Sayings

[Jane Harris]

Is there a saying about best laid plans?

[andy hughes]

"The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agaly" advised Robbie Burns. Translated, it means that the best thought out plans can go wrong, and the 'of mice and men' bit forms the title of the John Steinbeck novel.

[Quizmonster]

'Agley', Andy! It's from the old Scottish word 'gley', meaning 'squint'...ie not straight or - in the case of plans - not as intended.

[IndieSinger]

Courtesy of Eddie Izzard:

And [Robbie Burns] wrote poetry, he wrote a big ******** book of poetry, but one of his most famous lines is The Best Laid Plans O' Mice and Men Aft Gang Aglay, meaning "The best laid plans of mice and men often go wrong." And because it�s poetry, people go, [mimes stroking beard] "Oh, I know what you mean there, Robbie, yes... ********* plans ganging aglay by a ******** truckload..." And being a poet, he must have observed humanity, must have said, "Men. Men make plans. These plans go wrong. Go wrong once, twice... often! Often, a number of plans I�ve seen go wrong... Possible idea for a poem..."

And then he must have turned his attention to the other animal mentioned in that line of poetry. If you think back to it, The best laid plans of mice and men... Exactly which mice plans was he really honing in on here? The best laid ones go aglay, some of the worse laid ones are okay? Some of them get through? He was ********** off this trolley!

[Quizmonster]

Burns himself certainly wrote 'agley'. The OED offers 'aglee' and 'agly' as alternatives and Chambers only the former.

Only an Englishman would suggest 'aglay, I'm afraid! I say that, much though I like both Andy and Eddie.