EVERY BUMPER STICKER PHRASE HAS A STORY
Do you think you really know what these 10 bumper sticker phrases mean?
Published on December 14, 2024
Image: Ian Schneider
Motivational and common-use phrases have been embedded in the fabric of our lives forever and social media has done nothing but increase their already ubiquitous presence just about everywhere. And, as everything that is infinitely repeated, they end up losing their original meaning and sense. The following well-known phrases and quotes have deep meanings that we will attempt to uncover. So, stick around and see if one of these bumper sticker phrases means something different than you think it does!
Keep Calm and Carry On
Image: Marc Pell
Let us start by getting out of the way one of the most ubiquitous motivational phrases in the world. "Keep calm and carry on" was coined in 1939 as a wartime slogan intended to boost the morale of the British people during World War II. But the now famous phrase was never made public then, with a very small number of originals being printed.
It wasn’t until a copy was discovered in a bookshop in Northumberland in 2000, and reproductions of it began to be sold a year later, that its fame was established. Nowadays, it is used to sell everything from mugs to flight bags and baby clothes.
Eat, Pray, Love
Image: Yosuke Ota
Another extremely well-known phrase, used and overused in millions of mugs, prints, notebooks, and whatnot, is "eat, pray, love." The popular slogan was created by author Elizabeth Gilbert as the name of her novel about a journey of self-discovery after a failed marriage.
The phrase encompasses the three activities that helped the author navigate through the life-period described in the book and it has since been used as a mantra of sorts, for its motivational value.
Not all those who wander are lost
Image: D A V I D S O N L U N A
A favorite of travelers from all over the world, the phrase "not all those who wander are lost" was penned by J.R.R. Tolkien, for his timeless classic, The Lord of the Rings. The line is from the poem "All That Glitters Is Not Gold", which is the riddle of the Strider, or Aragorn.
The quote means just because someone likes to explore and wander, not just physically, spiritually, and mentally, that doesn’t mean they’re lost. It also conveys how people who lose their way can still bounce back in life.
In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different
Image: Kin Shing Lai
Coco Chanel was famous for creating a style and becoming an icon herself. But she didn’t do this by following the same path women delving into fashion were supposed to follow in the early 1900s. Instead, she made her own thing and found massive success.
Her phrase "in order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different" is especially meaningful in light of her life story and expresses a highly practical idea: if no one possesses your skills, then you cannot be replaced by anyone.
In the middle of every difficulty lies an opportunity
Image: Thomas T
Just by seeing the highly intimidating blackboards covered in mathematical figures the man used to face, we can be assured that Albert Einstein was no stranger to facing difficulties.
He knew that necessity is the mother of invention and was able to gain knowledge through infinite trials and errors.
The phrase attributed to him, "In the middle of every difficulty lies an opportunity" expresses that same concept in simple words that convey to each one of us to look for the gain in every challenge that presents itself to us.
Rome wasn't built in a day
Image: David Köhler
We have probably all heard this one. The phrase "Rome wasn't built in a day" is used to refer to a great task or achievement that takes time and effort.
Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was this phrase's history. The earliest known record of the phrase is in a collection of French poems, Li Proverbe au Vilain, that was published before the 1200s.
Every cloud has a silver lining
Image: David Ballew
The poetically charged phrase "Every cloud has a silver lining" can be traced directly from a piece written in 1634 by English poet John Milton called "Comus: A Mask Presented at Ludlow Castle". In it, Milton spoke of a silver lining of brightness behind a gloomy cloud, and soon afterward ‘Milton’s clouds’ became a staple of English Literature.
The phrase’s meaning is that every bad thing brings along some good, and it eventually came into being and common use in the 1800’s, in Victorian England.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Image: Khadeeja Yasser
Another one of those phrases seen embroidered on a pillow, or on a Hallmark postcard, is "Absence makes the heart grow fonder". This sweet quote came originally from the Roman poet Sextus Propertius' Elegies, "Always toward absent lovers love's tide stronger flows", which was converted into the modern variant we know today in 1832,' in The Pocket Magazine of Classic and Polite Literature. The phrase means that the lack of something increases the desire for it.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away
Image: Denisse Diego
The earliest iteration of the phrase, dating back to 1866 states: "Eat an apple on going to bed, And you'll keep the doctor from earning his bread". The meaning of this phrase is quite straightforward: if you eat your vegetables, your body will thank you.
Where there is love, there is life.
Image: Mick Haupt
This quote by Mahatma Gandhi suggests that love is a force that sustains and nurtures life itself. The idea here is that love, in all its forms, is a fundamental ingredient of life. It is the fuel that moves it forward, and the anchor that grounds it in troubled times. Without love, life would lose much of its meaning and color.
