Message-ID: <31FCFFC0.5308@ccil.org> Date: Mon, 29 Jul 1996 14:15:28 -0400 From: John Cowan Organization: Lojban Peripheral X-Mailer: Mozilla 2.0 (Win16; I) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Lojban List Subject: Re: may the wind be always at your back Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mozilla-Status: 0011 Content-Length: 825 X-From-Space-Date: Mon Jul 29 14:15:28 1996 X-From-Space-Address: cowan@ccil.org la stivn. cusku di'e > Running downwind is a rather nervous tack, as there is the > danger of an unintentional jibe, which can capsize the craft. Conveying > wishes to be slow and nervous seem more like a curse than a blessing. Is > there a reference for the assertion that this is a natical term? I am > familiar with this phrase from a plaque that my grandmother had in her > parlor, which was titled "An Irish Blessing May the road rise to meet you, > may the wind be always at your back...may the Lord hold you in the hollow > of his hand." The collation with "road" suggests to me that the reference is to walkers, not sailors; walking with the wind at your back is far more comfortable than facing into it, as a rule, especially in temperate climates. -- John Cowan cowan@ccil.org e'osai ko sarji la lojban