Think Yojimbo

Posted by Lewis on March 18, 2005

In Reply to: Re: Running with the hare and hunting with the hounds. posted by Smokey Stover on March 16, 2005

: : : hi,
: : : can you please tell me the meaning of the phrase.

: : : nupur

: : The phrase is actually "Running with the hare and hunting with the hounds".
: : It means trying to support two opposing causes/aims at the same time - clearly very difficult or impossible.

: A good expression, much nicer than one of several American equivalents, "working both sides of the street." Another is "playing both sides against the middle." Not exactly the same, but close enough, I think. SS

"Yojimbo" Kurosawa's story of a samurai/ronin who turn up and plays two sides against each other so that they have M.A.D.ness. Clint did it following the plot exactly BTW in (I think) "Fistful of Dollars" (the one where he wears armour-plating uder his poncho). More recently, Bruce Willis repeated it in "Last man Standing" - 3 films, exactly the same plot, but set in different eras - feudal Japan, the wild west and prohibition.

the expression many people use would be that you "play them off against each other", but the hare/hounds metaphor illustrates the difficulty in succeeding with such an enterprise.

L

• Running vs soaring SR 21/March/05