Tuesday, January 25, 2022

English Phrases

A brief history of some of the English language's most famous old fashioned phrases and sayings 

1. Pearls before swine -  78% (percentage of people who have never used the phrase)

Meaning: You are wasting your time by offering something that is helpful or valuable to someone who does not appreciate it. The term comes from the New Testament (Matthew 7:6), as translated by William Tyndale in 1526. The phrase went on to be repeated by some of the most renowned British writers including Shakespeare and Dickens.

2. Nail your colours to the mast -  71%

Meaning: to declare your beliefs firmly and openly. The phrase dates back to the 17th century, when nautical battle colours - or flags - were lowered as a mark of submission. It was also the custom in naval warfare to direct one's cannon fire at the opponent's ship's mast, thus disabling it. If all of a ship's masts were broken the captain usually had no alternative but to surrender. If the captain decided to fight on this was marked by hoisting the colours on the remnants of the ship's rigging, that is, by 'nailing his colours to the mast'.

3. Colder than a witch's tit -  71%

Meaning: Cold weather, thought to originate from street slang. The suggestion is that witches were evil and cold-blooded, and therefore would not retain body heat.

4. Pip pip - 70%

Meaning: Used to say goodbye in a cheery fashion. Its first known use was in 1907 and is thought to have originated by imitating the sound of a horn. The line 'Pip Pip! Cheerio!' also appears in the lyrics of 'Be Back Soon', a song written and composed by Lionel Bart for the musical Oliver!

5. Know your onions - 68% 

Meaning: To be experienced in or knowledgeable about a subject. Some suggest it originates from British lexicographer and grammarian C T Onions, who worked on the Oxford English Dictionary in the 1960s. But it is also claimed that its birth came four decades earlier, being published for the first time in Harper's Bazaar magazine in the United States in 1922. It was one of a set of such phrases, all with the sense of knowing one's stuff, or being highly knowledgeable in a particular field, that circulated in the 1920s.

6. A nod is as good as a wink - 66%

Meaning: You don't need to be blatant with a signal if someone is willing to carry out a task. This phrase dates back to the 16th century. The longer version of the phrase is 'a nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse'.

7. A stitch in time saves nine -  64%

Meaning: If you sort out a problem immediately it may save a lot of extra work later. The 'stitch in time' notion has been present in English for centuries, and is first recorded in Thomas Fuller's Gnomologia: A Collection of the Proverbs, Maxims and Adages That Inspired Benjamin Franklin and Poor Richard's Almanack in 1732.

8. Ready for the knacker's yard -  62%

Meaning: In a state of ruin or failure due to having become useless or obsolete. A knacker's yard refers to a slaughterhouse for old or injured horses. 'Knackers' was also once used to mean castanets, which then saw it become a slang term for testicles. This was used by James Joyce in his 1922 classic Ulysses, in which he wrote: 'Eh, Harry, give him a kick in the knackers.' That meaning in turn led to verb to 'knacker', which originated in late 19th century as a synonym for castrate and not until about 1970 did it take on its current familiar meaning of exhaustion.

9. I've dropped a clanger -  60%

Meaning: To make a very bad or embarrassing mistake. The image is of something dropping with a clang, i.e. with a loud resonant ringing sound, which underlines the conspicuous nature of the mistake. 

10. A fly in the ointment -  59%

Meaning: A minor irritation that spoils the success or enjoyment of something. The idiom likely has its roots in the Old Testament of the bible, in the book of Ecclesiastes. In the King James version, translated in the early 1600s, the passage reads: 'Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.'

11. Keen as mustard  - 58%

Meaning: Extremely eager or enthusiastic. Long queues would form in the 18th century for people to get their hands on roast beef. Richard Leveridge described this enthusiasm in his song 'Roast beef of Old England' in the year 1735. Mustard being an accompaniment was soon associated with this enthusiasm.

12. A flash in the pan -  57%

Meaning: A thing or person whose sudden but brief success is not repeated or repeatable. The phrase originated sometime during the late 17th century, when flintlock muskets were used. An attempt to fire a musket that resulted in gunpowder flaring up but no ball firing was referred to as a flash in the pan.

13. Tickety boo -  57%

Meaning: Everything is fine or in good order. It is thought to have been taken from a similar-sounding Hindi phrase in the 1930s, meaning 'all right'.

14. A load of codswallop - 56%

Meaning: Words or ideas that are foolish or untrue. It is suggested that it originates from Hiram Codd, a British soft drink maker of the 1870s, known for the eponymous Codd-neck bottle. Codswallop was then reportedly used as a derisive term for soft drinks by beer drinkers. 

15. A curtain twitcher -  56%

Meaning: A nosy person who watches his or her neighbours, typically from a curtained window.

16. Knickers in a twist -  56%

Meaning: To become upset about something that is not very important. The earliest use appears to be in comic strip Andy Capp by British cartoonist Reginald Smyth in 1971. 

17. Dead as a doornail -  55%

Meaning: Emphatically dead. It is thought the phrase comes from the manner of securing doornails that were hammered into a door by clenching them. It is also suggested it is linked to coffins being hammered shut.

18. A dog's dinner  - 55%

Meaning: A mess or a poor piece of work. It has been derived from 'a dog's breakfast' which occurs in Scarlet and Hyssop, by E. F. Benson. It was published in 1902. It goes thus, 'Scraps only, scraps from other places. It always reminds me of a dog's dinner,' said Lady Alston.

19. It's chock a block -  55%

Meaning: Crammed full of people or things. It dates back to the mid 19th century, when, originally in nautical use, it referenced having two blocks running close together. 

20. Storm in a teacup -  55%

Meaning: Great outrage or excitement about a trivial matter. The basic sentiment of a tempest in a teapot and a storm in a teacup seems to have originated in 52BC in the writings of Cicero, in a phrase that translates as stirring up billows in a ladle.

21. Could not organise a p*ss up in a brewery -  54%

Meaning: Completely unable to organise a simple task. Its first known use was in the Observer newspaper, as recently as 1980. In an article about the Ford car plant crisis on Merseyside, one worker was quotes as saying: 'They couldn't run a piss-up in a brewery. They can't manage the machines, let alone the men. If Henry Ford could see them at it, he'd have a fit, poor lad.' 

22. Not enough room to swing a cat -  54%

Meaning: A very small place or space. This expression, first recorded in 1771, is thought to allude to the cat-o'-nine-tails, or 'cat,' a whip with nine lashes widely used to punish offenders in the British military.

23. Flogging a dead horse  - 54%

Meaning: To keep talking about a subject that has already been discussed or decided. It comes from the mid-19th century, when the practice of beating horses to make them go faster was often viewed as acceptable. To beat a dead horse would be pointless, as it wouldn't be able to go anywhere.

24. Toe the line -  54%

Meaning: To accept the authority, policies, or principles of a particular group, often unwillingly. The most likely origin of the term goes back to the wooden decked ships of the Royal Navy during the late 17th or early 18th century. Barefooted seamen had to stand at attention for inspection and had to line up on deck along the seams of the wooden planks, hence to 'toe the line'.

25. Popped her clogs -  54%

Meaning: Died. Its origin is not clear, though the phrase may be explained as pawning one's clogs before death, when there is no further need for them. It has also been conjectured that the phrase is an elaboration of to pop off, meaning to die.

26. Drop them a line - 53%

Meaning: To send someone a note or letter in a casual manner. The 'drop' part of the idiom 'drop a line' is a usage dating back to at least 1769 meaning 'To let (a letter or note) fall into the letter-box; hence, to send (a note, etc.) in a casual or informal way.'

27. Steal my thunder - 53%

Meaning: To prevent someone from having success or getting attention by doing or saying whatever that person was planning to do or say. The idiom comes from the dramatist John Dennis early in the 18th century, after he had conceived a novel idea for a thunder machine for his unsuccessful 1709 play Appius and Virginia - and later found it used at a performance of Macbeth.

28. A few sandwiches short of a picnic - 53%

Meaning: Unintelligent. The phrase is fairly recent. The first citation of it that has been documented is from the BBC's Lenny Henry Christmas Special, December 1987. In that, Henry performed I'm Mad, a spoof song and dance routine written by Kim Fuller and others. This aped Michael Jackson's 1983 hit Bad. Henry, in a straitjacket, sings 'I'm mad, I'm mad', while the backing vocalists sing: 'He's mad, mad, one brick short of a load; He's mad, mad, one sandwich short of a picnic.' 

29. A legend in one's own lifetime - 52%

Meaning: To be very famous while still alive. Its first known use was written of Florence Nightingale by Giles Lytton Strachey, in his well-known book Eminent Victorians in 1918.

30. Be there or be square - 52%

Meaning: If one does not attend a certain event, one is not 'cool.' Its origin appears to be the jazz scene of the 1940s and it derives from the slang use of the word square, meaning conservative or conventional.

31. Fell off the back of a lorry - 52%

Meaning: Acquired illegally. The origin of the phrase is thought to lie with the practice of holding 'salvage auctions' for goods that were damaged in transit and usually sold for a tiny fraction of their normal price.

32. A bodge job - 52%

Meaning: A job that was completed quickly and carelessly. It etymology is unclear and confusing, as bodgers were highly skilled wood-turners, who worked in the beech woods of the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire.

33. Eat humble pie - 52%

Meaning: To make a humble apology and accept humiliation. The expression derives from umble pie, a pie filled with the chopped or minced parts of a beast's 'pluck' – the heart, liver, lungs or 'lights' and kidneys, especially of deer but often other meats.

34. Having a chinwag - 52%

Meaning: To have a friendly conversation. Its origin simply refers to the two words 'chin', which moves when conversing, and 'wag', as in to move quickly from side to side.

35. Put a sock in it - 52%

Meaning: Shut up. The earliest known mention of this phrase is in a letter published by the London literary magazine The Athenæum of 8th August 1919: 'Sir, The expression 'Put a sock in it,' meaning 'Leave off talking, singing or shouting,' should be included in the lists of 'Slang in War-Time.'' 

36. Mad as a Hatter - 51%

Meaning: Mental, originating from the mercury poisoning suffered by hat-makers. Though popularised through the Mad Hatter character in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, the origin of the phrase pre-dates it. Mercury was historically used in the making of hats and was known to have affected the nervous systems of hatters, causing them to tremble and appear insane. The use of mercury compounds in 19th century hat making and the resulting effects are well-established, with mercury poisoning is still known today as 'Mad Hatter's disease'.

37. Spend a penny - 51%

Meaning: Needing to use the toilet. It refers to the use of coin operated locks on public toilets which were first introduced outside the Royal Exchange in London in the 1850s. However, its first recorded citation wasn't until 1945, when it appeared in Hilda Lewis's novel, Strange Story.

38. Cool as a cucumber - 51%

Meaning: Calm and relaxed. The phrase was first recorded in a poem by the British poet John Gay 'New Song on New Similies' in 1732: 'Cool as a cucumber could see the rest of womankind'.

39. It's gone pear shaped - 51%

Meaning: To go wrong or fail miserably. It is thought the phrase originated with the Royal Air Force to describe pilots' poor executions of loops in the air, ending up with pear shapes rather than a round shapes.

40. It cost a bomb - 51%

Meaning: To be extremely expensive. Its origin is not entirely clear, though it is thought to have first been used during World War One.

41. Raining cats and dogs - 51%

Meaning: Heavy rain. 'Cats and dogs' may come from the Greek expression cata doxa, which means 'contrary to experience or belief.' If it is raining cats and dogs, it is raining unusually or unbelievably hard.

42. See a man about a dog - 51%

Meaning: Needing to use the toilet. The earliest confirmed publication is the 1866 Dion Boucicault play Flying Scud in which a character knowingly breezes past a difficult situation saying, 'Excuse me Mr. Quail, I can't stop; I've got to see a man about a dog.' Time magazine observed that the phrase was the play's 'claim to fame'.

43. It takes the biscuit - 50%

Meaning: To be the most outrageous or silly in a series of things. It derives from a disparaging reference to the Roman Catholic sacrament formally called extreme unction, part of which is holy communion. If you take the wafer — contemptuously the biscuit — you are nearing the end of your life.

44. He's a good egg - 50%

Meaning: A good guy or kind person. The expression originally came from its opposite, a bad egg, which was British public school slang from the 1800s for someone who was not nice.

45. Snug as a bug in a rug - 49%

Meaning: To be in an extremely comfortable position or situation. The first known example of the phrase in print is found in the account of David Garrick's celebration of Shakespeare Garrick's vagary, or, England run mad; with particulars of the Stratford Jubilee, 1769: 'If she [a rich widow] has the mopus's [coins or money], I'll have her, as snug as a bug in a rug.' 

46. Chuffed to bits - 49%

Meaning: To feel happy or pleased about something. The origins of the word 'chuffed' are unclear, though it has been used in England as far back as the 16th century.

47. Have a gander - 49%

Meaning: To look or glance at. The idiom dates back to the early 1900s, with the word ganger meaning 'stretch one's neck to see,' alluding to the long neck of the male goose.

48. Selling like hot cakes - 49%

Meaning: To be a great commercial success. The phrase originated in the 1800s when simple cornmeal versions were sold at church bake sales and snapped up by the congregation before they went cold.

49. Pardon my French -  48%

Meaning: To apologise for swearing. The phrase was originally used in England when someone used a French word when speaking to a person who may not have understood French. Due to the history of conflict between France and England, 'pardon my French' came to be a dig against the French.

50. A turn up for the books -  45%

Meaning: An unexpected result. The origin is in horse racing, where the book was the record of bets laid on a race kept by a bookmaker. So when a horse performed in a way that nobody expected, so that most bets lost, it was something that benefited the book and so the bookmaker.



Friday, January 21, 2022

Best Countries to retire

 Ever wondered which countries provide the best retirement for their elderly? Developed by Natixis Investment Managers and CoreData Research, the Global Retirement Index (GRI) ranks 44 countries based on 18 indicators within four sub-indexes. 

The ranking considers a wide range of factors, rating everything from income-per-capita and inflation to life expectancy and healthcare spending. So which countries are the best to spend the golden years of retirement? Read on to discover the top 25.

25th place: France

2 of 26 Photos in Gallery: Out of the 44 countries analysed, India has the poorest overall score, while France has retained its position as the lowest-rated among the top 25 for the second year running.  In terms of the GRI's four sub-indexes – Health, Quality of Life, Material Wellbeing, and Finances in Retirement – France has a mixed bag of results. It scores well for Health, sitting in fourth place, which is little wonder given its excellent healthcare system, yet is one of the lowest-ranked on the Finances sub-index. This is due to its high taxes being a major drag on retirees' incomes.

Out of the 44 countries analysed, India has the poorest overall score, while France has retained its position as the lowest-rated among the top 25 for the second year running.

In terms of the GRI's four sub-indexes – Health, Quality of Life, Material Wellbeing, and Finances in Retirement – France has a mixed bag of results. It scores well for Health, sitting in fourth place, which is little wonder given its excellent healthcare system, yet is one of the lowest-ranked on the Finances sub-index. This is due to its high taxes being a major drag on retirees' incomes.

24th place: Estonia

3 of 26 Photos in Gallery: Estonia is also a non-mover, remaining in 24th position in the latest index. It ranks best in the Finances sub-index, which encompass inflation, tax pressure, interest rates, and more, with the nation placing seventh of those ranked.  On the flipside, Estonia has the poorest score in the top 25 for Material Wellbeing – which covers income equality, income-per-capita, and unemployment – as well as the second-lowest for Quality of Life.

Estonia is also a non-mover, remaining in 24th position in the latest index. It ranks best in the Finances sub-index, which encompass inflation, tax pressure, interest rates, and more, with the nation placing seventh of those ranked.

On the flipside, Estonia has the poorest score in the top 25 for Material Wellbeing – which covers income equality, income-per-capita, and unemployment – as well as the second-lowest for Quality of Life.

23rd place: South Korea

4 of 26 Photos in Gallery: Moving down one place is South Korea. While it sat at position 22 last year, the country's tumble is due in part to the dubious honour of having the lowest score of the top 25 in the Quality of Life sub-index. South Korea scores poorly in three of the indicators: biodiversity, happiness, and environmental.  The Asian nation is also rated relatively poorly for Health but redeems itself in terms of the Finances sub-index, coming in fifth place for the latter. Its senior citizens get a better deal than those in many other countries, especially when factoring in the likes of taxes and inflation.

Moving down one place is South Korea. While it sat at position 22 last year, the country's tumble is due in part to the dubious honour of having the lowest score of the top 25 in the Quality of Life sub-index. South Korea scores poorly in three of the indicators: biodiversity, happiness, and environmental.

The Asian nation is also rated relatively poorly for Health but redeems itself in terms of the Finances sub-index, coming in fifth place for the latter. Its senior citizens get a better deal than those in many other countries, especially when factoring in the likes of taxes and inflation.

22nd place: Japan

5 of 26 Photos in Gallery: Japan, which has moved up one position in this year's edition of the GRI, tops the Health sub-index. This makes sense given that it's the country with the greatest life expectancy (85.03 years, according to Worldometers), as well as having an exemplary healthcare system.  Japan is also joint number one for employment. Its weaker areas, however, are the Quality of Life and Finances sub-indexes. It scores the lowest out of all the 44 nations covered for old-age dependency since it has the oldest population on the planet, meaning fewer people of working age and a greater strain on the state to look after its elderly.

Japan, which has moved up one position in this year's edition of the GRI, tops the Health sub-index. This makes sense given that it's the country with the greatest life expectancy (85.03 years, according to Worldometers), as well as having an exemplary healthcare system.

Japan is also joint number one for employment. Its weaker areas, however, are the Quality of Life and Finances sub-indexes. It scores the lowest out of all the 44 nations covered for old-age dependency since it has the oldest population on the planet, meaning fewer people of working age and a greater strain on the state to look after its elderly.

21st place: Belgium

6 of 26 Photos in Gallery: Belgium retains its 21st position, although its overall score is slightly lower compared to 2020.  The country performs best in the Health sub-index (it's still a dip though, and ranks 16th) and worst in Finances. As is the case with neighbouring France, taxes can be punishing for Belgian seniors, and its population is ageing fast, which dents its total score.

Belgium retains its 21st position, although its overall score is slightly lower compared to 2020.

The country performs best in the Health sub-index (it's still a dip though, and ranks 16th) and worst in Finances. As is the case with neighbouring France, taxes can be punishing for Belgian seniors, and its population is ageing fast, which dents its total score.

20th place: Malta

7 of 26 Photos in Gallery: Likewise, Malta is a non-mover in terms of its ranking but has still scored lower in the most recent edition of the GRI.  The island nation, which is located in the central Mediterranean Sea, has decent, albeit unspectacular, ratings in three of the four sub-indexes. For Material Wellbeing, however, it's landed in at an impressive seventh place thanks to its high levels of income equality and low unemployment rates.

Likewise, Malta is a non-mover in terms of its ranking but has still scored lower in the most recent edition of the GRI.

The island nation, which is located in the central Mediterranean Sea, has decent, albeit unspectacular, ratings in three of the four sub-indexes. For Material Wellbeing, however, it's landed in at an impressive seventh place thanks to its high levels of income equality and low unemployment rates.

19th place: Israel

8 of 26 Photos in Gallery: Israel, which has moved down one spot, excels when it comes to Finances, even though its score in this sub-index is lower compared to the previous GRI.  The country also scores well in terms of Material Wellbeing. Its ratings for Quality of Life and Health, meanwhile, are stable but certainly nothing to write home about when compared to other nations in the top 25.

Israel, which has moved down one spot, excels when it comes to Finances, even though its score in this sub-index is lower compared to the previous GRI.

The country also scores well in terms of Material Wellbeing. Its ratings for Quality of Life and Health, meanwhile, are stable but certainly nothing to write home about when compared to other nations in the top 25.

18th place: UK

9 of 26 Photos in Gallery: The UK is sliding down in the rankings, having dropped one spot in the 2020 edition of the GRI and yet another in this year's. It now sits in 18th place, compared to 16th in 2019.  The country's best sub-index score is for Quality of Life, where it comes seventh overall, thanks to top scores for water and sanitation. However, Finances definitely aren't its strongest point, with the nation placed 29th due to tax pressures and debt.

The UK is sliding down in the rankings, having dropped one spot in the 2020 edition of the GRI and yet another in this year's. It now sits in 18th place, compared to 16th in 2019.

The country's best sub-index score is for Quality of Life, where it comes seventh overall, thanks to top scores for water and sanitation. However, Finances definitely aren't its strongest point, with the nation placed 29th due to tax pressures and debt.

17th place: USA

10 of 26 Photos in Gallery: The US has also moved down one position this year, losing points in three out of four sub-indexes. Most notable is the dip in Health, with the country seeing a dramatic decrease in life expectancy due to the impact of COVID-19.  America's highest-rated sub-index is Finances, for which it's placed 11th, while its poorest is Material Wellbeing. Although income-per-capita is high, income inequality is rife across the country.

The US has also moved down one position this year, losing points in three out of four sub-indexes. Most notable is the dip in Health, with the country seeing a dramatic decrease in life expectancy due to the impact of COVID-19.

America's highest-rated sub-index is Finances, for which it's placed 11th, while its poorest is Material Wellbeing. Although income-per-capita is high, income inequality is rife across the country.

16th place: Slovenia

11 of 26 Photos in Gallery: The highest climber in the latest index, Slovenia has moved up three spots, with improved scores across the Material Wellbeing, Quality of Life, and Health sub-indexes.  In contrast to the US, the Central European country has an exceptional income equality score, ranking third. Other notable achievements include its biodiversity, with the nation ranked second in the world for it in the GRI.

The highest climber in the latest index, Slovenia has moved up three spots, with improved scores across the Material Wellbeing, Quality of Life, and Health sub-indexes.

In contrast to the US, the Central European country has an exceptional income equality score, ranking third. Other notable achievements include its biodiversity, with the nation ranked second in the world for it in the GRI.

15th place: Finland

12 of 26 Photos in Gallery: Sticking in 15th place, Finland is sits first in the Quality of Life sub-index. It's ranked the happiest country in the world, and has also garnered exceptionally high scores for air quality, water, and sanitation.   Where the Scandinavian country does fall short, however, is in the Finances sub-index. This is partly due to its ageing population, as well as the heavy tax burden it imposes on its senior citizens.

Sticking in 15th place, Finland is sits first in the Quality of Life sub-index. It's ranked the happiest country in the world, and has also garnered exceptionally high scores for air quality, water, and sanitation. 

Where the Scandinavian country does fall short, however, is in the Finances sub-index. This is partly due to its ageing population, as well as the heavy tax burden it imposes on its senior citizens.

14th place: Czech Republic

13 of 26 Photos in Gallery: The Czech Republic is another non-mover. Its overriding strength is Material Wellbeing, for which it scores the joint-highest out of all countries included in the index for employment. It also scores fourth for income equality.  This is offset by relatively low ratings in the Health and Quality of Life sub-indexes. The country's environmental indicator, for example, is the 10th-lowest among all GRI nations.

The Czech Republic is another non-mover. Its overriding strength is Material Wellbeing, for which it scores the joint-highest out of all countries included in the index for employment. It also scores fourth for income equality.

This is offset by relatively low ratings in the Health and Quality of Life sub-indexes. The country's environmental indicator, for example, is the 10th-lowest among all GRI nations.

13th place: Sweden

14 of 26 Photos in Gallery: Although still a great location for retirees, Sweden has actually slipped two positions down the rankings this year. This drop is nothing, however, compared to the nine positions it has dropped since 2019, when it ranked 4th.  Quality of Life is its strongest area, for which the Nordic nation is placed fifth, while its weakest is Finances, where its score has plummeted in the past two years due to its high rates of taxation and low interest rates.

Although still a great location for retirees, Sweden has actually slipped two positions down the rankings this year. This drop is nothing, however, compared to the nine positions it has dropped since 2019, when it ranked 4th.

Quality of Life is its strongest area, for which the Nordic nation is placed fifth, while its weakest is Finances, where its score has plummeted in the past two years due to its high rates of taxation and low interest rates.

12th place: Austria

15 of 26 Photos in Gallery: Austria has maintained its position as the 12th best country, even managing to improve on its overall score in the latest GRI.  The country makes the top 10 when it comes to the Material Wellbeing and Quality of Life sub-indexes. However, it's placed at 14th in the Health sub-index, and scrapes into 35th for Finances thanks to its high taxes for senior citizens.

Austria has maintained its position as the 12th best country, even managing to improve on its overall score in the latest GRI.

The country makes the top 10 when it comes to the Material Wellbeing and Quality of Life sub-indexes. However, it's placed at 14th in the Health sub-index, and scrapes into 35th for Finances thanks to its high taxes for senior citizens.

11th place: Luxembourg

16 of 26 Photos in Gallery: The tiny principality of Luxembourg has risen two spots in the latest index. The Health sub-index is its top-scorer, with the country placed third in the world on account of its superlative health system and long life expectancy.  Like many wealthy European countries, however, the tax burden on older people is high in Luxembourg, which detrimentally impacts its ranking in the Finances sub-index.

The tiny principality of Luxembourg has risen two spots in the latest index. The Health sub-index is its top-scorer, with the country placed third in the world on account of its superlative health system and long life expectancy.

Like many wealthy European countries, however, the tax burden on older people is high in Luxembourg, which detrimentally impacts its ranking in the Finances sub-index.

10th place: Canada

17 of 26 Photos in Gallery: Back to North America. Canada easily beats its southern neighbour, making it a better place for retirees to reside when compared to the USA.  That said, Canada has still moved down two spots in the rankings compared to 2020. Despite this, it maintains respectable scores across all four sub-indexes, with the highest awarded for Finances in Retirement and the lowest for Material Wellbeing.

Back to North America. Canada easily beats its southern neighbour, making it a better place for retirees to reside when compared to the USA.

That said, Canada has still moved down two spots in the rankings compared to 2020. Despite this, it maintains respectable scores across all four sub-indexes, with the highest awarded for Finances in Retirement and the lowest for Material Wellbeing.

9th place: Denmark

18 of 26 Photos in Gallery: Although it's a non-mover in terms of its 9th place ranking, which it has retained since 2019, Denmark has still scored fractionally higher in the latest GRI.  Again, like the majority of affluent European countries, particularly those in Scandinavia, the nation shines in three of the sub-indexes but is let down by Finances as a result of its high levels of taxation.

Although it's a non-mover in terms of its 9th place ranking, which it has retained since 2019, Denmark has still scored fractionally higher in the latest GRI.

Again, like the majority of affluent European countries, particularly those in Scandinavia, the nation shines in three of the sub-indexes but is let down by Finances as a result of its high levels of taxation.

8th place: Germany

19 of 26 Photos in Gallery: Germany has shot up two spots in the latest index, landing higher scores in three of its four sub-indexes.  Material Wellbeing is its greatest strength, the country is placed fifth courtesy of its high levels of employment, while Finances is its weakest due to high taxes on seniors.

Germany has shot up two spots in the latest index, landing higher scores in three of its four sub-indexes.

Material Wellbeing is its greatest strength, the country is placed fifth courtesy of its high levels of employment, while Finances is its weakest due to high taxes on seniors.

7th place: Australia

20 of 26 Photos in Gallery: Moving Down Under, Australia maintains its position as the 7th best place for retirees, a position it has held since 2019. As opposed to the bulk of European countries that dominate the top 25, Finances is Australia's strongest sub-index thanks to its lower tax burden on seniors, although its score has dropped in the latest GRI.  Health is also highly rated, while Material Wellbeing has the worst score: Australia ranks 23rd within this sub-index.

Moving Down Under, Australia maintains its position as the 7th best place for retirees, a position it has held since 2019. As opposed to the bulk of European countries that dominate the top 25, Finances is Australia's strongest sub-index thanks to its lower tax burden on seniors, although its score has dropped in the latest GRI.

Health is also highly rated, while Material Wellbeing has the worst score: Australia ranks 23rd within this sub-index.

6th place: New Zealand

21 of 26 Photos in Gallery: New Zealand has also held on to its plum position of 6th place. The country is ranked even higher than Australia in the Finances sub-index, landing the third-best position against Australia's fourth.  It also comfortably outpaces its neighbour in Quality of Life due to its air quality, happiness, and environmental factors being particularly good, but scores lower in terms of both Health and Material Wellbeing.

New Zealand has also held on to its plum position of 6th place. The country is ranked even higher than Australia in the Finances sub-index, landing the third-best position against Australia's fourth.

It also comfortably outpaces its neighbour in Quality of Life due to its air quality, happiness, and environmental factors being particularly good, but scores lower in terms of both Health and Material Wellbeing.

5th place: Netherlands

22 of 26 Photos in Gallery: Another non-mover, the Netherlands' highest-ranked sub-index is Material Wellbeing – the country is placed joint-first for employment, eighth for income equality and ninth for income-per-capita.  Health is also highly rated, as is Quality of Life. When it comes to Finances, however, the country ranks 28th. This is due to high taxes, which help to guarantee robust income equality as well as fund the public services necessary for superior living standards.

Another non-mover, the Netherlands' highest-ranked sub-index is Material Wellbeing – the country is placed joint-first for employment, eighth for income equality and ninth for income-per-capita.

Health is also highly rated, as is Quality of Life. When it comes to Finances, however, the country ranks 28th. This is due to high taxes, which help to guarantee robust income equality as well as fund the public services necessary for superior living standards.

4th place: Ireland

23 of 26 Photos in Gallery: An excellent all-rounder, Ireland has maintained its 2020 position in the 2021 edition of the GRI, making it the fourth-best country for retirees.  It enjoys high rankings across all four sub-indexes, in contrast to the many European nations that drop points due to high tax rates. The nation lands in the top 10 for Health, Finances and Material Wellbeing, and is placed 11th for Quality of Life.

An excellent all-rounder, Ireland has maintained its 2020 position in the 2021 edition of the GRI, making it the fourth-best country for retirees.

It enjoys high rankings across all four sub-indexes, in contrast to the many European nations that drop points due to high tax rates. The nation lands in the top 10 for Health, Finances and Material Wellbeing, and is placed 11th for Quality of Life.

3rd place: Norway

24 of 26 Photos in Gallery: A wonderful place for retirees, non-mover Norway clearly has much to offer senior citizens. After all, the country placed an impressive second in three of its sub-indexes: Health, Material Wellbeing and Quality of Life.   The only fly in the ointment is the country's comparatively low score in the Finances sub-index, for which it scrapes into 25th place. Again, the nation's steep taxes are to blame for this fairly poor showing.

A wonderful place for retirees, non-mover Norway clearly has much to offer senior citizens. After all, the country placed an impressive second in three of its sub-indexes: Health, Material Wellbeing and Quality of Life. 

The only fly in the ointment is the country's comparatively low score in the Finances sub-index, for which it scrapes into 25th place. Again, the nation's steep taxes are to blame for this fairly poor showing.

2nd place: Switzerland

25 of 26 Photos in Gallery: Conversely, fellow non-mover Switzerland performs fantastically in the Finances sub-index, bagging 2nd place within the sub-index. (Singapore actually topped this sub-index but falls seriously short on other indicators, hence why it failed to make the overall top 25.)  Wealthy Switzerland has also picked up generous scores for Quality of Life and Health, placing 4th and 5th respectively. Its Material Wellbeing ranking could be better, landing an unremarkable 14th place.

Conversely, fellow non-mover Switzerland performs fantastically in the Finances sub-index, bagging 2nd place within the sub-index. (Singapore actually topped this sub-index but falls seriously short on other indicators, hence why it failed to make the overall top 25.)

Wealthy Switzerland has also picked up generous scores for Quality of Life and Health, placing 4th and 5th respectively. Its Material Wellbeing ranking could be better, landing an unremarkable 14th place.

Best: Iceland

26 of 26 Photos in Gallery: Iceland pretty much ticks all the retirement security boxes, and has held on to its top-spot ranking for the third year running.  The country is ranked 12th for Health, with health expenditure especially strong. It's the world's highest-scorer for Material Wellbeing, while its scores for Quality of Life and Finances place it in the top 10 in both sub-indexes. Just don't forget to pack your thermals...  Now discover which countries are most expensive to live in

Iceland pretty much ticks all the retirement security boxes, and has held on to its top-spot ranking for the third year running.

The country is ranked 12th for Health, with health expenditure especially strong. It's the world's highest-scorer for Material Wellbeing, while its scores for Quality of Life and Finances place it in the top 10 in both sub-indexes. Just don't forget to pack your thermals...


Info correct as of Jan 2022

Saturday, January 1, 2022

Struggles

 The Butterfly (Inspirational Short Stories)

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.

One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.

Until it suddenly stopped making any progress and looked like it was stuck.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily, although it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man didn’t think anything of it and sat there waiting for the wings to enlarge to support the butterfly. But that didn’t happen. The butterfly spent the rest of its life unable to fly, crawling around with tiny wings and a swollen body.

Despite the kind heart of the man, he didn’t understand that the restricting cocoon and the struggle needed by the butterfly to get itself through the small opening; were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings. To prepare itself for flying once it was out of the cocoon.

 

Moral of the story:

Our struggles in life develop our strengths. Without struggles, we never grow and never get stronger, so it’s important for us to tackle challenges on our own, and not be relying on help from others.