What’s up with lemonade?

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.”


I mean, I get it — turn something sour or bitter into something sweet — but why lemonade? Why not lemon meringue pie? Or lemon ice box pie? Or Kool-Aid for that matter, if liquidity is essential?

Lemonade is okay. Not my favorite beverage, but if someone fixes it I’ll drink it, if it doesn’t have a pound of sugar in it. But, what possessed whoever first spouted that phrase to use lemonade as a metaphor for turning hardship into a piece of cake or bad luck into good fortune.

And, while we’re on this topic, what’s with using the phrase “it’s a piece of cake” to describe something that’s easy to do? Why not just come right out and say it’s easy?

Are we so enamored, as a species, of our literary capabilities that we can’t just call a spade a spade?

Oops, there’s another one!

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