Meaning & Analysis
The phrase is an idiomatic expression for the act of playing dice, referring to the physical motion of shaking a dice cup before rolling.
Insights
Reckless Prodigality
The act of shaking a dice cup symbolizes a life of reckless indulgence and wastefulness. It represents the squandering of one's fortune and time on frivolous or dangerous pursuits, as highlighted in the 1709 quotation about the 'Prodigal'.
Embracing Chance
The proverb metaphorically signifies a willing embrace of risk and a surrender to fate. 'Shaking one's elbow' is to actively engage with uncertainty, abandoning prudence for the unpredictable thrill of the game.
Moral Dissipation
Historically, dicing was considered a vice associated with taverns, debt, and moral corruption. The phrase thus serves as a metaphor for a descent into a dissolute or immoral lifestyle.
Historical Gambling Culture
The proverb is deeply rooted in the gambling culture of the 17th and 18th centuries, where dice games were a common and often ruinous pastime in taverns and gaming houses, as referenced by Webster's 'Taule-board' (gaming table).
Socio-Economic Warning
The phrase serves as a socio-economic warning about the perils of prodigality and financial ruin. It reflects a societal judgment against those who squander their fortune on games of chance, leading to instability and moral decay.
Psychology of Chance
The physical act of shaking the elbow implies a false sense of control over a random outcome, touching on the psychological concept of the 'illusion of control' common among gamblers who believe their rituals can influence fate.
Rhetorical Devices
Synecdoche
The 'elbow', a part of the body, stands in for the entire act of gambling and the associated lifestyle. This makes the specific physical motion representative of a complex social and moral activity.
Kinaesthetic Imagery
The proverb uses vivid, action-oriented language ('shake') to create a strong sense of physical movement, making the concept more dynamic and memorable than a more abstract description of gambling.
Idiomatic Expression
The phrase is a classic idiom, where the meaning is not deducible from the literal words. It functions as a piece of cultural shorthand to quickly characterize someone as a gambler or a wastrel.
Transcription
Quotations
This comes of your . . Shaking your elbow at the Taule-board.
Money, which . . he squander'd away in shaking his Elbow.
The Prodigal shakes his Elbow at Dice.
Explanation
[To play at dice.]
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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