Burning the candle at both ends origin

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary. All day you write, is it not so? And at night you come home to write still more?

To burn the candle at both ends has changed meaning since its inception in the 18th century. It originally described senseless waste. Candles were the main source of artificial lighting. Not only were they widely sought after, they were expensive. Burning a candle from both ends would use it up twice as quickly without any benefit. With the changes wrought by the age of electricity, the phrase changed as well.

Burning the candle at both ends origin

Our current understanding of this phrase is of a life lived frenetically and unsustainably - working or enjoying oneself late into the night only to begin again early the next day. It didn't having that meaning when it was first coined in the 18th century. The 'both ends' then weren't the ends of the day but were a literal reference to the two ends of a candle. Candles were useful and valuable see not worth the candle and the notion of waste suggested by lighting both ends at once implied reckless waste. This thought may well have been accentuated by the fact that candles may only be lit at both ends when held horizontally, which would cause them to drip and burn out quickly. Nathan Bailey defined the term in his Dictionarium Britannicum , , by which time the phrase had already been given a figurative interpretation and the 'both ends' were a husband and wife:. Said when Husband and Wife are both Spendthrifts. Like not worth the candle , the phrase derives from an earlier French version. By Gary Martin. Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than million of his pages have been downloaded by readers.

You can't keep burning the candle at both ends!

The idiom was translated from French in This means that you were causing your money to disappear. This is because candles were expensive and burning them cost money. If you were burning the candle at both ends, you were being wasteful. You would also have to hold the candle horizontally, which leads to the wax dripping off and being wasted.

Our current understanding of this phrase is of a life lived frenetically and unsustainably - working or enjoying oneself late into the night only to begin again early the next day. It didn't having that meaning when it was first coined in the 18th century. The 'both ends' then weren't the ends of the day but were a literal reference to the two ends of a candle. Candles were useful and valuable see not worth the candle and the notion of waste suggested by lighting both ends at once implied reckless waste. This thought may well have been accentuated by the fact that candles may only be lit at both ends when held horizontally, which would cause them to drip and burn out quickly. Nathan Bailey defined the term in his Dictionarium Britannicum , , by which time the phrase had already been given a figurative interpretation and the 'both ends' were a husband and wife:.

Burning the candle at both ends origin

The phrase "burn the candle at both ends" is a popular idiom used to describe a situation where someone works too hard or tries too much at once. This idiom is often used to describe someone working long hours, juggling multiple responsibilities, or simply trying to do too much in a short time. The imagery of the idiom suggests that one is using up all of their energy or resources, similar to how a candle would burn out quickly if it were lit at both ends. The idiom has a single primary meaning, which relates to exhausting oneself by doing too much work or taking on too many responsibilities.

Course catalog vassar

English—Spanish Spanish—English. Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English. English—Indonesian Indonesian—English. Translations Click on the arrows to change the translation direction. This means that you were causing your money to disappear. The idiom has since taken on a different meaning. Word Lists. Right where his hand is now. English—French French—English. Example Sentences Since starting my new job, I have been burning the candle at both ends. My word lists. English—Italian Italian—English. Grammar Thesaurus.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'burn.

All day you write, is it not so? To live at a hectic pace. Namespaces Entry Discussion. Views Read Edit History. With the changes wrought by the age of electricity, the phrase changed as well. That tall child looks terrible! You can't keep burning the candle at both ends! Sign up now or Log in. About the author Translations to be checked. Example Sentences Since starting my new job, I have been burning the candle at both ends. My word lists.