How Do You Spell SOUR GRAPES?

Pronunciation: [sˈa͡ʊ͡ə ɡɹˈe͡ɪps] (IPA)

The term "sour grapes" is spelled as /saʊər ɡreɪps/ in IPA phonetic transcription. The first part, "sour," is pronounced as /saʊər/, similar to the word "hour." The second part, "grapes," is pronounced as /ɡreɪps/, with emphasis on the "gr" sound. This phrase originates from Aesop's fable "The Fox and the Grapes," where the fox declares that the grapes are sour because he cannot reach them. Today, it is commonly used to refer to someone who criticizes something they cannot have.

SOUR GRAPES Meaning and Definition

1. Sour grapes is an idiomatic expression that refers to a person's tendency to denigrate or belittle something that they are unable to attain or achieve. The phrase originates from one of Aesop's fables, "The Fox and the Grapes," in which a fox, after failing to reach some enticing grapes hanging high on a vine, walks away and dismissively claims that those grapes were probably sour anyway. Sour grapes, therefore, embodies a sense of bitterness or resentment exhibited by an individual who devalues or downplays the worth of something because they are unable to obtain it themselves.

   In a broader sense, sour grapes operates as a defense mechanism to shield one's feelings of disappointment or envy. This psychological phenomenon involves rationalizing or souring the desirability of an object or opportunity that is unattainable, rather than admitting to one's own inability to acquire it. By expressing disdain or finding faults in what they cannot have, individuals attempt to diminish the perceived value of the unattainable, thereby alleviating their own emotional distress.

   The expression "sour grapes" is often used to describe someone who responds to their own failure by pretending that what they have failed to achieve is not desirable or valuable. It is characterized by an act of self-deception or denial, where the individual convinces themselves that what they cannot have is actually undesirable or inferior. The term can be applied to various situations, such as relationships, career prospects, or material possessions, where one attempts to mask their disappointment with a facade of indifference or criticism.

Common Misspellings for SOUR GRAPES

• aour grapes
• zour grapes
• xour grapes
• dour grapes
• eour grapes
• wour grapes
• siur grapes
• skur grapes
• slur grapes
• spur grapes
• s0ur grapes
• s9ur grapes
• soyr grapes
• sohr grapes
• sojr grapes
• soir grapes
• so8r grapes
• so7r grapes
• soue grapes

Etymology of SOUR GRAPES

The phrase "sour grapes" originates from one of Aesop's fables called "The Fox and the Grapes". The fable tells the story of a hungry fox encountering a vine with tantalizing ripe grapes hanging just out of reach. After repeated attempts to reach them and failing, the fox decides that the grapes must be sour, implying that they were probably not worth having anyway. Thus, the fox uses the phrase "sour grapes" to express a situation where a person belittles or devalues something they desire but cannot achieve. The phrase eventually entered the English language, becoming a metaphorical expression used to describe a person's tendency to disparage something they desire but cannot attain.

Idioms with the word SOUR GRAPES

• sour grapes "Sour grapes" is an expression used to describe a negative attitude towards something that one desires but is unable to attain. It comes from the fable "The Fox and the Grapes" by Aesop, in which a fox cannot reach some grapes and declares them to be sour because he cannot have them.

Similar spelling word for SOUR GRAPES

• sour grass.