Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Idioms 376.
The idiom today is to rest on one's laurels. Okay. Let's take a look at the
note here. All right. Does somebody wants a screenshot ?
Okay. Let's continue. If someone says that someone or
something is resting on one's laurels. It means
that he she or it you know, because it could
be a company too, is very satisfied with their past
achievements or reputation and seem to stop striving you know, trying
hard very hard to get ahead. Striving to
accomplish more or advance more. The origin
of this phrase dates back to ancient Greece.
Okay. Great leaders, generals athletic stars
were often presented with wreaths of laurels. Yeah. Similar to what you
see like in the Olympics. You know sometimes I wondered
why did they put wreaths on the Olympic stars ? And it's probably related directly
to this. All right. Let's continue here.
Okay. The plant was considered to be a sign of status
and achievement because it was associated with the god
Apollo due to the fact that he was often shown
in pictures and statues to be wearing a crown of them. So a crown of laurel
wreaths. Okay. Thus the idea was that one was able
to rest on one's laurels of past
achievement. So you know, before in ancient Greece you
know, these generals or athletic stars or leaders after they retired they were
able to rest on their laurels because they had made these achievements already.
So at this time this was a very positive
phrase. All right. Let's continue. However, the phrase to rest on one's
laurels did not appear ... well did not appear in
English anyway until the 1800's
and it was used in more of a negative way.
Okay. To express one had become lazy and no longer had determination
to strive for more or to go for more. So they're just resting on their laurels
now. They figure well. Hey you know, I finished.
I accomplished a lot. That's good enough you know,
That's it. I'm finished. Just praise me for the rest of my life.
Something like that. All right. Let's continue.
According to the Greek myth, Apollo wore the wreath
due to a love for the nymph Daphne. Okay. When he first approached her
she turned into a bay tree. All right so in the Greek story.
She turned into a tree. I don't know was she's shy ? Well anyway, she turned
into a tree and Apollo decided to cut off a branch
and wear it as a wreath and then declared the tree
to be sacred. So this is the reason why Apollo wore this wreath.
Okay. And we just have a couple of examples to show
how we might use it. All right. Here's the first one, if that famous
tech company doesn't come out with better innovations
and they continue to sit on their laurels, because maybe they did very well
in the past you know , and they got a good name, but
you know , their new their, their new products haven't been as impressive
as their old ones. They will be surpassed by their competitors you know,
at some point or sometime if they just continue to sit on their
laurels and just wait for you know, just, just to hope that their
reputation just brings them through. All right.
Number two here. A heavyweight champion
cannot continue to sit on his laurels. He must keep himself fine-tuned to
defend his title again in the near future. You know,
unless you plans... unless he plans on retiring . But usually
he always has to keep him... in himself in shape because I forget
what the rule is I don't know every six months or every year
they have to defend that title. So he can't just sit back on his laurels
He always has to keep himself in good shape in order to
keep the title. Okay. Anyway, I hope you got it. I hope it was clear. I
hope it was very informative. Thank you for your time. Bye-bye.