Rest on your laurels origin

Every language has its share of idioms and English is certainly no exception. Surprisingly, some of these phrases actually make logical sense when you look into their origins. You lull yourself into a state of complacency, pleased with what you have achieved in the past.

Highly-accomplished people are often praised for their deeds. Besides their culinary or ornamental uses, the idea of a crown of laurels stems from the Greek myth of Daphne and Apollo, ruler of the sun and god of music. When Apollo wanted to woo the nymph Daphne, she turned into a laurel tree instead of returning his affections. Though he was rejected, Apollo decided to don a crown of laurel leaves in her honor. In ancient Greek tradition, these crowns were gifted to athletic champions and seen as symbols of status and victory.

Rest on your laurels origin

Add to word list Add to word list. Just because you've got your degree doesn't mean you can rest on your laurels. Satisfied and complacent. The company can't just sit back and rest on its laurels — we have to move on to something new. Translations of rest on your laurels in Chinese Traditional. See more. Need a translator? Translator tool. Browse rest easy idiom. Read More.

David's Day with a beginner's guide to Welsh spellings.

In Ancient Greece, victorious athletes were presented with laurel wreaths to wear. They were, and still are, signs of great accomplishment, unless you start resting on them Winning competitors in the Ancient Greek Phythian Games, a forerunner of the Olympics founded roughly in the 6th century BC, were given wreaths made of the aromatic laurel leaves as a symbol of their triumph. It was believed that the god Apollo declared the laurel plant sacred after his true love — the nymph Daphne — was turned into one. That is why Apollo was depicted wearing a crown of laurel. The Romans borrowed the idea and began presenting laurel wreaths to victorious military commanders.

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Rest on your laurels origin

A laurel is a shrub that was traditionally used to weave wreaths and crowns that were symbols of victory in the sporting events of ancient Greece. Today, laurel is synonymous with achievement , and a laureate is one who an award or achievement is bestowed upon. The word also appears in the phrase resting upon one's laurels , in which one is satisfied with their previous successes and makes no attempt at any other. Laurel is the name for an evergreen tree or shrub having attractive shiny, pointed leaves. The plant is also known as the bay or sweet bay and, yes, its leaves are the dried bay leaves that are used in cooking. In ancient Greece, its foliage was intertwined to form crowns, chaplets , garlands , or wreaths as symbols for victory achieved by athletes in the Pythian games, chiefly those held at Delphi , at which various athletic and musical competitions were held in honor of Apollo , the Greek and Roman god of sunlight, prophecy, music, and poetry. The Pythian games took place in August of the third year of each Olympiad , which is the 4-year period between the Olympic Games ; the interval between them is referred to as the Pythiad. The connection of the laurel with Apollo traces to mythology. As the story goes, Apollo fell in love with the river nymph Daphne , who rejected every lover, including the poetic god.

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Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Translator tool. Notify me of new posts by email. The government can't rest on its laurels and must press ahead with major policy changes. Previous Happy Turkey Day, America. Grammar English Easy Learning Grammar. He is now married with too children. Get the latest news and gain access to exclusive updates and offers Sign me up. Quick word challenge Quiz Review. David's Day with a beginner's guide to Welsh spellings.

Add to word list Add to word list. Just because you've got your degree doesn't mean you can rest on your laurels.

Free word lists and quizzes from Cambridge. Need a translator? Log In. Check See the answer Next Next quiz Review. German to English. English American Translations. Nevertheless, we can return to the glory days of laurels. Beyond a Night at the Apollo In this way, if you rest on your laurels, it means that you have achieved some victory in the past and you were metaphorically awarded a laurel wreath. Italian English to Italian. Anger is part of the mourning process. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. These cookies do not store any personal information.