(Bactria was an ancient country in what is now part of Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.) It may have been first used in English around 1400.Īlthough today the saying is used to mean that quiet people are often much more interesting and intelligent than they may seem, it was once used to suggest that those who are calm and placid can be dangerous. The expression we know and use today appears to have evolved, according to The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs, from a Latin phrase popular in classical times: altissima quaeque flumina minimo sono labi, which translates to “the deepest rivers flow with least sound.” This earliest version can be found in a history of Alexander the Great by Quintus Rufus Curtius, suggesting its Bactrian origin. You just have to know him well to see a different side. He has such a calm, mild attitude, but he’s incredibly complex and passionate.
My dad just goes to show that still waters run deep.They know that he’s too shy to share his thoughts in company meetings, but that with him, still waters run deep, and he’ll send an email shortly after with profound thoughts and recommendations. Bill’s coworkers are used to it by now.As the saying goes, still waters run deep: She may seem quiet and a bit dull at first, but Kim is actually one of the most interesting and smartest people I know.Here are some example sentences using the expression still waters run deep: On the contrary, rushing water is typically stirred up and moving fast in shallow areas, where it’s perhaps passing over rocks close to the surface or meeting the shoreline. When you come across still water, there’s typically a lot more going on under the surface than is discernible: When the water appears peaceful and undisturbed, it is usually quite deep it often extends far below the surface, into dark and mysterious territory. Thinking about it in these ways-what is hidden, exterior versus interior-the comparison to a body of water makes good sense. In other words, the phrase describes people who have more going on internally than is apparent externally.
Their placid manner hides a subtle nature, or a complexity that is not immediately clear and obvious. As you likely guessed from the introduction, the phrase still waters run deep is used to say that people with shy, reserved dispositions are often very profound, passionate, and intelligent underneath their calm, quiet demeanors-with many interesting ideas and thoughts.
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