward off evil

Knocking on wood is an apotropaic tradition of literally touching, tapping, or knocking on wood, or merely stating that one is doing or intending to do so, in order to avoid "tempting fate" after making a favorable prediction or boast, or a declaration concerning one's own death or another unfavorable situation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahab the Arab</span> 1962 single by Ray Stevens

"Ahab the Arab" is a novelty song written and recorded by Ray Stevens in 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghusl</span> Islamic ritual purification

Ghusl is an Arabic term to the full-body ritual purification mandatory before the performance of various rituals and prayers, for any adult Muslim after sexual intercourse before Friday prayer and prayers for Islamic holidays, before entering the ihram in preparation for Hajj, after having lost consciousness, and after formally converting. Sunni Muslims also perform the ablution before Salat al-Tawba "Prayer of Repentance".

The story and metaphor of The Dog in the Manger derives from an old Greek fable which has been transmitted in several different versions. Interpreted variously over the centuries, the metaphor is now used to speak of one who spitefully prevents others from having something for which one has no use. Although the story was ascribed to Aesop's Fables in the 15th century, there is no ancient source that does so.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wellerism</span> Type of witticism

Wellerisms, named after sayings of Sam Weller in Charles Dickens's novel The Pickwick Papers, make fun of established clichés and proverbs by showing that they are wrong in certain situations, often when taken literally. In this sense, Wellerisms that include proverbs are a type of anti-proverb. Typically a Wellerism consists of three parts: a proverb or saying, a speaker, and an often humorously literal explanation.

The lion's share is an idiomatic expression which now refers to the major share of something. The phrase derives from the plot of a number of fables ascribed to Aesop and is used here as their generic title. There are two main types of story, which exist in several different versions. Other fables exist in the East that feature division of prey in such a way that the divider gains the greater part - or even the whole. In English the phrase used in the sense of nearly all only appeared at the end of the 18th century; the French equivalent, le partage du lion, is recorded from the start of that century, following La Fontaine's version of the fable.

Many Chinese proverbs exist, some of which have entered English in forms that are of varying degrees of faithfulness. A notable example is "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step", from the Dao De Jing, ascribed to Laozi. They cover all aspects of life, and are widely used in everyday speech, in contrast to the decline of the use of proverbs in Western cultures. The majority are distinct from high literary forms such as xiehouyu and chengyu, and are common sayings of usually anonymous authorship, originating through "little tradition" rather than "great tradition".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anti-proverb</span> Transformation of a standard proverb for humorous effect

An anti-proverb or a perverb is the transformation of a standard proverb for humorous effect. Paremiologist Wolfgang Mieder defines them as "parodied, twisted, or fractured proverbs that reveal humorous or satirical speech play with traditional proverbial wisdom". Anti-proverbs are ancient, Aristophanes having used one in his play Peace, substituting κώẟων "bell" for κύων "bitch, female dog", twisting the standard and familiar "The hasty bitch gives birth to blind" to "The hasty bellfinch gives birth to blind".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew 6:3</span>

Matthew 6:3 is the third verse of the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. This verse continues the discussion of how one should give to charity.

Paremiology is the collection and study of paroemias (proverbs). It is a subfield of both philology and linguistics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamp under a bushel</span> Parable taught by Jesus of Nazareth according to Christian gospels

The parable of the lamp under a bushel is one of the parables of Jesus. It appears in Matthew 5:14–15, Mark 4:21–25 and Luke 8:16–18. In Matthew, the parable is a continuation of the discourse on salt and light in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, whereas in Mark and Luke, it is a continuation of the themes expounded in the Parable of the Sower regarding the secrets of the kingdom of God. The parable also appears in the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas as saying 33.

An obscene gesture is a movement or position of the body, especially of the hands or arms, that is considered exceedingly offensive or vulgar in some particular cultures. Such gestures are often sexually suggestive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">God helps those who help themselves</span> Religious saying

The phrase "God helps those who help themselves" is a motto that emphasizes the importance of self-initiative and agency. The expression is known around the world and is used to inspire people for self-help. The phrase originated in ancient Greece as "the gods help those who help themselves" and may originally have been proverbial. It is illustrated by two of Aesop's Fables and a similar sentiment is found in ancient Greek drama. Although it has been commonly attributed to Benjamin Franklin, the modern English wording appears earlier in Algernon Sidney's work. A humorous addition to the saying has, "God helps those who help themselves, but God help those who get caught helping themselves".

The Hawk and the Nightingale is one of the earliest fables recorded in Greek and there have been many variations on the story since Classical times. The original version is numbered 4 in the Perry Index and the later Aesop version, sometimes going under the title "The Hawk, the Nightingale and the Birdcatcher", is numbered 567. The stories began as a reflection on the arbitrary use of power and eventually shifted to being a lesson in the wise use of resources.

References

  1. 1 2 Nunberg, Geoffrey (2009). Going Nucular: Language, Politics, and Culture in Confrontational Times (1st ed.). New York: PublicAffairs. p. 118. ISBN   9780786738649 . Retrieved 9 July 2011.
  2. Anonymous (1858). "Sin is a Bad Master". The Child's Companion and Juvenile Instructor. The Religious Tract Society. p. 14.
  3. Sigourney, Lydia Howard (1860). Gleanings. Hartford: Brown & Gross. pp.  58–59. ISBN   9781425523282 . Retrieved 15 September 2007.
  4. The New York Times, April 21, 1875
  5. The New York Times, March 14, 1878.
  6. West, John. "Multiplicity of Reports" . Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  7. "The Baldwin Project: The Book of Fables and Folk Stories by Horace E. Scudder". Mainlesson.com. Retrieved 2016-02-07.
  8. Wilson, John T. (1983). Academic Science, Higher Education, and the Federal Government, 1950-1983. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 51. ISBN   9780226900520 . Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  9. Pierce, Patrick A.; Miller, Donald E. (2004). Gambling Politics: State Gambling Politics: State Government and the Business of Betting. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers. p. 133. ISBN   9781588262684 . Retrieved 15 September 2007.
  10. "Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms", Cambridge University Press (1998)
  11. "Give them an inch". Chinadaily.com.cn. 2006-07-06. Retrieved 2016-02-07.
  12. "उँगली पकड़ कर पहुँचा पकड़ना | अमरकोश - भारत का शब्दकोश". अमरकोश.भारत (in Hindi). Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  13. "når man rækker Fanden en lillefinger, tager han hele hånden — Den Danske Ordbog". ordnet.dk. Retrieved 2024-02-15.