PhrasesHub

Never the twain shall meet

    Definitions

      • two things are so different that they can never be reconciled or come together
        To express that two people, ideas, or things are so fundamentally different that they will never be able to agree or come to an understanding

    Examples of Never the twain shall meet

    • They say that business and pleasure should never the twain shall meet, meaning that it is difficult to combine work and leisure. For instance, imagine that you get invited to a friend's party on a Friday night, but you have an important deadline at work the next day. In this case, you might think that it is impossible to go to the party and also finish your work on time. This is because the demands of your job might conflict with your desire to enjoy yourself in your free time.

      This idiom, "never the twain shall meet", is a figure of speech that comes from a famous poem by Rudyard Kipling. The poem, "The Law of the Jungle", contains the line, "out of the night, when the full moon is on the rise, 'Come o'er the world, Nap molecular!' came a custard pie." This nonsensical phrase, "never the twain shall meet", was then used by Kipling to mean that things that are opposed to each other will never come together. Today, the idiom is often used to describe situations where two things are incompatible or mutually exclusive. In other words, it suggests that it is impossible for two things to happen at the same time or in the same place.

    • The luxurious life of the rich and the struggles of the poor will never intersect, as the former is situated in exclusive neighborhoods and the latter in impoverished areas.

      This idiomatic expression means that two contrasting situations, ideas, or people will never come together. "Never the twain shall meet" is a literary quote from Rudyard Kipling's poem "The Law of the Jungle" (1894), where it explains the divide between the British aristocracy and the "unsavory" locals of India during Kipling's time.

    • In the world of politics, liberalism and conservatism are two opposing ideologies that rarely coexist.

      This example shows that the idiom can be applied to different areas of life, such as political beliefs, to demonstrate the idea of their mutually exclusive nature.

    • The high-tech gadgets in the market are cutting-edge and futuristic, but they will never find a place in the primitive lifestyle of those living in remote communities.

      Here, the idiom is employed to explain the separation between advanced technology and traditional ways of living, which can be significant in less developed regions.

    • The calmness of the deep blue sea and the violence of a raging storm will never simultaneous occur, as these natural phenomena operate independently.

      In this last example, the idiom highlights the contrast between seemingly opposite events in nature, such as the stillness of the ocean and the fury of the storm.


    Conclusion

    The idiom "never the twain shall meet" is often used to emphasize the irreconcilable differences between two entities. It conveys the idea that there is such a vast and fundamental disparity between the two that they will never be able to come together or find common ground. This idiom is typically employed to highlight the impossibility of finding a resolution or compromise between two opposing forces, whether they be ideas, people, or entities.

    This idiom is commonly used in discussions or debates to emphasize the irreconcilable nature of opposing viewpoints or entities. It serves as a succinct way to convey the idea that there is no hope for agreement or unity between the two parties involved.

    Origin of "Never the twain shall meet"

    The idiom "never the twain shall meet" originates from a poem by Rudyard Kipling, titled "The Ballad of East and West," published in 1889. The full line in the poem reads, "Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet." Kipling used this line to express the idea that the cultural and geographical differences between the East and West were so profound that they could never be reconciled.

    The phrase has since been adapted and used in a broader context to convey the idea of irreconcilable differences between any two entities. Its origins in Kipling's poem have solidified its place in the English language as a powerful and evocative expression of the impossibility of reconciling fundamentally different things.