6 April 2014

Morton’s Fork

(MOR-tuhns fork)

noun

– A situation involving choice between two equally undesirable outcomes.

ETYMOLOGY:

After John Morton (c. 1420-1500), archbishop of Canterbury, who was tax collector for the English King Henry VII. To him is attributed Morton’s fork, a neat argument for collecting taxes from everyone: those living in luxury obviously had money to spare and those living frugally must have accumulated savings to be able to pay.

USAGE:

“[Japan’s political elites] face a Morton’s fork between being ignored or being seen as a problem to which there is little solution.”
Michael Auslin; Japan Dissing; The Wall Street Journal (New York); Apr 22, 2010.

Anagram

No fork storm
of stork mom

Today’s aphorism

Follow your inner moonlight; don’t hide the madness.

– Allen Ginsberg

On this day

6 April 1895 – The Australian ballad, ‘Waltzing Matilda‘ is performed at the North Gregory Hotel, Winton (central-west Queensland). This is believed to be the first time the song was performed in public.

6 April 1896 – The Olympic Games recommences in Athens 1,501 years after being banned by Emperor Theodosius I in 393AD.

6 April 1909 – Robert E. Peary and Matthew A. Henson become the first men to reach the North Pole. Their claim is in dispute because of navigation techniques and lack of independent verification.

6 April 2006 – the National Geographic Society reveals the discovery of a papyrus codex in a cave near El Minya, Egypt, which it claims is the Gospel of Judas Iscariot. The codex is yet to be verified as written by Judas.