What’s a completely useless fact you love sharing?
The word clue comes from clew, an old word for a ball of thread. In Greek mythology, Ariadne gave Theseus a ball of thread to help him find his way out of the Minotaur’s labyrinth. I was told this story a dozen times by Latin teachers first at Mowden Hall Prep School and then at Sedbergh School.
Every time we’re looking for a clue, we’re metaphorically trying to find our way out of a labyrinth. Apt. The mind is a labyrinth of our own construction.
My most indulgent period of study had me following threads around Oxford libraries, into the stacks, to different buildings and different desks.
Leave a Reply