Seeing wood

June 18, 2003, 06:52

<wordnerd>

Seeing wood

"We've done our best to insure that nobody sees wood, but we could be wrong."

This phrase is new to me. Can anyone explain? The phrase was in an article telling how the latest Harry Potter book, to be released Saturday, is now being shipped to retail stores.

June 18, 2003, 08:44

BobHale

quote:
Originally posted by wordnerd:
"We've done our best to insure that nobody _sees wood,_ but we could be wrong."

This phrase is new to me. Can anyone explain? The phrase was in an article telling how the latest Harry Potter book, to be released Saturday, is now being shipped to retail stores.

Maybe it's someone trying to be clever by abbreviating "can't see the wood for the trees" but missing the meaning of the original in the process.

Non curo ! Si metrum no habet, non est poema.

Read all about my travels around the world here.
Read even more of my travel writing and poems on my weblog.

June 18, 2003, 14:10

C J Strolin

Also, unless they are actually taking out a policy and paying premiums, they are not INsuring that no one sees wood, they are ENsuring that this doesn't occur.

This hits upon yet another linguistic pet peeve of mine (Some day I must take a count) which is definitely not assuaged by the fact that "insure" is now defined as, among other things, "ensure" and vice versa.

This sort of thing just makes me see wood!

June 18, 2003, 16:46

haberdasher

quote:
Originally posted by wordnerd:
"We've done our best to insure that nobody _sees wood,_"

... The phrase was in an article telling how the latest Harry Potter book...

Wood was the captain of the Harry Potter's quidditch team. Why? Has he gone missing?

But seriously, folks, do you think perhaps "seeing wood" was meant to be a fanciful present tense of "saw wood," so the real meaning is "we've done our to make sure [how's that for sidestepping the argument?!] nobody falls asleep"?

June 18, 2003, 19:13

Kalleh

quote:
"can't see the wood for the trees"

Interesting, Bob, because I haven't seen the phrase said that way. I have always heard, "can't see the forest from the trees". Do these mean the same? Is the former more an English term? When I looked up the former phrase, I found it mostly on sites from the U.K.

June 18, 2003, 20:52

Morgan

quote:
I have always heard, "can't see the forest from the trees".

Interesting Kalleh! I have always heard, "can't see the forest for the trees".

June 18, 2003, 23:35

tinman

I've never seen that expression. Could you post a link to that article?

Tinman

June 19, 2003, 02:02

BobHale

quote:
Originally posted by Kalleh:
quote:
"can't see the wood for the trees"
Interesting, Bob, because I haven't seen the phrase said that way. I have always heard, "can't see the forest from the trees". Do these mean the same? Is the former more an English term? When I looked up the former phrase, I found it mostly on sites from the U.K.

I don't know how you interpret the version you quote but "can't see the wood for the trees" is usually taken to mean that you can't see what's important because you are concentrating on the detail.

Incidentally I think "wood" here isn't the substance but is rather synonymous with "small forest" - as in "if you go down to the woods today".

Non curo ! Si metrum no habet, non est poema.

Read all about my travels around the world here.
Read even more of my travel writing and poems on my weblog.

June 20, 2003, 07:02

TrossL

quote:
Originally posted by wordnerd:
"We've done our best to insure that nobody _sees wood,_ but we could be wrong."

This phrase is new to me. Can anyone explain? The phrase was in an article telling how the latest Harry Potter book, to be released Saturday, is now being shipped to retail stores.

"Seeing wood" is a publishing term, with origins being that paper is made out of wood... So what the speaker meant is that no one is being allowed to open the book and see the pages until the release date.

For a glimpse of just how seriously this is taken in the publishing world, you need look no further than the 100 million dollar lawsuit that has been filed against the NY paper that printed a review of "Order of the Phoenix" after obtaining a copy of the book from a NY bookseller who put it out early by accident.

June 20, 2003, 07:16

Kalleh

quote:
I don't know how you interpret the version you quote but "can't see the wood for the trees" is usually taken to mean that you can't see what's important because you are concentrating on the detail

Bob, that is precisely the meaning of "can't see the forest from the trees."

Tinman, I don't know which phrase you hadn't heard before, but here are a couple:

1) This one is Morgan's version and seems to support that "wood for the trees" is the U.K. version.

2) Here is can't see the forest from the trees, though, Morgan, your version seems to be the correct one from the number of Google sites I have found.

June 21, 2003, 14:52

tinman

quote:
Originally posted by Kalleh:
[QUOTE]ITinman, I don't know which phrase you hadn't heard before ...

I hadn't heard the expression "seeing wood". The article I wanted a link for was the article Wordnerd referred to in the first post.

I've always heard "can't see the forest for the trees", not "can't see the wood for the trees". Bob Hale pointed out that "wood" often means "small forest". Indeed, one of the definitions from the AHD of wood, is

2.
a. A dense growth of trees or underbrush covering a relatively small or confined area. Often used in the plural.
b. A forest. Often used in the plural.

forest is defined, in part, as

3. A defined area of land formerly set aside in England as a royal hunting ground.

That may explain the difference in the two versions. A commoner wouldn't see the inside of a forest (royal hunting ground) but may be quite familiar with the local wood (or woods, as we Yanks would say).

By the way, does anyone know the 1967 song which used the line, "You can't see the forest for the trees"? Give up? Here's a hint.

Tinman

June 21, 2003, 19:25

shufitz

I knew the song, but hadn't realized it was written by Michael Nesmith, he of impeccable musical credentials. Anyone else recognize that name?

(Hint: star search. Hint #2: Milli Vanilli. Answer here.)

June 22, 2003, 16:58

Morgan

quote:
By the way, does anyone know the 1967 song which used the line, "You can't see the forest for the trees"?

And didn't Linda Ronstadt sing it well?!

June 23, 2003, 13:49

C J Strolin

Three points:

1.) "Oh don't get me wrong. It's not that I knock it
"It's just that I am not in the market"

Not to bring up an old sore point again (though, of course, that's just what I'm doing) the "knock it/market" near-rhyme always made my skin crawl just a bit.

2.) Early Linda Ronstadt album covers contributed significantly to my successful transition through puberty.

3.) I assume everyone knows that former Monkee Michael Nesmith's mother invented a form of typewriter correction fluid which, upon her death, left him as the only one of the foursome who was financially secure. (Millions were made by each of the "prefab four" in their heyday but, by their own admission, most was frittered away.)

June 24, 2003, 08:07

Hic et ubique

By CJ:
"Early Linda Ronstadt album covers contributed significantly ... "
I shall endeavor to suppress the image that arises.

"Michael Nesmith's mother invented a form of typewriter correction fluid ..."
White-out, I presume?
What other significant inventions by women?

June 24, 2003, 21:53

tinman

Mothers of Inventions by Heather Salerno, Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 12 1997.

Inventions By Women

Tinman

June 25, 2003, 07:01

<Asa Lovejoy>

Might the expression, "Can't see the forest for the trees" come from Macbeth?

It's common these days for a man to say that a woman "gives him wood," a reference to tumescence at the sight of a sexy woman. But then, we're talking here about going into the forest, not the bush, so that's not at all an appropriate comment, is it?