The phrase “to the numbers born”?
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There is this sentence in a book named Shoe Dog which has confused me a lot. In what sense is the word born used here?
I'd met other accountants who knew numbers, who had a way with numbers, but Hayes was to the numbers born.
grammar vocabulary
edited 15 hours ago
Mike R
4,99821843
asked yesterday
Sudhir SharmaSudhir Sharma
627
add a comment |
There is this sentence in a book named Shoe Dog which has confused me a lot. In what sense is the word born used here?
I'd met other accountants who knew numbers, who had a way with numbers, but Hayes was to the numbers born.
grammar vocabulary
edited 15 hours ago
Mike R
4,99821843
asked yesterday
Sudhir SharmaSudhir Sharma
627
add a comment |
There is this sentence in a book named Shoe Dog which has confused me a lot. In what sense is the word born used here?
I'd met other accountants who knew numbers, who had a way with numbers, but Hayes was to the numbers born.
grammar vocabulary
edited 15 hours ago
Mike R
4,99821843
asked yesterday
Sudhir SharmaSudhir Sharma
627
There is this sentence in a book named Shoe Dog which has confused me a lot. In what sense is the word born used here?
I'd met other accountants who knew numbers, who had a way with numbers, but Hayes was to the numbers born.
grammar vocabulary
grammar vocabulary
edited 15 hours ago
Mike R
4,99821843
asked yesterday
Sudhir SharmaSudhir Sharma
627
edited 15 hours ago
Mike R
4,99821843
asked yesterday
Sudhir SharmaSudhir Sharma
627
edited 15 hours ago
Mike R
4,99821843
edited 15 hours ago
Mike R
4,99821843
edited 15 hours ago
Mike R
4,99821843
4,99821843
asked yesterday
Sudhir SharmaSudhir Sharma
627
asked yesterday
Sudhir SharmaSudhir Sharma
627
asked yesterday
Sudhir SharmaSudhir Sharma
627
627
add a comment |
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
To the manner born
To the numbers born is a playful use of the form "to the manner born", which is a longstanding term meaning "born into the habit". It is first documented in Shakespeare's Hamlet (1605):
HORATIO: Is it a custom?
HAMLET: Ay, marry, is't:
But to my mind, though I am native here and to the manner born, it is a custom more honour'd in the breach than the observance.
To the manor born
A newspaper later played on this Shakespearean form by changing "manner" to "manor" to indicate a person born into a noble family, itself an metaphor for a country maintaining a longstanding occupation of another (Times of London, 1859):
"Before Solferino, Austria was only an intruder in Italy; now she is as one 'to the manor born'."
As pointed out by Fattie in the comment below, "To the Manor Born" was used as a title of an exceptionally popular UK television situation comedy series. Its entry into widespread public usage, through this, caused many of us Brits to assume that this was the original or only meaning of the phrase.
To the numbers born
The author is making a further play on words by applying this formation a new noun: "numbers", rather than "manner". It means that Hayes was born with a skill in numbers, or with a destiny to become a skillful accountant.
answered yesterday
EurekaEureka
1,38138
14
A fascinating point.: One of the most popular TV shows of all time was a UK comedy titled "To the manor born". (1980, often considered the pinnacle of UK TV.) Due to the extreme popularity of the show, many if not most people today assume the original idiom is "To the manor born" - not realizing the show's title is a pun on the Shakespearian phrase.
– Fattie
yesterday
add a comment |
BORN is an adjective:
: destined from or as if from birth
// born to succeed
(Merriam-Webster's Dictionary )
In your example there is also inversion used to make the sentence more emphatic:
"Hayes was great at arithmetic as if from birth"
answered yesterday
user307254user307254
5,2722518
add a comment |
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2 Answers
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active
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2 Answers
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active
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active
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active
oldest
votes
To the manner born
To the numbers born is a playful use of the form "to the manner born", which is a longstanding term meaning "born into the habit". It is first documented in Shakespeare's Hamlet (1605):
HORATIO: Is it a custom?
HAMLET: Ay, marry, is't:
But to my mind, though I am native here and to the manner born, it is a custom more honour'd in the breach than the observance.
To the manor born
A newspaper later played on this Shakespearean form by changing "manner" to "manor" to indicate a person born into a noble family, itself an metaphor for a country maintaining a longstanding occupation of another (Times of London, 1859):
"Before Solferino, Austria was only an intruder in Italy; now she is as one 'to the manor born'."
As pointed out by Fattie in the comment below, "To the Manor Born" was used as a title of an exceptionally popular UK television situation comedy series. Its entry into widespread public usage, through this, caused many of us Brits to assume that this was the original or only meaning of the phrase.
To the numbers born
The author is making a further play on words by applying this formation a new noun: "numbers", rather than "manner". It means that Hayes was born with a skill in numbers, or with a destiny to become a skillful accountant.
answered yesterday
EurekaEureka
1,38138
14
A fascinating point.: One of the most popular TV shows of all time was a UK comedy titled "To the manor born". (1980, often considered the pinnacle of UK TV.) Due to the extreme popularity of the show, many if not most people today assume the original idiom is "To the manor born" - not realizing the show's title is a pun on the Shakespearian phrase.
– Fattie
yesterday
add a comment |
To the manner born
To the numbers born is a playful use of the form "to the manner born", which is a longstanding term meaning "born into the habit". It is first documented in Shakespeare's Hamlet (1605):
HORATIO: Is it a custom?
HAMLET: Ay, marry, is't:
But to my mind, though I am native here and to the manner born, it is a custom more honour'd in the breach than the observance.
To the manor born
A newspaper later played on this Shakespearean form by changing "manner" to "manor" to indicate a person born into a noble family, itself an metaphor for a country maintaining a longstanding occupation of another (Times of London, 1859):
"Before Solferino, Austria was only an intruder in Italy; now she is as one 'to the manor born'."
As pointed out by Fattie in the comment below, "To the Manor Born" was used as a title of an exceptionally popular UK television situation comedy series. Its entry into widespread public usage, through this, caused many of us Brits to assume that this was the original or only meaning of the phrase.
To the numbers born
The author is making a further play on words by applying this formation a new noun: "numbers", rather than "manner". It means that Hayes was born with a skill in numbers, or with a destiny to become a skillful accountant.
answered yesterday
EurekaEureka
1,38138
14
A fascinating point.: One of the most popular TV shows of all time was a UK comedy titled "To the manor born". (1980, often considered the pinnacle of UK TV.) Due to the extreme popularity of the show, many if not most people today assume the original idiom is "To the manor born" - not realizing the show's title is a pun on the Shakespearian phrase.
– Fattie
yesterday
add a comment |
To the manner born
To the numbers born is a playful use of the form "to the manner born", which is a longstanding term meaning "born into the habit". It is first documented in Shakespeare's Hamlet (1605):
HORATIO: Is it a custom?
HAMLET: Ay, marry, is't:
But to my mind, though I am native here and to the manner born, it is a custom more honour'd in the breach than the observance.
To the manor born
A newspaper later played on this Shakespearean form by changing "manner" to "manor" to indicate a person born into a noble family, itself an metaphor for a country maintaining a longstanding occupation of another (Times of London, 1859):
"Before Solferino, Austria was only an intruder in Italy; now she is as one 'to the manor born'."
As pointed out by Fattie in the comment below, "To the Manor Born" was used as a title of an exceptionally popular UK television situation comedy series. Its entry into widespread public usage, through this, caused many of us Brits to assume that this was the original or only meaning of the phrase.
To the numbers born
The author is making a further play on words by applying this formation a new noun: "numbers", rather than "manner". It means that Hayes was born with a skill in numbers, or with a destiny to become a skillful accountant.
answered yesterday
EurekaEureka
1,38138
To the manner born
To the numbers born is a playful use of the form "to the manner born", which is a longstanding term meaning "born into the habit". It is first documented in Shakespeare's Hamlet (1605):
HORATIO: Is it a custom?
HAMLET: Ay, marry, is't:
But to my mind, though I am native here and to the manner born, it is a custom more honour'd in the breach than the observance.
To the manor born
A newspaper later played on this Shakespearean form by changing "manner" to "manor" to indicate a person born into a noble family, itself an metaphor for a country maintaining a longstanding occupation of another (Times of London, 1859):
"Before Solferino, Austria was only an intruder in Italy; now she is as one 'to the manor born'."
As pointed out by Fattie in the comment below, "To the Manor Born" was used as a title of an exceptionally popular UK television situation comedy series. Its entry into widespread public usage, through this, caused many of us Brits to assume that this was the original or only meaning of the phrase.
To the numbers born
The author is making a further play on words by applying this formation a new noun: "numbers", rather than "manner". It means that Hayes was born with a skill in numbers, or with a destiny to become a skillful accountant.
answered yesterday
EurekaEureka
1,38138
edited 14 hours ago
answered yesterday
EurekaEureka
1,38138
answered yesterday
EurekaEureka
1,38138
answered yesterday
EurekaEureka
1,38138
1,38138
14
A fascinating point.: One of the most popular TV shows of all time was a UK comedy titled "To the manor born". (1980, often considered the pinnacle of UK TV.) Due to the extreme popularity of the show, many if not most people today assume the original idiom is "To the manor born" - not realizing the show's title is a pun on the Shakespearian phrase.
– Fattie
yesterday
add a comment |
14
A fascinating point.: One of the most popular TV shows of all time was a UK comedy titled "To the manor born". (1980, often considered the pinnacle of UK TV.) Due to the extreme popularity of the show, many if not most people today assume the original idiom is "To the manor born" - not realizing the show's title is a pun on the Shakespearian phrase.
– Fattie
yesterday
14
14
A fascinating point.: One of the most popular TV shows of all time was a UK comedy titled "To the manor born". (1980, often considered the pinnacle of UK TV.) Due to the extreme popularity of the show, many if not most people today assume the original idiom is "To the manor born" - not realizing the show's title is a pun on the Shakespearian phrase.
– Fattie
yesterday
A fascinating point.: One of the most popular TV shows of all time was a UK comedy titled "To the manor born". (1980, often considered the pinnacle of UK TV.) Due to the extreme popularity of the show, many if not most people today assume the original idiom is "To the manor born" - not realizing the show's title is a pun on the Shakespearian phrase.
– Fattie
yesterday
add a comment |
BORN is an adjective:
: destined from or as if from birth
// born to succeed
(Merriam-Webster's Dictionary )
In your example there is also inversion used to make the sentence more emphatic:
"Hayes was great at arithmetic as if from birth"
answered yesterday
user307254user307254
5,2722518
add a comment |
BORN is an adjective:
: destined from or as if from birth
// born to succeed
(Merriam-Webster's Dictionary )
In your example there is also inversion used to make the sentence more emphatic:
"Hayes was great at arithmetic as if from birth"
answered yesterday
user307254user307254
5,2722518
add a comment |
BORN is an adjective:
: destined from or as if from birth
// born to succeed
(Merriam-Webster's Dictionary )
In your example there is also inversion used to make the sentence more emphatic:
"Hayes was great at arithmetic as if from birth"
answered yesterday
user307254user307254
5,2722518
BORN is an adjective:
: destined from or as if from birth
// born to succeed
(Merriam-Webster's Dictionary )
In your example there is also inversion used to make the sentence more emphatic:
"Hayes was great at arithmetic as if from birth"
answered yesterday
user307254user307254
5,2722518
edited yesterday
answered yesterday
user307254user307254
5,2722518
answered yesterday
user307254user307254
5,2722518
answered yesterday
user307254user307254
5,2722518
5,2722518
add a comment |
add a comment |
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