Meaning

Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men, have mediocrity thrust upon them

The meaning of the phrase

Literal meaning.

Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men, have mediocrity thrust upon them

What’s the origin of the phrase ‘Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men, have mediocrity thrust upon them’?

From Joseph Heller’s Catch-22. Paraphrase of the original ‘some men are born great…’ from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, 1602.

Historical trend

“mediocre” in printed material over time

Source: Google Books Ngrams (1800–2020).

180018201840186018801900192019401960198020002020
  • mediocre