Chrysti The Wordsmith: Blessing in Disguise

Greetings This is Christie the wordsmith. And Internet search for the expression a blessing in disguise indicates that this sentiment is extremely popular. Online articles enumerate scores of circumstances that writers consider blessings in disguise from high oil prices that stimulate alternative energy technologies to the basketball player whose knee injuries forced him to pursue a new and meaningful career a blessing in disguise is of course an apparent misfortune that turns into something beneficial. This joins the roster of optimistic expressions such as every cloud has a silver lining. April showers bring May flowers and when one door closes another opens. As is the case with so many of our bright lines this one has its genesis in literature. The expression first appeared in a poem by the 18th century English poet James hervé who wrote even crosses from his sovereign hand are blessings in disguise when hervé wrote crosses in his poem.

He meant burdens or trials. The phrase blessing in disguise was common in the 1800s and has been considered a cliche now for about a century. I'm Christie the wordsmith from Montana State University in Bozeman and the theme music you hear on the series is performed and composed by guitarist Stuart Weber a Montana musician whose music you can access through my website wordsmith radio dot org. CHRISTIE The wordsmith is sponsored by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Zoot enterprises a high tech firm in Bozeman Montana offering challenging careers and innovative solutions for the financial services industry. Zoot web dot com.