APAD: From the sublime to the ridiculous

From the sublime to the ridiculous (is only a step)

A change from something very good or serious to something silly or unimportant.

The OED defines ‘from the sublime to the ridiculous’ as ‘from one extreme (esp. one characterized by lofty thoughts or noble actions) to the other’ and attributes the phrase to Napoleon in 1812: ‘Du sublime au ridicule, il n’y a qu’un pas’. Napoleon is reported to have made this comment on his retreat from Russia in D G F De Pradt’s Hist. Ambassade dans Grande Duché Varsouvie (1815). The OED suggests that Napoleon was inspired by a similar phrase in Thomas Paine’s The Age of Reason, Part 2 (1795): ‘One step above the sublime, makes the ridiculous’.

所有跟帖： 

• wrong-footing? ;-) -最西边的岛上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 05/02/2024 postreply 06:30:48

• 1812俄法战争，法军占领莫斯科看似达到sublime, 一场大火摧毁了城市，寒冬又置，法军没有后勤保障，又被俄军反杀， -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 05/02/2024 postreply 06:51:26

• 一步迈到ridiculous. 拿破仑的这句话也是他的亲身体验 -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 05/02/2024 postreply 06:52:53

• One step above the sublime -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 05/02/2024 postreply 07:15:12

• & 1 step above theRidiculous makes theSublime again -TP ;-) -最西边的岛上- ♀ (281 bytes) () 05/02/2024 postreply 07:36:31

• sorry for 伪抬杠，can’t help it cuz TP was both logical&funny;) -最西边的岛上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 05/02/2024 postreply 07:55:20

• "Look for theRidiculous inEverything, and U will find it.";) -最西边的岛上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 05/02/2024 postreply 07:22:12

• I am almost experiencing certain cycles, each Monday started -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 05/02/2024 postreply 08:13:08

• from ridiculous, I am approaching sublime right now:-)))))) -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 05/02/2024 postreply 08:14:28

• so U will be ready for a good weekend :-))) -最西边的岛上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 05/02/2024 postreply 08:20:29

• Is it similar to Trump‘s current situation？ -妖妖灵- ♀ (0 bytes) () 05/02/2024 postreply 08:12:32

• We learned that it's not over until it is over. -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 05/02/2024 postreply 08:16:14

• 从天堂走向地狱只一步之遥？：）） -暖冬cool夏- ♀ (0 bytes) () 05/02/2024 postreply 08:22:16

• 真的哎，那些极限运动，攀岩，蹦极，跳伞不都是这样吗？ -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 05/02/2024 postreply 08:28:52

• 退一步，粉身碎骨 -妖妖灵- ♀ (0 bytes) () 05/02/2024 postreply 13:50:56

• Everything should be as simple as possible, but not simpler. -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 05/02/2024 postreply 08:27:12

• whichBeoing'd b alert, saving cost not2over simplify process -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 05/02/2024 postreply 18:31:58