What does “The dimmer the light the greater the scandal” mean?
I saw this in a list of quotes, but can't figure out what it means, or find where it comes from.
I've searched extensively on google, but no joy. I assume it's not very common?
phrases
asked 7 hours ago
digitalHamster0digitalHamster0
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I saw this in a list of quotes, but can't figure out what it means, or find where it comes from.
I've searched extensively on google, but no joy. I assume it's not very common?
phrases
asked 7 hours ago
digitalHamster0digitalHamster0
11
New contributor
digitalHamster0 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
2
Well, common sense seems to indicate that when a secret needs to be kept, little light will be shed on it, so the darker the scene, the more scandalous the secret that needs to be concealed.
– Gustavson
6 hours ago
@Gustavson Ahh thank you it all makes sense now. Don't know why I was so confused
– digitalHamster0
6 hours ago
add a comment |
I saw this in a list of quotes, but can't figure out what it means, or find where it comes from.
I've searched extensively on google, but no joy. I assume it's not very common?
phrases
asked 7 hours ago
digitalHamster0digitalHamster0
11
New contributor
digitalHamster0 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I saw this in a list of quotes, but can't figure out what it means, or find where it comes from.
I've searched extensively on google, but no joy. I assume it's not very common?
phrases
phrases
asked 7 hours ago
digitalHamster0digitalHamster0
11
New contributor
digitalHamster0 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 7 hours ago
digitalHamster0digitalHamster0
11
New contributor
digitalHamster0 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 7 hours ago
digitalHamster0digitalHamster0
11
New contributor
digitalHamster0 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 7 hours ago
digitalHamster0digitalHamster0
11
asked 7 hours ago
digitalHamster0digitalHamster0
11
11
New contributor
digitalHamster0 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
digitalHamster0 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
digitalHamster0 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
2
Well, common sense seems to indicate that when a secret needs to be kept, little light will be shed on it, so the darker the scene, the more scandalous the secret that needs to be concealed.
– Gustavson
6 hours ago
@Gustavson Ahh thank you it all makes sense now. Don't know why I was so confused
– digitalHamster0
6 hours ago
add a comment |
2
Well, common sense seems to indicate that when a secret needs to be kept, little light will be shed on it, so the darker the scene, the more scandalous the secret that needs to be concealed.
– Gustavson
6 hours ago
@Gustavson Ahh thank you it all makes sense now. Don't know why I was so confused
– digitalHamster0
6 hours ago
2
2
Well, common sense seems to indicate that when a secret needs to be kept, little light will be shed on it, so the darker the scene, the more scandalous the secret that needs to be concealed.
– Gustavson
6 hours ago
Well, common sense seems to indicate that when a secret needs to be kept, little light will be shed on it, so the darker the scene, the more scandalous the secret that needs to be concealed.
– Gustavson
6 hours ago
@Gustavson Ahh thank you it all makes sense now. Don't know why I was so confused
– digitalHamster0
6 hours ago
@Gustavson Ahh thank you it all makes sense now. Don't know why I was so confused
– digitalHamster0
6 hours ago
add a comment |
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
from the figurative sense of dim: OED
fig. Not clear to the mind or understanding; obscure, faint.
As in:
With more obscurity (dimmer the light) the scandal flourished.
answered 5 hours ago
lbflbf
21.4k22575
add a comment |
There's a construction that shows up frequently in adages, using two comparatives in a row with the and optional commas, viz
the bigger, the better = 'goodness increases as size increases'
the bigger they are, the harder they fall = 'dethroning a powerful person is better than an underling'
the less you have, the more they pick on you = 'it is safer to annoy the poor than the rich'
To this must be added the interpretations added from metaphors, in particular that of Light. Lights can be brighter or dimmer, and our vision depends on light being available in sufficient brightness. Metaphorically, shining light on something means making it public and visible; it is what you do to scandals. Scandals prefer dark corners and underworlds.
Then there is the ambiguity of great and scandal. Is a scandal that never becomes public a great scandal? Or is it great only because it's been made public? This can get complex, but it's not important.
So, what it says is that the greatness of the scandal increases as the light diminishes in brightness. What it means, practically speaking, is something nobody is likely to disagree with -- that great scandals thrive in dim circumstances. One need not rate scandals in greatness units to know that.
answered 4 hours ago
John LawlerJohn Lawler
84.7k6117332
add a comment |
Look it up --
Dimmer
Light
Grater
Scandal
answered 2 hours ago
Hot LicksHot Licks
19k23677
add a comment |
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3 Answers
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from the figurative sense of dim: OED
fig. Not clear to the mind or understanding; obscure, faint.
As in:
With more obscurity (dimmer the light) the scandal flourished.
answered 5 hours ago
lbflbf
21.4k22575
add a comment |
from the figurative sense of dim: OED
fig. Not clear to the mind or understanding; obscure, faint.
As in:
With more obscurity (dimmer the light) the scandal flourished.
answered 5 hours ago
lbflbf
21.4k22575
add a comment |
from the figurative sense of dim: OED
fig. Not clear to the mind or understanding; obscure, faint.
As in:
With more obscurity (dimmer the light) the scandal flourished.
answered 5 hours ago
lbflbf
21.4k22575
from the figurative sense of dim: OED
fig. Not clear to the mind or understanding; obscure, faint.
As in:
With more obscurity (dimmer the light) the scandal flourished.
answered 5 hours ago
lbflbf
21.4k22575
answered 5 hours ago
lbflbf
21.4k22575
answered 5 hours ago
lbflbf
21.4k22575
answered 5 hours ago
lbflbf
21.4k22575
21.4k22575
add a comment |
add a comment |
There's a construction that shows up frequently in adages, using two comparatives in a row with the and optional commas, viz
the bigger, the better = 'goodness increases as size increases'
the bigger they are, the harder they fall = 'dethroning a powerful person is better than an underling'
the less you have, the more they pick on you = 'it is safer to annoy the poor than the rich'
To this must be added the interpretations added from metaphors, in particular that of Light. Lights can be brighter or dimmer, and our vision depends on light being available in sufficient brightness. Metaphorically, shining light on something means making it public and visible; it is what you do to scandals. Scandals prefer dark corners and underworlds.
Then there is the ambiguity of great and scandal. Is a scandal that never becomes public a great scandal? Or is it great only because it's been made public? This can get complex, but it's not important.
So, what it says is that the greatness of the scandal increases as the light diminishes in brightness. What it means, practically speaking, is something nobody is likely to disagree with -- that great scandals thrive in dim circumstances. One need not rate scandals in greatness units to know that.
answered 4 hours ago
John LawlerJohn Lawler
84.7k6117332
add a comment |
There's a construction that shows up frequently in adages, using two comparatives in a row with the and optional commas, viz
the bigger, the better = 'goodness increases as size increases'
the bigger they are, the harder they fall = 'dethroning a powerful person is better than an underling'
the less you have, the more they pick on you = 'it is safer to annoy the poor than the rich'
To this must be added the interpretations added from metaphors, in particular that of Light. Lights can be brighter or dimmer, and our vision depends on light being available in sufficient brightness. Metaphorically, shining light on something means making it public and visible; it is what you do to scandals. Scandals prefer dark corners and underworlds.
Then there is the ambiguity of great and scandal. Is a scandal that never becomes public a great scandal? Or is it great only because it's been made public? This can get complex, but it's not important.
So, what it says is that the greatness of the scandal increases as the light diminishes in brightness. What it means, practically speaking, is something nobody is likely to disagree with -- that great scandals thrive in dim circumstances. One need not rate scandals in greatness units to know that.
answered 4 hours ago
John LawlerJohn Lawler
84.7k6117332
add a comment |
There's a construction that shows up frequently in adages, using two comparatives in a row with the and optional commas, viz
the bigger, the better = 'goodness increases as size increases'
the bigger they are, the harder they fall = 'dethroning a powerful person is better than an underling'
the less you have, the more they pick on you = 'it is safer to annoy the poor than the rich'
To this must be added the interpretations added from metaphors, in particular that of Light. Lights can be brighter or dimmer, and our vision depends on light being available in sufficient brightness. Metaphorically, shining light on something means making it public and visible; it is what you do to scandals. Scandals prefer dark corners and underworlds.
Then there is the ambiguity of great and scandal. Is a scandal that never becomes public a great scandal? Or is it great only because it's been made public? This can get complex, but it's not important.
So, what it says is that the greatness of the scandal increases as the light diminishes in brightness. What it means, practically speaking, is something nobody is likely to disagree with -- that great scandals thrive in dim circumstances. One need not rate scandals in greatness units to know that.
answered 4 hours ago
John LawlerJohn Lawler
84.7k6117332
There's a construction that shows up frequently in adages, using two comparatives in a row with the and optional commas, viz
the bigger, the better = 'goodness increases as size increases'
the bigger they are, the harder they fall = 'dethroning a powerful person is better than an underling'
the less you have, the more they pick on you = 'it is safer to annoy the poor than the rich'
To this must be added the interpretations added from metaphors, in particular that of Light. Lights can be brighter or dimmer, and our vision depends on light being available in sufficient brightness. Metaphorically, shining light on something means making it public and visible; it is what you do to scandals. Scandals prefer dark corners and underworlds.
Then there is the ambiguity of great and scandal. Is a scandal that never becomes public a great scandal? Or is it great only because it's been made public? This can get complex, but it's not important.
So, what it says is that the greatness of the scandal increases as the light diminishes in brightness. What it means, practically speaking, is something nobody is likely to disagree with -- that great scandals thrive in dim circumstances. One need not rate scandals in greatness units to know that.
answered 4 hours ago
John LawlerJohn Lawler
84.7k6117332
answered 4 hours ago
John LawlerJohn Lawler
84.7k6117332
answered 4 hours ago
John LawlerJohn Lawler
84.7k6117332
answered 4 hours ago
John LawlerJohn Lawler
84.7k6117332
84.7k6117332
add a comment |
add a comment |
Look it up --
Dimmer
Light
Grater
Scandal
answered 2 hours ago
Hot LicksHot Licks
19k23677
add a comment |
Look it up --
Dimmer
Light
Grater
Scandal
answered 2 hours ago
Hot LicksHot Licks
19k23677
add a comment |
Look it up --
Dimmer
Light
Grater
Scandal
answered 2 hours ago
Hot LicksHot Licks
19k23677
Look it up --
Dimmer
Light
Grater
Scandal
answered 2 hours ago
Hot LicksHot Licks
19k23677
answered 2 hours ago
Hot LicksHot Licks
19k23677
answered 2 hours ago
Hot LicksHot Licks
19k23677
answered 2 hours ago
Hot LicksHot Licks
19k23677
19k23677
add a comment |
add a comment |
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2
Well, common sense seems to indicate that when a secret needs to be kept, little light will be shed on it, so the darker the scene, the more scandalous the secret that needs to be concealed.
– Gustavson
6 hours ago
@Gustavson Ahh thank you it all makes sense now. Don't know why I was so confused
– digitalHamster0
6 hours ago