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- Volume XXXVI
Volume XXXVI
Three expressions and their surprising origins
I. Let the Chips Fall Where They May 🎲
Back in old woodworking days, craftsmen carved by hand and let the shavings (the wood chips) scatter where they landed. Once the blade hit the grain, there was no undoing it.
The chips fell, and you lived with the result.
Now it’s the motto for overthinkers. You’ve prepped, planned, and worried enough. It’s time to act. Hit send, take the shot, walk in. Whatever happens, happens — just let the chips fall.
II. Heyday ☀️
Back in the 1500s, heyday (spelled hey-da) was an exclamation — like shouting “hooray!”
It came from hey — a cry of joy — paired with the playful “da” ending you still hear in words like “ta-da” or “la-di-da.”
Over time, that sense of high spirits stuck. By the 1700s, writers were using it to describe a period of peak success, describing the “the heyday of youth” or “the heyday of prosperity.”
So whether it’s arcades in the ’80s, MTV in the 2000s, or your metabolism in college — we all had our heyday.
III. Cut the Gordian Knot ⚔️
Legend says an oracle foretold that whoever unraveled King Gordius’s impossibly tangled knot would rule all of Asia.
People tried and failed — until young Alexander the Great showed up, looked at it, and sliced straight through with his sword. Problem solved.
Today it’s what we call a bold, unconventional solution: skipping the red tape, ignoring the “proper channels,” and just making it happen.
It’s not about being reckless; it’s about realizing that sometimes the cleanest cut beats the cleverest plan.