“Happy is as happy does” What does this mean?












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I just read this article on The Economist(20190216) China section with a subtitle "Happy is as happy is told to". Feeling confused, I googled about this expression, only to find a quite similar "Happy is as happy does". What do these sentences mean? Are they grammatically correct?










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    I just read this article on The Economist(20190216) China section with a subtitle "Happy is as happy is told to". Feeling confused, I googled about this expression, only to find a quite similar "Happy is as happy does". What do these sentences mean? Are they grammatically correct?










    share|improve this question









    New contributor




    Mengzhen SUN is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
    Check out our Code of Conduct.























      4












      4








      4








      I just read this article on The Economist(20190216) China section with a subtitle "Happy is as happy is told to". Feeling confused, I googled about this expression, only to find a quite similar "Happy is as happy does". What do these sentences mean? Are they grammatically correct?










      share|improve this question









      New contributor




      Mengzhen SUN is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.












      I just read this article on The Economist(20190216) China section with a subtitle "Happy is as happy is told to". Feeling confused, I googled about this expression, only to find a quite similar "Happy is as happy does". What do these sentences mean? Are they grammatically correct?







      phrase-meaning idioms






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      edited 27 mins ago









      Jasper

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      asked 1 hour ago









      Mengzhen SUNMengzhen SUN

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          3 Answers
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          All right. So there is a line in the movie Forrest Gump that is "stupid is as stupid does". This expression means an intelligent person who does stupid things is still stupid. You are what you do.



          Other variations include "beauty is as beauty does" , "ugly is as ugly does", and of course, "happy is as happy does" in our case.






          share|improve this answer










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            2














            The example from The Economist is a play on words on the idiom "happy is as happy does". Like many idioms, it can be tough to explain, and can appear to break lot of rules of normal grammar.




            Happy is as happy does.




            Basically means




            You make your own happiness by your actions.




            In other words, you cannot expect to be happy unless you do something to bring your happiness about.



            The Economist is taking the well-known idiom and tweaking it to (I presume) make a point that refers to the contents of the article. I'm going to guess and assume it means something like:




            You are as happy as you are told to be.




            I suspect the oldest form of this phrase is the proverb 'handsome is as handsome does', which has been used in various forms as far back as Chaucer. All the other versions are derivations of this original.






            share|improve this answer

































              0














              A word that has sprung up a [cottage industry] among self-help authors and [public speaking] gurus, each [expounding] on their own definition, much to the frustration and delusion of their audiences.





              share








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                3 Answers
                3






                active

                oldest

                votes








                3 Answers
                3






                active

                oldest

                votes









                active

                oldest

                votes






                active

                oldest

                votes









                2














                All right. So there is a line in the movie Forrest Gump that is "stupid is as stupid does". This expression means an intelligent person who does stupid things is still stupid. You are what you do.



                Other variations include "beauty is as beauty does" , "ugly is as ugly does", and of course, "happy is as happy does" in our case.






                share|improve this answer










                New contributor




                Mengzhen SUN is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                Check out our Code of Conduct.

























                  2














                  All right. So there is a line in the movie Forrest Gump that is "stupid is as stupid does". This expression means an intelligent person who does stupid things is still stupid. You are what you do.



                  Other variations include "beauty is as beauty does" , "ugly is as ugly does", and of course, "happy is as happy does" in our case.






                  share|improve this answer










                  New contributor




                  Mengzhen SUN is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                  Check out our Code of Conduct.























                    2












                    2








                    2







                    All right. So there is a line in the movie Forrest Gump that is "stupid is as stupid does". This expression means an intelligent person who does stupid things is still stupid. You are what you do.



                    Other variations include "beauty is as beauty does" , "ugly is as ugly does", and of course, "happy is as happy does" in our case.






                    share|improve this answer










                    New contributor




                    Mengzhen SUN is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                    Check out our Code of Conduct.










                    All right. So there is a line in the movie Forrest Gump that is "stupid is as stupid does". This expression means an intelligent person who does stupid things is still stupid. You are what you do.



                    Other variations include "beauty is as beauty does" , "ugly is as ugly does", and of course, "happy is as happy does" in our case.







                    share|improve this answer










                    New contributor




                    Mengzhen SUN is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                    Check out our Code of Conduct.









                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer








                    edited 28 mins ago









                    CowperKettle

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                    28.9k1090170






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                    answered 1 hour ago









                    Mengzhen SUNMengzhen SUN

                    413




                    413




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                    New contributor





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                        2














                        The example from The Economist is a play on words on the idiom "happy is as happy does". Like many idioms, it can be tough to explain, and can appear to break lot of rules of normal grammar.




                        Happy is as happy does.




                        Basically means




                        You make your own happiness by your actions.




                        In other words, you cannot expect to be happy unless you do something to bring your happiness about.



                        The Economist is taking the well-known idiom and tweaking it to (I presume) make a point that refers to the contents of the article. I'm going to guess and assume it means something like:




                        You are as happy as you are told to be.




                        I suspect the oldest form of this phrase is the proverb 'handsome is as handsome does', which has been used in various forms as far back as Chaucer. All the other versions are derivations of this original.






                        share|improve this answer






























                          2














                          The example from The Economist is a play on words on the idiom "happy is as happy does". Like many idioms, it can be tough to explain, and can appear to break lot of rules of normal grammar.




                          Happy is as happy does.




                          Basically means




                          You make your own happiness by your actions.




                          In other words, you cannot expect to be happy unless you do something to bring your happiness about.



                          The Economist is taking the well-known idiom and tweaking it to (I presume) make a point that refers to the contents of the article. I'm going to guess and assume it means something like:




                          You are as happy as you are told to be.




                          I suspect the oldest form of this phrase is the proverb 'handsome is as handsome does', which has been used in various forms as far back as Chaucer. All the other versions are derivations of this original.






                          share|improve this answer




























                            2












                            2








                            2







                            The example from The Economist is a play on words on the idiom "happy is as happy does". Like many idioms, it can be tough to explain, and can appear to break lot of rules of normal grammar.




                            Happy is as happy does.




                            Basically means




                            You make your own happiness by your actions.




                            In other words, you cannot expect to be happy unless you do something to bring your happiness about.



                            The Economist is taking the well-known idiom and tweaking it to (I presume) make a point that refers to the contents of the article. I'm going to guess and assume it means something like:




                            You are as happy as you are told to be.




                            I suspect the oldest form of this phrase is the proverb 'handsome is as handsome does', which has been used in various forms as far back as Chaucer. All the other versions are derivations of this original.






                            share|improve this answer















                            The example from The Economist is a play on words on the idiom "happy is as happy does". Like many idioms, it can be tough to explain, and can appear to break lot of rules of normal grammar.




                            Happy is as happy does.




                            Basically means




                            You make your own happiness by your actions.




                            In other words, you cannot expect to be happy unless you do something to bring your happiness about.



                            The Economist is taking the well-known idiom and tweaking it to (I presume) make a point that refers to the contents of the article. I'm going to guess and assume it means something like:




                            You are as happy as you are told to be.




                            I suspect the oldest form of this phrase is the proverb 'handsome is as handsome does', which has been used in various forms as far back as Chaucer. All the other versions are derivations of this original.







                            share|improve this answer














                            share|improve this answer



                            share|improve this answer








                            edited 25 mins ago









                            Jasper

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                            17.9k43568










                            answered 1 hour ago









                            fred2fred2

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                                A word that has sprung up a [cottage industry] among self-help authors and [public speaking] gurus, each [expounding] on their own definition, much to the frustration and delusion of their audiences.





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                                  A word that has sprung up a [cottage industry] among self-help authors and [public speaking] gurus, each [expounding] on their own definition, much to the frustration and delusion of their audiences.





                                  share








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                                    0












                                    0








                                    0







                                    A word that has sprung up a [cottage industry] among self-help authors and [public speaking] gurus, each [expounding] on their own definition, much to the frustration and delusion of their audiences.





                                    share








                                    New contributor




                                    Nam V. Do is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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                                    A word that has sprung up a [cottage industry] among self-help authors and [public speaking] gurus, each [expounding] on their own definition, much to the frustration and delusion of their audiences.






                                    share








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                                    answered 4 mins ago









                                    Nam V. DoNam V. Do

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