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It beats the alternative

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1

In the book "How an economy grows and why it crashes" by Peter D. Schiff, page 4, paragraph 2 has the sentence

Wake, fish, eat, sleep. Not much of a life, but hey, it beats the alternative.

For 'it beats the alternative', who beat who and who won?

usage

share|improve this question

edited 21 mins ago

Holyprogrammer

401111

asked 3 hours ago

it_is_a_literatureit_is_a_literature

6071718

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  This routine is not much of a life but is definitely better than death.
  
  – Andrew Tobilko
  6 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

1

In the book "How an economy grows and why it crashes" by Peter D. Schiff, page 4, paragraph 2 has the sentence

Wake, fish, eat, sleep. Not much of a life, but hey, it beats the alternative.

For 'it beats the alternative', who beat who and who won?

usage

share|improve this question

edited 21 mins ago

Holyprogrammer

401111

asked 3 hours ago

it_is_a_literatureit_is_a_literature

6071718

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  This routine is not much of a life but is definitely better than death.
  
  – Andrew Tobilko
  6 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

In the book "How an economy grows and why it crashes" by Peter D. Schiff, page 4, paragraph 2 has the sentence

Wake, fish, eat, sleep. Not much of a life, but hey, it beats the alternative.

For 'it beats the alternative', who beat who and who won?

usage

share|improve this question

edited 21 mins ago

Holyprogrammer

401111

asked 3 hours ago

it_is_a_literatureit_is_a_literature

6071718

share|improve this question

edited 21 mins ago

Holyprogrammer

401111

asked 3 hours ago

it_is_a_literatureit_is_a_literature

6071718

share|improve this question

edited 21 mins ago

Holyprogrammer

401111

asked 3 hours ago

it_is_a_literatureit_is_a_literature

6071718

edited 21 mins ago

Holyprogrammer

401111

edited 21 mins ago

Holyprogrammer

401111

asked 3 hours ago

it_is_a_literatureit_is_a_literature

6071718

asked 3 hours ago

it_is_a_literatureit_is_a_literature

6071718

2 Answers
2

active

oldest

votes

2

X beats Y

means

X is better than Y

In your example, "Wake,fish,eat,sleep" is better. However, the "Y" (the alternative) is missing (at least in your quote). Maybe Y = being dead.

Edited to add: I found the page with the text. The meaning is obvious: there is no technology available, no supermarkets, no anything, except the water with fish. No fishing = no eating = death.

share|improve this answer

edited 2 hours ago

answered 3 hours ago

virolinovirolino

1,257118

add a comment | 

2

The alternative to life is death.

Not much of a life, but life is better than death.

"It beats the alternative" is a phrase I've used for many years, but I didn't know the origin. This Article gives a possible source.

Finally, I read a quote of Billy Casper’s, a really good golfer in the
1960’s. Age seemed to have brought upon him something known as
Furniture Disease. I think I have a little case of that. What may you
ask is Furniture Disease?

That’s the place and time in life that you get to when your chest
begins to slide into your drawers. Oh the woes of getting older; but
remember, it beats the alternative!

share|improve this answer

edited 1 hour ago

answered 2 hours ago

djnadjna

5,562815

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I agree with virolino's first version, it's not clear what's the alternative in the context provided. Why do you discard a different way of living as an alternative: wake, go to work, work, buy food, eat, more work, return home, buy more food, dinner, sleep.
  
  – RubioRic
  2 hours ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Because "it's not much of a life but it beats the alternative" is a reference to an old joke.
  
  – djna
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Ah, you think that it references "Getting old sucks ... but it beats the alternative"
  
  – RubioRic
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Yes, I think the exact match of the phrasing is strongly suggestive!
  
  – djna
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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2

X beats Y

means

X is better than Y

In your example, "Wake,fish,eat,sleep" is better. However, the "Y" (the alternative) is missing (at least in your quote). Maybe Y = being dead.

Edited to add: I found the page with the text. The meaning is obvious: there is no technology available, no supermarkets, no anything, except the water with fish. No fishing = no eating = death.

share|improve this answer

edited 2 hours ago

answered 3 hours ago

virolinovirolino

1,257118

add a comment | 

2

X beats Y

means

X is better than Y

In your example, "Wake,fish,eat,sleep" is better. However, the "Y" (the alternative) is missing (at least in your quote). Maybe Y = being dead.

Edited to add: I found the page with the text. The meaning is obvious: there is no technology available, no supermarkets, no anything, except the water with fish. No fishing = no eating = death.

share|improve this answer

edited 2 hours ago

answered 3 hours ago

virolinovirolino

1,257118

add a comment | 

X beats Y

means

X is better than Y

In your example, "Wake,fish,eat,sleep" is better. However, the "Y" (the alternative) is missing (at least in your quote). Maybe Y = being dead.

Edited to add: I found the page with the text. The meaning is obvious: there is no technology available, no supermarkets, no anything, except the water with fish. No fishing = no eating = death.

share|improve this answer

edited 2 hours ago

answered 3 hours ago

virolinovirolino

1,257118

share|improve this answer

edited 2 hours ago

answered 3 hours ago

virolinovirolino

1,257118

answered 3 hours ago

virolinovirolino

1,257118

answered 3 hours ago

virolinovirolino

1,257118

2

The alternative to life is death.

Not much of a life, but life is better than death.

"It beats the alternative" is a phrase I've used for many years, but I didn't know the origin. This Article gives a possible source.

Finally, I read a quote of Billy Casper’s, a really good golfer in the
1960’s. Age seemed to have brought upon him something known as
Furniture Disease. I think I have a little case of that. What may you
ask is Furniture Disease?

That’s the place and time in life that you get to when your chest
begins to slide into your drawers. Oh the woes of getting older; but
remember, it beats the alternative!

share|improve this answer

edited 1 hour ago

answered 2 hours ago

djnadjna

5,562815

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I agree with virolino's first version, it's not clear what's the alternative in the context provided. Why do you discard a different way of living as an alternative: wake, go to work, work, buy food, eat, more work, return home, buy more food, dinner, sleep.
  
  – RubioRic
  2 hours ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Because "it's not much of a life but it beats the alternative" is a reference to an old joke.
  
  – djna
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Ah, you think that it references "Getting old sucks ... but it beats the alternative"
  
  – RubioRic
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Yes, I think the exact match of the phrasing is strongly suggestive!
  
  – djna
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

2

The alternative to life is death.

Not much of a life, but life is better than death.

"It beats the alternative" is a phrase I've used for many years, but I didn't know the origin. This Article gives a possible source.

Finally, I read a quote of Billy Casper’s, a really good golfer in the
1960’s. Age seemed to have brought upon him something known as
Furniture Disease. I think I have a little case of that. What may you
ask is Furniture Disease?

That’s the place and time in life that you get to when your chest
begins to slide into your drawers. Oh the woes of getting older; but
remember, it beats the alternative!

share|improve this answer

edited 1 hour ago

answered 2 hours ago

djnadjna

5,562815

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I agree with virolino's first version, it's not clear what's the alternative in the context provided. Why do you discard a different way of living as an alternative: wake, go to work, work, buy food, eat, more work, return home, buy more food, dinner, sleep.
  
  – RubioRic
  2 hours ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Because "it's not much of a life but it beats the alternative" is a reference to an old joke.
  
  – djna
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Ah, you think that it references "Getting old sucks ... but it beats the alternative"
  
  – RubioRic
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Yes, I think the exact match of the phrasing is strongly suggestive!
  
  – djna
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

The alternative to life is death.

Not much of a life, but life is better than death.

"It beats the alternative" is a phrase I've used for many years, but I didn't know the origin. This Article gives a possible source.

Finally, I read a quote of Billy Casper’s, a really good golfer in the
1960’s. Age seemed to have brought upon him something known as
Furniture Disease. I think I have a little case of that. What may you
ask is Furniture Disease?

That’s the place and time in life that you get to when your chest
begins to slide into your drawers. Oh the woes of getting older; but
remember, it beats the alternative!

share|improve this answer

edited 1 hour ago

answered 2 hours ago

djnadjna

5,562815

share|improve this answer

edited 1 hour ago

answered 2 hours ago

djnadjna

5,562815

answered 2 hours ago

djnadjna

5,562815

answered 2 hours ago

djnadjna

5,562815