"Show me who your friends are and I will tell you the kind of person you are."

Below is a picture of my bro, the "outlaw" Jesse James, CEO, South Pacific Development Group, LLC. A person wrote in recently and wanted information about the phrase, "show me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are." The meaning of this quote is from Euripides (480BC-406BC) who said: “Everyman is like the company he is wont to keep.” In this quote, wont (which is old-fashioned, informal English) is an adjective meaning in the habit of doing something. Accustomed is synonym for wont so, the saying means: "You are like the company you are accustomed to hanging around."

The Cat's Out of the Bag

In this "maiden voyage" of my blog, I would like to thank you for your loyal support in what will be a fascinating journey for me, and hopefully for you. In the creation of my book on phrases, idioms and proverbs (the first of its kind to present the origin and meaning of these sayings focused upon one subject, that of white collar crime in America), the task at hand needs your input. The book contains over one hundred chapters, each presents one of the expressions (most of the origins go back hundreds of years) and talks about its various meanings throughout the ages. This is where I need your help. I would like to include examples of how these sayings have played a part in your lives. Have you (or anyone you know) been affected by corporate fraud and Ponzi schemes; have you been taken to the cleaners, cleaned out, bled dry, or taken for an arm and a leg? Your stories will greatly add to my research and you will remain anonymous. The title of chapter one is "Cooking the Books," so is everybody ready? In the words of comedian Dean Martin, "Keep those cards and letters coming in." (circ 1960s)