Gild Just One Lily

(smashingmagazine.com)

38 points | by serialx 10 days ago ago

7 comments

  • wood_spirit 5 days ago ago

    Does the recent makeover of the Oval Office count as just one?

    • dgllghr 5 days ago ago

      I think he has gilded many. Always gilded, though, never actually gold

  • mirawelner 5 days ago ago

    I like metaphors. I respect a good “run with a metaphor” post. But I feel like if you have to explain the metaphor this much during the post it’s not worth it

    • onraglanroad 4 days ago ago

      True. This particular lily was less gilded than battered and deep fried.

    • stevedonovan 5 days ago ago

      "This post could have been a tweet", and so on.

      It's a lovely metaphor for the soulful business of doing something really well, even if there is no 'market' for that kind of quality

      • rf15 5 days ago ago

        Art is often its own reward.

  • IAmBroom 2 days ago ago

    The article goes to lengths to explain the saying, without ever mentioning its source... and so I assume the author also doesn't realize the common saying is a misquote. The actual quote makes a LOT more sense:

    Shakespeare's King John, Act II (SALISBURY): ...To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, ...Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.

    Gild all the lilies you want; artificial flowers have resale value.

    But gold-plating gold? Yeah, that's just stupid.