A Guess

Posted by Word Camel on February 11, 2002

In Reply to: Coming and Going posted by Word Camel on February 11, 2002

: : : Does anyone know of the origin of this phrase please. As used in Gosford Park - I've seen this referred to as an anachronism

: : I've heard this used, but isn't it more normally "goes with the turf"? Or is this latter a more recent adaptation?

: I've heard it as "It comes with the territory".

I think of this a vaguely imperialistic, colonial, scramble for Africa and all that. In teh scramble for Africa, the French and British (mainly) were forced for strategic reasons to occupy places like The Sudan, which were essentially dessert in order to be able to hold on to the richer parts. The phrase, it comes/goes with the territory seems to be saying that with the aquisition of something desireable may come responsibilites which are less than pleasant.

Like I say, this is only a guess.

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