Tag Archives: for want of a nail

The disaster’s antecedent

Posted on September 20, 2020 by

蟻の穴から堤も崩れる (Ari no ana kara tsutsumi mo kuzureru; “Even a dike crumbles due to an ant’s burrow”) Definition: Big events can arise from small causes. Specifically, even errors, negligence, or lack of attention or preparation that didn’t seem important at … Continue reading →

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And all for want of a horseshoe nail!

Posted on February 21, 2016 by

(Really, it goes backwards to the movement of the solar accretion disk… and beyond as well.) （大）風が吹けば桶屋が儲かる ((Oo)kaze ga fukeba okeya ga moukaru; “When the (strong) wind blows, bucket-makers prosper.”) Definition: A well-known saying that refers to unintended consequences or … Continue reading →

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