...for better or worse,richer or pooer...

C

celine713

Senior Member
Chinese
Hello! I want to make sure if there exists other circumstance adapted to this expression ,exclusive of the vows in wedding ceremony ...
Can it implies something like "you have to accept .... regardless of your wish":confused:

Thanks in advace!!!
 
    • I've never heard the phrase used outside a wedding. The vow is to remain married whether the circumstances of your life are good or bad ("for better or worse"), and whether you have lots of money or not enough ("for richer or poorer").
     
    I seem to think I've heard "for better or worse" used in other situations, but I can't for the life of me come up with a good example. I wonder if I'm overthinking this question and imagining a usage that doesn't exist. :confused:

    "For richer or poorer", though, I am certain I have never heard outside of the context of a wedding.

    And I wouldn't say it describes something you must accept regardless of your wishes. No matter what situation they are used in these phrases certainly evoke marriage vows, and ideally a marriage is something both parties desire! I think Old Novice's descriptions reflect how they would be interpreted in any context.
     
    I have heard it outside of a wedding, but always in reference to the vows themselves.

    A wife might say, jokingly, "Well, I married him for richer or for poorer. I'm still waiting for the "richer" part."

    I can't think of any time that I've heard it used outside of a reference to the marriage vows, though.
     
    While "for better or worse" has drifted into general conversation about things one cannot change, I don't think I've ever heard "for richer or poorer" outside of the marriage reference.
     
    Kevman said:
    I seem to think I've heard "for better or worse" used in other situations, but I can't for the life of me come up with a good example. I wonder if I'm overthinking this question and imagining a usage that doesn't exist. :confused:
    Click to expand...

    How about something like
    " Well we've started this company together, we got rich together and by Zeus we are going to fight to keep it from being bought off by X together. For better or worse eh?"

    Although, in all situations I can think of, while it is used for situations that are seemingly completely unrelated to marriage (and technically are completely unrelated to marriage), there's a strong connotation of life-long commitment.
     
    Well, thank you guys ,see what I got
    "Well, by grace of one of the engineering feats of the centuary ,for richer or poorer,better or worse,England and France are getting hitched ."
    This was refered to the project of CHANNEL-TUNNEL between the England and France,so figuratively it means "on terms of accpeting all results /whatever happens"....
    So ,this was an rhetoric parlance,right?:)
    Thanks again !
     
    celine713 said:
    Well, thank you guys ,see what I got
    "Well, by grace of one of the engineering feats of the centuary ,for richer or poorer,better or worse,England and France are getting hitched ."
    This was refered to the project of CHANNEL-TUNNEL between the England and France,so figuratively it means "on terms of accpeting all results /whatever happens"....
    So ,this was an rhetoric parlance,right?:)
    Thanks again !
    Click to expand...

    "Getting hitched" is a slang way to say "getting married". The use of the phrase from the wedding vows, perhaps, is to emphasize the level of mutual commitment that the channel tunnel implies will be needed between the two countries in the future.
     
    celine713 said:
    Hello! I want to make sure if there exists other circumstance adapted to this expression ,exclusive of the vows in wedding ceremony ...
    Can it implies something like "you have to accept .... regardless of your wish":confused:

    Thanks in advace!!!
    Click to expand...
    Today at least, it doesn't mean you have to accept now, regardless of your wishes. Most people taking these vows in English today are doing it because they really want to.

    I do think, however, that it means "I promise to keep this vow even if it is hard later on (because it's worse, or we're poor, or you're sick)." So, yes, it's "regardless of your wishes" later, because you promise today.

    Whether people can and should keep this promise, or vow, has been discussed at length in the Cultural Discussions forum.
     
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