The COBBLER deals with all [awl]

Insights

Linguistic Wit

The primary metaphorical meaning is the pun itself, serving as a piece of clever wordplay. It showcases how language can hold double meanings, where a statement about a specific tool also carries a broader, more general assertion.

Social Hub

The phrase 'deals with all' can be interpreted to mean the cobbler interacts with all sorts of people or problems. In this sense, the proverb suggests a tradesperson becomes a central figure in a community, privy to the business of 'all'.

The Specialist's Tool

The proverb can symbolize the idea that a specialist applies their specific skill or tool (the 'awl') to every problem they encounter ('all'). It speaks to the focused, sometimes limited, but expert application of a craft.

Historical Wit and Wordplay

This proverb is a classic example of 17th-century wit, prizing clever wordplay. The humor arises from the homophones 'all' and 'awl', reflecting a cultural appreciation for linguistic dexterity found in the literature of the period, including Shakespeare and the metaphysical poets.

The Dignity of Craft

The cobbler, a humble artisan, is depicted as having a tool that 'deals with all'. This subtly elevates the status of manual labor, suggesting that the specialist's simple tool is a key to a universally needed service, making the craftsman essential to everyone in the community.

Psychology of Puns

The proverb's pun creates a sense of satisfying closure and cleverness. It reflects a psychological tendency to find order and wit in the everyday, connecting a common tool to a universal concept through sound, revealing a desire for language to be as neat and functional as the craftsman's work.

Rhetorical Devices

Pun (Paronomasia)

The proverb's entire meaning hinges on the pun between 'all' (everyone/everything) and 'awl' (the tool), creating a clever and memorable phrase.

Double Entendre

The phrase 'deals with all' carries a dual meaning: to handle every situation or to work with an awl. This ambiguity is central to the proverb's wit.

Synecdoche

The 'awl' stands in for the entire craft of the cobbler, representing the tools, skills, and social role of the artisan in a single, concrete image.