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Break from the Grind March 2, 2021
TUESDAY TRIVIA: Why Are Clams So Happy?
The phrase “as happy as a clam” is often used to describe a person who is in a safe zone and has what he or she needs.
Reported by PS
From where did the phrase “as happy as a clam” come?
The phrase “as happy as a clam” is derived from the full phrase “happy as a clam at high water.” Clams are collected during the low tide; during the high tides, they are safe from fishermen.
Internet sources say the phrase was first used in The Bangor Daily Whig And Courier, December 1841: “Your correspondent has given an interesting, and, undoubtedly correct explanation of the expression: ‘As happy as a clam at high water.'” However, https://www.phrases.org.uk says several biographies of General Robert E. Lee state that he used the expression on more than one occasion.
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