A rolling stone gathers no moss facts for kids
A rolling stone gathers no moss is a proverb, first credited to Publilius Syrus, who in his Sententiae states, "People who are always moving, with no roots in one place or another, avoid responsibilities and cares." The phrase spawned a shorter mossless offshoot image, that of the rolling stone, and modern moral meanings have diverged, from similar themes such as used in the popular song "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", to a more complementary commentary on "freedom" from excessive rootedness, such as in the band The Rolling Stones.
Historical use
The conventional English translation first appeared in John Heywood's collection of Proverbs in 1546, crediting Erasmus. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable also credits Erasmus, and relates it to other Latin proverbs, "Planta quae saepius transfertus non coalescit" or "Saepius plantata arbor fructum profert exiguum", which mean that a frequently replanted plant or tree yields less fruit than an olive or oak tree that is left in place for hundreds of years.
By the 19th century, the theme of "rootlessness having negative consequences" was still much in place. To quote the 1825 Dictionary of Scots Language: "Any gentleman, whether possessing property or not, who was popular, and ready to assist the poor in their difficulties, might expect a day in the moss, as they were wont to term it, and could have them longer for payment." At the time, "A day in the moss" referred to cutting peat in bogs (made of consolidated sphagnum moss) referring to hard work in preparation for winter. An itinerant "rolling stone" will not likely feel the timely need to "gather moss", by applying for access to a community's peat bog.
See also
