Art Quote by Alphonse Karr
“Botany is the art of insulting flowers in Greek and Latin.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Les Guêpes, Alphonse Karr, 1841
Botany, literally “the art of insulting flowers,” highlights the irony in naming.
In simple terms: Botany means insulting flowers.
Key Takeaway
Appreciate the humor in scientific terms.
Themes
humor
language
science
Mood
playful
witty
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- education
- public speaking
- writing
Key Concepts
etymology
irony
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we accept odd terminology?
- How does humor affect learning?
A Different Perspective
Scientific names can be misleading.
![“Although I was four years at the University [of Wisconsin], I did not take the regular course of studies, but instead picked out what I thought would be most useful to me, particularly chemistry, which opened a new world, mathematics and physics, a little Greek and Latin, botany and and geology. I…” quote by John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/39f/john-muir-678_botany_although-i-was-four-years-at-the-univers_868877.jpg)
![“I was aware of Darwin's views fourteen years before I adopted them and I have done so solely and entirely from an independent study of the plants themselves. [Letter to W.H. Harvey]” quote by Joseph Dalton Hooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0a5/joseph-dalton-hooker-39139_biology_i-was-aware-of-darwin-s-views-fourteen-y_548151.jpg)
