Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
back a pony
English answer:
back a horse
English term
back a pony
If you position yourself as, "Hey, we're backing your pony. We're committed long term to see you be so much more successful, and we know that if you knew how to do it on your own, you'd do it. We chose you not just because of your net worth, not just because of your willingness. Because we saw that you had the openness and the desire to reach the true potential your organiza-tion, your credibility, your integrity, your reputation could establish in the market with the rightcontinual guidance, coaching, mentoring, training, assistance, and support."
"They have to demonstrate and validate that they can. If they say well, yeah; say okay, well I appreciate your saying that, but don't be offended, but if we're going to work together, particularly from the first time we may give you a special incentive, we want to make sure we're investing wisely; we're picking the right horse, or backing the right pony."
"And all you do is make sure that it's always out of a percentage of the money you make from the increased purchases, and you qualify why you can't give them 100 percent of what you makefrom your normal sales, since that's what you're livelihood's based on.
And if you say "Now if anyone else is willing to do that you should probably work with them. If they're not, and I'm the only person willing to invest long-term in you because I want to back your pony all the way through, because I want to grow with you, and I want to make sure thatyou're around, that you're successful, that you're vibrant, that you're a formidable competitor, that you're solid and very profitable, and I want to benefit along with you, I want to contribute and benefit, then I'll hope you are excited to begin this new mutually beneficial relationship." Now that's avery powerful distinction don't you think?"
"When you make a stay or leave decision, until that time you are committed. As a committed partner, as an equity holder, a stake holder, as somebody who has backed this pony, philosophicallyspeaking, you've backed their horse, you picked that shot and that's where you put your emotional,your financial, your life's work, you've put the fate of your career, you've put the fate of the last 16years, the fate of 8 or 10 ten years worth of medical school, the fate of your family and the fate of your involvement in the community in the outcome of this group, haven't you."
4 +13 | back a horse | Liz Dexter (was Broomfield) |
4 +1 | support a fledgling | Mike Birch |
3 -1 | ride a young "horse" | Vesna Maširević |
Jun 14, 2011 15:09: Tony M changed "Field" from "Art/Literary" to "Other" , "Field (specific)" from "Other" to "Idioms / Maxims / Sayings"
Jun 17, 2011 16:14: Liz Dexter (was Broomfield) Created KOG entry
Non-PRO (1): Tony M
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Responses
back a horse
agree |
B D Finch
: "Pony" can be used instead of "horse" as a deliberate diminutive, to indicate a casual and familiar attitude on the part of the speaker.
5 mins
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Thank you!
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agree |
Jenni Lukac (X)
14 mins
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Thank you!
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agree |
Tony M
: And 'pony' is insider jargon for a horse in betting circles. (Just as orchestral players may refer to a 'fiddle' instead of a 'violin' — a kind of inverted snobbery!)
16 mins
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Thank you! and yes, that's very true.
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agree |
Jim Tucker (X)
42 mins
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Thank you!
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agree |
Didier Fourcot
: In understand "We're betting on you"
53 mins
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Thank you!
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agree |
Stephanie Ezrol
: to "play the ponies" in the US means to bet on horses at a racetrack or through an OTB site and is widely used
1 hr
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Thanks!
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agree |
Lydia De Jorge
1 hr
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Thank you!
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agree |
Jack Doughty
1 hr
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Thank you!
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agree |
joaopina
1 hr
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Thank you!
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agree |
Thayenga
3 hrs
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Thank you!
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agree |
jccantrell
: Yep, in politics in the USA, you "backed the wrong horse" if your candidate lost.
7 hrs
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Thanks!
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agree |
Suzan Hamer
18 hrs
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Thank you!
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agree |
Phong Le
2 days 15 mins
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Thank you!
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ride a young "horse"
They are offering their means to "train the young horse" - work with and support the promising supplier on its way to "winning the big races"
A metaphor derived from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_training#.22Backing.22_or...
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Note added at 27 mins (2011-06-14 15:18:49 GMT)
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The age that horses are first ridden, or "backed" (UK)
thank you! |
disagree |
Tony M
: 'back' here doesn't mean to ride, but refers to the betting metaphor of staking money on. / BTW, a 'pony' isn't a young horse, but simply a breed of small size (or a small specimen of a normal-sized breed). Cf. Shetland / New Forest etc. ponies
4 mins
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See the Note + I am not convinced that the two rule each other out but thanks / Pony.. yes I know but still.. :)
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neutral |
Jim Tucker (X)
: Your overall interpretation is correct, but as TM says, "back" = "stake money for" rather than "ride"
25 mins
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Thanks. Yes I admit - using the literal interpretation as the Target term was a bad idea ;)
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support a fledgling
There are two distinct meanings to "back" here:
1) to take a bet on - the angel is gambling;
2) to put a saddle on for the first time, similar to breaking in - the angel provides training and support.
thank you! |
agree |
Vesna Maširević
: PS "rising star" and similar didn't really lead me in the right direction so, I failed to present my answer and I'm quite happy that you thought of "fledgling" :)
12 mins
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Thanks Vesna - largely derived from your own answer!
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Discussion