Every time I say "by and large", I remember that the expression, which is generally understood to mean "generally" -- see what I did there -- is of nautical origin. The UK's Royal Navy created many figures of speech we use today in entirely different contexts.
"By" means "sailing close to against the wind", and "large" means "sailing with the wind behind us".
A ship that sailed well "by and large", was a ship that could do okay regardless of which way the wind was blowing.
i.e.: "Generally".
Humans are, by and large, awful, and I don't think we're really gonna work out in the long run.
But language.
Human language is such a glorious thing, it almost redeems us as a species.
Consider the myriad ways to say "stupid".
The whole "Eskimos have 30 words for snow" thing is bullshit. The Inuit have slightly more words to describe different kinds and feels of snow than the average midwesterner. Slightly.
But if it *were* true, surely, the ways in which we can say "stupid" would tell us all a great deal about our society.
"Lights on, nobody home."
"Couldn't pour piss out of a boot if the instructions were printed on the heel."
"Dumber than . . ." "a sackful of hammers", "a bag full of hair", "a suitcase full of rocks".
"Three bricks shy of a load."
"Elevator don't go all the way to the penthouse."
"Not the sharpest tool in the shed."
"Couldn't piss out a boat and hit water."
"A real good dancer."
"Short bus."
GeePawHill
⁂ Fish Id Wardrobe