“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!” This is a widely known proverb in the English language. The meaning of this saying is to encourage optimism and make the best out of every situation. Sometimes an event seems purely negative to us, but when we reflect on it later, we might find out that it was actually an opportunity. Understanding a proverb can be important in everyday conversations, but can also broaden our insight into the world.
Definition: “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”
This proverb is meant to encourage optimism and positive thinking even in dire situations. It is rooted deeply in the vivid image a lemon and lemonade cause in the listener’s head, making it understandable even if you do not know the meaning yet. Thereby, lemons depict something sour and unpleasant while lemonade is a much enjoyed drink, something positive.
The following examples will illustrate exemplary situations of when to use the proverb “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade:”
Examples
- When someone makes a bad experience and you want to tell them to learn from it.
- Bad weather cancels your outdoor plans and you need to find an alternative.
- When you lose your job but may find a new challenge somewhere else.
The examples display multiple situations showcasing the meaning of the proverb “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade” by portraying that every negatively perceived situation can be an opportunity for something new and positive.
Explanation of the visual meaning
A lemon is a sour and to most people not very delicious fruit. Thus, it is associated with something rather negative. When life gives you lemons, it metaphorically means something bad happens. This can be losing a job, having plans cancelled, making negative experiences, etc.
The lemonade, however, is a sweet drink many people enjoy and is thus associated with something positive. It is still made from lemons, but turned into something tasty. Applied to real life, this means that even something that seems negative at first, can be turned into something positive. Losing the job could be an opportunity to start something new, having plans cancelled might lead to unexpected improvisations and negative experiences can be chances to learn.
How to use it
This proverbial phrase is used in contexts or situations, when something negative happened and a person wants to cheer the other one up. The following accounts for various modern contexts, where the proverb may be used.
This phrase may be used when you want to cheer someone up after a negative event.
Example
“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade! There is always a positive trait to everything.”
This proverb may be used in public discourse, when someone has been in a difficult situation, but they manage to make the best of it.
Example
“Life gave him lemons, but he made lemonade from them. It is amazing how he turned his situation around.”
When analyzing literacy or academic text, this proverbial phrase may be used to make a point.
Example
“He picked up the lemons that Fate had sent him and started a lemonade-stand.”
Origin and history
The phrase itself can vary, while its meaning always stays the same. Many authors have used the lemon metaphor in various wordings. As the saying is based on a metaphoric comparison, it has no origin in a historic event, but probably derives from the creative mind of a person.
The first one to use the phrase was most likely Elbert Hubbard in “The Literary Digest” 1909:
“A genius is a man who takes the lemons that Fate hands him and starts a lemonade-stand with them.”
Another early mention of the phrase is by Dale Carnegie in “Men’s wear” 1909:
“In business turn obstacles into conveniences. When handed a lemon—make lemonade of it.”
Similar proverbs and synonyms
There is a list of similar proverbs and synonyms that focus on the themes of optimism and encouragement. The following list shows some of the widely known ones:
- Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
- Better late than never
- Don’t judge a book by its cover
- If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em
- When the going gets tough, the tough get going
- Think positive
- Make the most out of the situation
- Change your perspective
FAQs
One of the very first mentions is in Elbert Hubbard’s “The Literary Digest” 1909, where he wrote: “A genius is a man who takes the lemons that Fate hands him and starts a lemonade-stand with them.”
The proverb is meant to encourage someone after a negative event to look for the positive in it or try a new perspective.
First and foremost, it is a proverb, but it plays with a metaphor, where the lemon resembles a negative event or experience, while the lemonade stands for a possible opportunity or a lesson to learn.
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