Always too much and never enough.

Posted by P on November 11, 2001

In Reply to: Always too much and never enough. posted by R. Berg on November 10, 2001

: : Always too much and never enough.

: : Where does this phrase come from and what does it mean?
: : I'd appreciate any inputs. Thanks in advance.

: It sounds like a deliberately nonsensical inversion of "always enough and never too much." I have no information on its history.

Yes, I think that the inverted phrase helps the understanding.

Used here:

'Such is the Olympic paradox: The coverage is always too much and never enough. It depends solely on an individual viewer's sensibilities. Says NBC's Neal, "There's no way we're going to please everybody, but we're trying to."'
- The Christian Science Monitor, 21 July 2000, reporting on Sydney Olympic Games coverage.

From the context above (I don't have any other reference) it's expressing a feeling of frustration that whatever is given will not be the right amount, as opposed to the inverted phrase "always enough and never too much" indicating that there is always just what is needed.

• Always too much and never enough. Bruce Kahl 11/12/01