I know you have all heard the expression “a picture is worth a thousand words.” So since I’m having this give a picture a caption game right now where I’m asking you to come up with a few words to describe a picture, that phrase came to mind. I decided to look it up and find out who may have said it first. So I checked Wikipedia. Nothing there is written in stone, but you can sometimes find out a few things. So the expression “Use a picture. It’s worth a thousand words” first appeared in a 1911 newspaper article about journalism and publicity. Writers even then were wondering about publicity and how to get those thousands of words in front of readers.
The Wikipedia article went on to say most believe the modern use of the phrase stems from an article by Fred R. Barnard in the advertising trade journal Printers’ Ink, promoting the use of images in advertisements that appeared on the sides of streetcars. A December 1921 issue has an ad with the caption (see captions are important) “One Look is Worth A Thousand Words.” Later Barnard is said to have claimed the phrase was a Chinese proverb because he thought people would take the idea more seriously then. So even though he admitted that he made it up and it wasn’t a proverb at all, “a picture is worth a thousand words” became popularly attributed to Confucius.
I’m not asking you to come up with a thousand word caption. I’m the one supposed to come up with those thousands of words. A caption is much shorter. So what do you say about the picture up top? It’s from my picture archives, an old picture from years ago, but it’s worthy of a few words.
You all did great with the Piano Boys. Loved reading your captions. And you were all so imaginative. Several of you left a caption with chopsticks in it. That is the first song most of us learn to play. 🙂 If you didn’t read the comments, you can browse through them and see all the great captions. I can’t pick a favorite, but Kathi’s “Jerry Lee and Elton John” was cute and I liked Loretta Moore’s “dueling brothers.” Marji thought maybe Frankie was singing along. Karen R’s “play one that makes Mommy come running” had me smiling.
I told you I’d tell you my caption tonight, but I think you all came up with the great ones. But here goes. “Where’s the music book?” Then the other one says, “Who needs music, bro? Play it by ear.”
Remember, each caption on a new picture (or any kind of comment if you are like Kathy S and can’t think in captions) gets you another entry in the drawing. I’ll pick three winners who will get their choice of one of my books and a grab bag book by a different author. You must be 18 or older to enter and the deadline for entries is midnight EST February 12, 2018. But whether you are one of the lucky names pulled from my drawing hat, we can all have fun coming up with captions.
So what say you? Is a picture worth a thousand words? And what’s your caption for this post’s picture?
As always, thanks for reading.
Comments 24
I love you so much Granny
That is a beautiful picture Ann, you can just see the love in her eyes.
Author
It is one of my favorite pictures, Diana. You are right about the love. You can’t see Mom’s eyes, but it went both ways. Mom was a great grandmother.
“The best way to memorize faces is by tracing their faces!”
Author
It does look as though they are comparing faces, Megan. Good caption.
“Who needs piano lessons when you’re as good as we are?”
Just finished my very first book of yours…These Healing Hills…and I loved it! [Don’t know where you have been all of my life that I should just be finding your books. :o)] Which led me to to your website and to see what other books you may have written. I would so love for you to write a sequel to “These Healing Hills” as I want to visit those hills again. Thank you for writing such a delightful book.
Author
Well, welcome aboard, Connie. So glad you enjoyed my mountain story, These Healing Hills. Glad too that you stopped by to play my Caption Giveaway Game. You just might win one of my books to see if you like some of my other stories. I do hope to go back to the mountains for another story soon. You might like my Heart of Hollyhill books or the Rosey Corner books if you want to give any of them a try.
Thanks again for letting me know you enjoyed reading These Healing Hills.
It almost looks like they’re saying: “Gotcha!”
Author
Now I know why you said, “Gotcha,” Olivia. I wondered. LOL. Could be it.
A picture has many words in it, you just have to listen.
I think the caption could be, “You have the sweetest cheeks, just like Granny’s!”
Author
That’s a sweet caption, Connie. It does look like they are comparing cheeks.
Grandma and grandson share a sweet moment together. 🙂 Proverbs 16:31 😉
Author
Thanks for joining in with the fun, Emily. That’s a good caption for this picture even if that is my daughter not son. LOL. She took forever getting hair when she was little, but then she got plenty with very thick hair now.
There is nothing like a grandparent’s love, or a child’s love for that matter.
Author
April, that grandparent/grandchild connection is one of the most precious gifts for both sides. I wish every child could have at least one loving grandparent to make him or her feel special.
Author
Karen and Rebecca, you two are seeing some of the same things I see in the picture. Grandmother love and granddaughter love too. I hope you have a wonderful time with your granddaughter, Rebecca. In that picture you went we were pretty sure the granddaughter was going to win that game. 🙂
Karen, I’m glad you enjoy reading the comments. I worry that people will get upset when there are a lot of comments filling up their e-mail boxes, but I do appreciate you following them to see what others are saying too.
Paula and Margaret – I thought of that “got your nose” game too. That’s a good one for grandparents to play with their grandkids.
MH – I can see that they could be playing phone call. My mom was always very good at imaginative play.
Becky – I love your comment about what your grandmother used to say. So very true and I suppose we are both there where she was when she told you that. I haven’t seen the movie Hook, but I can see what you mean.
You needn’t be concerned about people getting upset about their mailbox filling up. After all, you give us a choice to receive or not. 😊
Sisters think alike.
“Gramma, I’m so glad you’re here!” Or. . .
“Time together. . . priceless!”
I’m spending time with my granddaughter to celebrate her birthday. We have played with the tic tac toe game I won in one of your contests, Ann. Time spent with family is priceless.
Great captions, Becky! 😊
Forgot to check “notify” so must leave another comment. I love reading the comments. 😊
“It’s So Soft”
“I Love You, Gammy!”
“I’ve got your nose.” “ No Grandma, I’ve got your nose,”
This reminds me of two things…first is my grandmother would always say,…… “as you are now, so once was I…..as I am now, so you must be….”
And second…the scene from Hook where one of the little lost boys looks into the old Peter’s eyes and studies his older face and says…”Oh! There you are, Peter!”
Grammy, give me back my nose or I’ll take yours!
A picture is worth a thousand words…or more.
My caption for this one:
“hello? hello? is anyone there?”