The term "an axe to grind" with a meaning related to holding a grievance originates from James Joyce's "Ulysses," which was published in 1922. Also, note that the common nouns in this text (e.g., Man, Ax, Neighbor) were written with capital letters.ĭetractors of this origin highlight that Franklin's reference to axe-grinding does not feature the words "an axe to grind" and does not directly frame the axe-grinding in terms of a grievance. Note that the US spelling is "ax," although "axe" is also used in America. No, says the Smith, Turn on, turn on we shall have it bright by and by as yet 'tis only speckled." The Man came every now & then from the Wheel to see how the Work went on and at length would take his Ax as it was without farther Grinding. He turn'd while the Smith press'd the broad Face of the Ax hard & heavily on the Stone, which made the Turning of it very fatiguing. "Like the Man who in buying an Ax of a Smith my Neighbor, desired to have the whole of its Surface as bright as the Edge the Smith consented to grind it bright for him if he would turn the Wheel."To have an axe to grind" originates from a story told by Founding Father of the United States Benjamin Franklin (1706-90), in which a man is tricked into turning a grindstone to brighten an axe. "When I see a merchant over-polite to his customers, begging them to taste a little brandy and throwing half his goods on the counter, thinks I, that man has an axe to grind.".This saying most likely originates from an essay called "Who'll Turn Grindstones?", which was written in 1810 by Charles Miner, editor of Pennsylvania's "The Gleaner and Luzerne Advertiser." His essay features the saying "to have an axe to grind."
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