Re: may the wind be always at your back

[Scott Brickner <sjb@UNIVERSE.DIGEX.NET>]

David A Johnston writes:
>  To be perfectly honest, I don't think this saying has much to do with
>sailing.  Yes, it may have started there, but it wouldn't have gained such
>wide usage if it didn't appeal to the human spirit.  I think that it
>caught on because of the idea of the thing.  With the wind at your back
>it's easier going in almost any circumstances.  This is common sense.

Actually, I thought about it a little more and it occurred to me that
the wish for a tailwind is of most benefit to a military archer.  He
gets better range on his flights while the enemy faces a headwind.

This seems more likely than a nautical origin, now that I reconsider.