Fine as Frog’s Hair
Please welcome my friend Carlton Hughes as today’s guest writer. Carlton and I met at Kentucky Christian Writers Conference. Carlton, represented by Cyle Young of C.Y.L.E. Agency, wears many hats. By day, he is a professor of communication. On Wednesdays and Sundays, he serves as a children’s pastor. In his “spare time,” he is a freelance writer. Carlton is an empty-nesting dad and devoted husband who enjoys classic sitcoms and chocolate—all the chocolate. His work has been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul, Focus on the Family, and numerous devotional books from Worthy Publishing, including The Wonders of Nature, Just Breathe, So God Made a Dog, and Everyday Grace for Men. His latest book is Adventures in Fatherhood, co-authored with Holland Webb, from Ellie Claire/Hachette Publishing. Carlton also enjoys dressing up as crazy characters and making videos for his children’s ministry. He once made actress Emilia Clarke laugh.
I used to go to church with a man who introduced me to this phrase. Whenever I greeted him and asked how he was doing, he always answered the same way.
“Fine as frog’s hair!”
Frogs don’t have hair, but, if they did, it would be fine — thin, hard to see. This phrase is a play on the word “fine,” which can also mean “good.”
We often greet each other and give an automatic answer.
If you ask me how I am, I will answer, “fine” without even thinking.
I recently had the flu, and I definitely did not feel fine, frog hair or none. If someone had asked “How are you,” I could have honestly answered, “Horrible!”
As Christians, we need to be real with each other.
Putting on a fake smile and pretending everything is okay when we are hurting is not the way to go. The Bible encourages us to bear each other’s burdens. We don’t have to give a gloomy answer when someone asks about our condition. However, we should be honest with our Christian brothers and sisters if something is wrong.
“An honest answer is a sign of true friendship” (Proverbs 24:26 GNT).
Do you have an expression you want explained or a thought about this one? If so, please comment below.
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