ProverbHuman Nature
Greek origin
Greek originOld men are twice children.
Meaning: Aging reverses mental acuity and emotional control, returning people to childlike dependence and impulsivity.
Origin: The thought is Greek: Aristophanes' Clouds says old men are children twice over, and Sophocles wrote that the aged man is once again a child. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Rosencrantz says of Polonius that "an old man is twice a child."
Explore another collection: Idioms
Colorful expressions from dozens of languages, with their word-for-word translations.
- Dans le pétrin In serious trouble.
- Avoir du pain sur la planche To have a great deal of work ahead.
- Manger son pain blanc en premier To take the easy part at the start and leave the hard part for later.
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