While we were in Indiana at a Native American Museum, we learned that the low man on the totem pole is actually the most important one, at least on Native American totem poles. I wonder how the meaning got reversed.

I believe we had a thread about how some famous quotations or sayings are often misused, though I couldn't find it. Are there others that you know of?

Interesting. I had never heard that.

The expression was thought to have been coined by Fred Allen around 1940, according to The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Since "lowest" commonly means "least," as in "lowest grade" or "lowest score," it's not hard to see how that mistake could have been made. The lowest section of the pole was not necessarily the most important, but it was the part subject to the most scrutiny, so the best carvers carved the lowest ten feet or so.

Welcome to Totem Poles: An Exploration, by Pat Kramer (Click on "Low Man on the Totem Pole") :

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At first glance it might appear that the lowest figure on a totem pole, has the weight of an entire menagerie on top. Interestingly enough however, the lowest end of an authentic totem pole is as important as any other part.

Why is the low man important?
Totem poles are carved, not by one carver, but by a head carver and a number of apprentice-carvers. The head carver has a reputation to uphold. Therefore he or she is well aware that the viewers of a finished upright pole range in size from 3 feet (children) to about 7 feet (basketball players). So, to be certain the totem looks professional, the chief carver personally carves or seriously supervises the bottom ten feet of the pole. Inexperienced apprentices are allowed more freedom to carve the higher regions. Therefore the bottom of a totem pole is sometimes the best carved part of the whole pole. Meaning-wise, the low man has a much or more meaning than other figures.

Tinman

This message has been edited. Last edited by: tinman,

Ref misused quotations, extremely high on my list of pet peeves is when some "very religious person" will scream out, "'Vengence is mine' saith the Lord!" before committing some appallingly brutal act in the name of Jesus or Christianity or his misguided view of the church.

The Biblical passage specifically directs us mere mortals to NOT act against those we perceive as being evil or sinful or whatever since this is not our job. In other words, "God will handle it without your help, thank you very much."

If I were to rewrite the Bible (and, yes, I've considered it, though my plate is more than a bit full at the moment), I would recast that overworked and misunderstood passage into a far clearer: "'Vengence is MINE (and not yours, you pin-headed f**k)' saith the Lord."


Another example is that "starve a cold/feed a fever" confusion, but that doesn't piss me off nearly as much.

I just know we had a thread of that here someplace, but I haven't found it yet. There are many quotations or sayings that are misunderstood, if I recall accurately.

If I were to rewrite the Bible (and, yes, I've considered it, though my plate is more than a bit full at the moment),

We did discuss this once!

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If I were to rewrite the Bible (and, yes, I've considered it, though my plate is more than a bit full at the moment), I would recast that overworked and misunderstood passage into a far clearer: "'Vengence is MINE (and not yours, you pin-headed f**k)' saith the Lord."

I generally don't like rewrites that add interpretive elements other than the basic word for word translations . . . but this one sounds good to me. I didn't realize you could write w/o it being in limerick form, though, CJ! LOL

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I didn't realize you could write w/o it being in limerick form, though, CJ! LOL

Did he say he wouldn't?