citrin@ucbvax.ARPA (Wayne Citrin) (01/22/85)
The combined resources of the net ought to be able to solve this for me: Who was Hobson? What was the choice he had to make? Thanks. Wayne Citrin (ucbvax!citrin)
gadfly@ihu1m.UUCP (Gadfly) (01/24/85)
-- >> Who was Hobson? What was the choice he had to make? >> Thanks. >> Wayne Citrin Hobson didn't have any choice to make, but then neither did his clientelle. Thomas Hobson ran a stable, in England I think, and required his customers to take the horse closest to the barn door. "Hobson's choice" is no choice at all, although it carries the implication of the illusion of one. The term is often misused to mean a generic, weighty dilemma, as in "between the devil and the deep blue sea". That phrase, incidentally, has nothing to do with theology. The pieces of caulk that seal the spaces between the planks on wood boats are called "devils". -- *** *** JE MAINTIENDRAI ***** ***** ****** ****** 23 Jan 85 [4 Pluviose An CXCIII] ken perlow ***** ***** (312)979-7188 ** ** ** ** ..ihnp4!iwsl8!ken *** ***
cib@lanl.ARPA (01/27/85)
> The combined resources of the net ought to be able to solve this for me: > > Who was Hobson? What was the choice he had to make? > > Thanks. > > Wayne Citrin > (ucbvax!citrin) Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable gives: Hobson's Choice means no choice at all. The saying derives eponymously from Thomas Hobson (1544?-1631), a Cambridge carrier well known in his day (he is celebrated in Fuller's Worthies and in two epitaphs by Milton), who refused to let out any horse except in its proper turn.
ron@brl-tgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (01/28/85)
> The combined resources of the net ought to be able to solve this for me: > > Who was Hobson? What was the choice he had to make? > > Thanks. > Hobson was Thomas Hobson (1544-1631) of Cambridge England, who rented horses and gave his customer only one choice, that of the horse closest to the stable door. So says the Random House dictionary. Actually, I recall the story with slight variation. When putting your horse in his stable for the night, you had to choose first empty stall you came to. -Ron