APAD: It's too little too late

Meaning:

The action came too late, or was too limited, to be effective

 

Background:

 

This saying appears to have originated in the USA in 1935 and is attributed to

historian Allan Nevins (1890-1971) who wrote in the May 1935 issue of Current

History,

 

    "The former allies have blundered in the past by offering Germany too

    little, and offering that too late, until finally Nazi Germany had become a

    menace to all mankind."

 

English Statesman David Lloyd George (1863-1945) is also known to have expressed

a similar sentiment: "It is always too late, or to little, or both," but it's

not clear whether this was before or after Nevins.

 

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

 

It was great to learn where the phrase was first used!

 

History is written by the victors. At least Churchill acknolwedged that. Books

like "The Remains of the Day" would have to undergo heavy revisions, if they

were to see the light of the day at all, had the Nazis won.

所有跟帖： 

• Little by little, it's never too late to learn APAD :) -CBA7- ♀ (0 bytes) () 02/06/2024 postreply 09:29:06

• Thank you and you're right! Toward freedom, one step a time. -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/06/2024 postreply 09:35:51

• 其实我差点跟你的background想一块去了，只是我想的是WWII晚期德国的先进技术,导弹，喷气式飞机等TLTL -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/06/2024 postreply 09:31:12

• 还好没造出核武器。所以战后盟国吸取教训，扶持德国经济增长否则二十年后，又是一代纳粹 -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/06/2024 postreply 09:33:44

• Indeed it was a great lesson. Don't know if it'll stay, tho. -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/06/2024 postreply 09:44:40

• 想想都后怕 -爱听歌的奥黛丽- ♀ (0 bytes) () 02/07/2024 postreply 07:07:46

• 德国战前就在研究，爱因斯坦等犹太血统科学家逃到美国后就正式提醒美国政府 -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/07/2024 postreply 10:12:01

• It's too little too late？I am kinda late today.LOL -盈盈一笑间- ♀ (0 bytes) () 02/06/2024 postreply 09:43:23

• But never too little. You give plenty everyday :-) -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/06/2024 postreply 09:47:21

• Thank you. ：）） -盈盈一笑间- ♀ (0 bytes) () 02/07/2024 postreply 07:31:06

• Better late than never～ -妖妖灵- ♀ (0 bytes) () 02/06/2024 postreply 14:17:48

• Exactly how I felt about my jiu-jitsu journey :-) -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/06/2024 postreply 14:40:01

• we all been there, felt sorry for not having done enough ... -最西边的岛上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 02/06/2024 postreply 15:15:11

• No wise man ever longed to be younger, sister :-) -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/06/2024 postreply 15:21:36

• 北京人讲话 — 黄花菜都凉了。 -唐宋韵- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/06/2024 postreply 15:39:54

• Got to find out the English for 黄花菜 :-) -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/06/2024 postreply 15:47:18

• This only addresses "too late" part of the proverb though -godog- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/06/2024 postreply 16:59:41

• Yea. But "too little too late" also emphasizes"too-late". -唐宋韵- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/06/2024 postreply 19:35:41

• Amount may increse, but time cannot be reversed. -唐宋韵- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/06/2024 postreply 19:37:15

• 为时已晚 -方外居士- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/06/2024 postreply 19:44:33

• History is written by the victors.-- True! -暖冬cool夏- ♀ (0 bytes) () 02/06/2024 postreply 20:26:10