Be Careful When You 'Pin Your Hopes on Something!'

And now, Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning¹ English.

On this program we explore everyday words and expressions. We give examples on how to use them. And sometimes we give you the origin – where the expression comes from.

Today we are going to talk about a very small, sharp and useful object: a pin. We use pins when we sew clothes. We also use pins in some art projects. And we use pins to attach things to our clothing. The sharp point easily goes right through most kinds of cloth.

And pin gives us our expression for today: To pin your hopes on something.

If you pin your hopes on something, you hope very much that it will help you succeed. You attach your hopes to it. When we pin our hopes on something, we really want it to happen.

It can also mean to have expectations connected to the success or performance of a person or thing.

For example, a friend of mine really wanted to attend a well-known college. But the tuition² cost a lot and she did not have much money. So, she pinned her hopes on winning a scholarship.

When the scholarship fell through, she was pretty upset. On the same day, she got more bad news. A very old and very distant uncle had died. It was sad news, but there was a silver lining³. You might ask, "What good could come from that?" Well, this uncle left her a lot of money.

Some word experts say the expression dates from the 1500s. It may have come from soldiers pinning their leader's insignia on their sleeves. This showed where they belonged and who they supported. By the 1800s, however, it took on its current meaning.

Here is example. Listen to these two friends talk about saving⁴ money for the future.

So, how much money have you saved so far. You know, for your retirement⁵?

None. But I play the lottery⁶ every day!

I don't think it's a good life plan to pin all your hopes on winning the lottery.

You're right. I should have a Plan B. I know I will get on a game show and win a lot of money!

I think you should talk to an expert.

There are game show experts??

No. I mean a financial planner.

Oh. THAT kind of expert.

Yeah, it is not a good idea to pin your financial hopes on a lottery. And in life it is probably not a good idea to pin all your hopes and dreams on other people. Instead, pin your hopes on you and what you can do to make things better.

And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories.

Words in This Story

origin –n. the rise or beginning from a source

sew –v. to use a needle and thread to make or repair clothes or cloth objects

tuition –n. money paid to a school for the right to study there

scholarship –n. money that is given by a school or group to help pay for a student's education

fell through –v. (phrasal) to fail or stop in a sudden way

distant –adj. not closely⁷ related⁸

silver lining –idiomatic expression something good that can be found in bad situations

insignia –n. a sign that show a person is a member of a group (especially military) or of a certain rank

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 tuition   

n.（某一学科的）教学，讲授，指导，学费

参考例句：

• Students can apply for individual tuition.学生可以申请个别指导。
• Is this money enough for the tuition fee?这些钱交学费够吗？

3 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

4 saving   

n.节省，节约；[pl.]储蓄金，存款

参考例句：

• Energy saving is term strategic policy of our country.节约能源是我国长期的战略国策。
• Old-fashioned housewives were usually very saving.旧时的家庭主妇通常都很节俭。

5 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

6 lottery   

n.抽彩；碰运气的事，难于算计的事

参考例句：

• He won no less than ￡5000 in the lottery.他居然中了5000英镑的奖券。
• They thought themselves lucky in the lottery of life.他们认为自己是变幻莫测的人生中的幸运者。

7 closely   

adv.紧密地；严密地，密切地

参考例句：

• We shall follow closely the development of the situation.我们将密切注意形势的发展。
• The two companies are closely tied up with each other.这两家公司之间有密切联系。

8 related   

adj.有关系的，有关联的，叙述的，讲述的

参考例句：

• I am not related to him in any way.我和他无任何关系。
• We spent days going through all related reference material.我们花了好多天功夫查阅所有有关的参考资料。