bigscoop
Gold Member
- Jun 4, 2010
- 13,373
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- Older blue Excal with full mods, Equinox 800.
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'Not worth the candle' is ultimately of French origin. It appears in Randle Cotgrave's A Dictionarie of the French and English Tongues, 1611
The meaning of this is that a topic or subject isn't worth the wasting of the candle to view. The adverse of this would be, “Worth the candle” meaning that the subject or topic is worth wasting the candle to view.
“The flame is worth the candle” means that by starting the flame it is realized that the candle will be lost but that this loss is worth lighting the flame.
This same sentiment can be seen today in the statue of Liberty, the raising of the torch of freedom, this statue also being French in origin.
Let's not focus on “French” again, as most will quickly wish to do, but rather the focus should be on the meaning and principles behind the statement, “The flame is worth the candle” or "The candle is worth the flame."
Again, the author of the Beale Papers has offered us clue to the bigger picture being written about.
The meaning of this is that a topic or subject isn't worth the wasting of the candle to view. The adverse of this would be, “Worth the candle” meaning that the subject or topic is worth wasting the candle to view.
“The flame is worth the candle” means that by starting the flame it is realized that the candle will be lost but that this loss is worth lighting the flame.
This same sentiment can be seen today in the statue of Liberty, the raising of the torch of freedom, this statue also being French in origin.
Let's not focus on “French” again, as most will quickly wish to do, but rather the focus should be on the meaning and principles behind the statement, “The flame is worth the candle” or "The candle is worth the flame."
Again, the author of the Beale Papers has offered us clue to the bigger picture being written about.
