Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Proverbs 135. The proverb today is different
strokes for different folks. Okay. Let's take a look at the note here. The proverb
can have several slightly different meanings.
It can mean people ... different people like different things, different people do
things in different ways or different people like to have different types of
lifestyles. Okay. Let's continue. Ironically, the origin may have come from
a quote from the old-time famous boxer, Muhammad Ali. If you're old enough you
remember him he was very, very famous . He was very big in the 1960s and 70s , really
very close up to around 1980 almost. He was one of the best boxers heavyweight
champion boxers in the world at that time. But anyway let's continue. When
explaining how he fought different boxers he said " I got different strokes
for different folks. " Okay. Basically meaning that he had different methods
for fighting different opponents or different boxers. In this quote the word
stroke could also have you know a second, meaning or another meaning. Stroke can
also mean to hit or to punch or to hit someone with one's hand or an object. So
that's why it was perfect that it kind of came from him at that point. There was
no earlier citing in writing and this phrase caught on after this event. So it
is possible you know, he might have been the one to coin it or we don't really
know for sure. He never claimed it and maybe the phrase was around at that time
it just wasn't in writing yet. But anyway that was the earliest citing that
could be found of it. Okay. Then in 1968 Sly and the Family Stone had a big hit.
Yeah. This was another band. They had a big hit with the song "Everyday People" in which
different strokes for different folks was part of the chorus. Yeah. It sounds like
you know" . I'm everyday people" You know, different strokes for different folks.
That's the way the song actually went and it was a big hit. It caught on big.
Even in the 1980s though there was another singer Joan Jett made a remake
of it too. So a number of people I think did this song. So it's very, very common
but we say different strokes for different folks and we often hear people
repeat this. Again to me just like any of the meanings that I said up here. That you
know, different people like to do things in different ways of people ... different
people just like different things. All right. Let's continue. In 1974,
Volkswagen you know, the car company Volkswagen followed up with a catchy ad
that stated " Different Volks , V-O-L-K S for like Volkswagen, for different
folks. Meaning maybe they're trying to say they had a selection of cars and
they use this in one of their ads too Okay Finally, in 1978 and I do remember
this when I was a kid. There was a TV show called" Diff'rent Strokes" also in
which a rich white man adopted two little black children. I think he
had a daughter of his own too. And the wife was gone in the story. I
don't know exactly maybe she died or something. But that was that was another
one. They see different strokes. Now these different strokes actually goes with
different people live in different ways. You know he probably could have easily
you know, adopted you know other white children. But he decided to adopt black
children. Maybe he thought they needed it more. So this was another way that you
know we see different people live in different ways. Nowadays, it's sometimes
also used for you know, people with alternative lifestyles.
We might say that different strokes for different folks as well. Okay. Let's go on.
So and there's just one example we give. They just like to do different
things. You know, different strokes for different folks. This is typically the
way we might say it. Okay. Anyway, I hope you got it. I hope it
was very informative. Thank you for your time. Bye bye.