|
Reader question: Please explain this sentence: They think they are square pegs in small towns. My comments: Obviously, the small towns are all round in shape. In other words, we’re talking about square pegs designed for round holes, and they don’t fit each other so nicely. Not at all. Square pegs in round holes? Yes, that’s the idiom to learn here. The pegs are short pieces of wood (or metal) fixed to a wall or door, used for hanging things on. You know, you hammer the pegs into a hole till they are attached firmly. Obviously if the pegs are square-shaped, and the holes are round, they won’t fit. Or even if you put the pegs in, they won’t hold. Just saying. In actuality, good carpenters all have a knack with pegs and they’ll make sure pegs are cylindrical or T-shaped so they fit into holes without difficulty. Anyways, when people are metaphorically described as square pegs, they’re misfits – people who for one reason or another don’t fit well in whatever environment they found themselves. I’ve heard of country people working in the city finding it difficult to return to rural life again. And they’re kind of square pegs in small towns because, having seen the city lights, so to speak, they no longer enjoy the slow life in the countryside. For one thing, there might be no light at all in the street in some rural villages after dark. | 
