APAD: A finger in every pie

7
7grizzly
楼主 (文学峸)

Meaning:                                                                       

                                                                               

To be active in many things, often with the implication that the person is     

overactive to the point of being a busy body                                   

                                                                               

Background:                                                                    

                                                                               

This old saying presumably originated with kitchen visitors who couldn't resist

testing the food by sticking a finger into it, and licking said finger.        

                                                                               

Shakespeare used it in Henry VIII, in which the Duke of Buckingham refers to   

Cardinal Wolsey, saying...  "The devil speed him! no man's pie is freed From   

this ambitious finger".                                                        

                                                                               

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                                               

I first heard a reference in the movie The Shawshank Redemption.               

                                                                               

                                                                               

[Norton's done for the day and with a smile handed Andy a pink bakery box.]

Norton: You want the rest of this? Woman can't bake worth shit.                

                                                                               

Andy: Thank you, sir.                                                          

                                                                               

[The next scene when Andy and Red were chatting while working in the library.

Red was finishing off the pie.]                                                

                                                                               

Red: "He's got his finger in a lot of pies, from what I hear."                 

                                                                               

Andy: "What you hear isn't half of it. He's got scams you haven't even dreamed

of. Kickbacks on his kickbacks. There's a river of dirty money running through

this place."

盈盈一笑间
I got my finger in lots of pies the past weekend.Overwhelmed
7
7grizzly
I wouldn't complain. Again, it could've been worse :-)
最西边的岛上
But I'm only intersted in the "sweet" pies. ;-)
7
7grizzly
Who's not!? My shepherd's pie's pretty good though :-)
7
7grizzly
If I do say so myself :-)
盈盈一笑间
中国春节+ 美国春晚,还好几年才有一次。累并快乐着~~
方外居士
Hmm, using finger too much?
7
7grizzly
You're not suggesting plying the toe instead? :-)
移花接木
not the same as knocking watermelon, only samples a few then
移花接木
keep one
7
7grizzly
A good contrast. The goals are different.
盈盈一笑间
今天的APAD正好相反,有狗熊掰玉米的意思。。
方外居士
Ooops
妖妖灵
“How old are you”
7
7grizzly
I'm an old soul:-) What made you ask?
7
7grizzly
Just kidding:-)
7
7grizzly
Again, I try not to translate :-)
g
godog
Could it be a symptom of ADHD?
妖妖灵
It is a joke. In Chinese,“怎么老是你”,是今天APAD的解释:)
7
7grizzly
That's why I don't translate. Chinese is too hard :-)
7
7grizzly
Compulsive pie tasting? That's a great idea!
妖妖灵
是多动症的症状,哈哈哈
妖妖灵
你看,不懂中文多吃亏啊。要玩转中英文:)
盈盈一笑间
噗~ ~ 哈哈哈。一口茶笑喷了
方外居士
No worry. I’m thinking all possibilities, hahaha
7
7grizzly
"Why does bread always fall buttered side down?"
妖妖灵
这俩意思不一样吧。Finger的是指人,所以“怎么老是你”。面包落地是指怎么总是倒霉事发生
7
7grizzly
Why does a bad penny always turn up?
妖妖灵
也不一样。这个是指不喜欢的人总出现。而finger是指一个人involved的事太多~
7
7grizzly
Okay. I tried to translate "为什么老是你“. :-)
妖妖灵
“怎么老是你”就是A finger in every pie啊:)这就是我最初的跟帖,故意开玩笑用英文写出来啊:)
7
7grizzly
I need to go to bed now. 彻底晕了. :-)))
C
CBA7
学习了,谢谢分享!APAD in the Year of Dragon, 龙年快乐!