TO PADDLE ONE’S OWN CANOE, phr. (American).—To make one’s own way in life; to exhibit skill and energy; to succeed unaided; a slang phrase of Western American origin, but now universal. [Extremely careful and clever manipulation is required in the management of canoes, especially in shooting rapids; otherwise the surging body of water might swamp the boat, or sunken rocks strike and seriously damage it. Hence the adoption of such an expression to signify skill, close attention, and energy.] A variant is to BAIL ONE’S OWN BOAT; and the French have a proverbial saying, il conduit or il mène bien sa barque.

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  1845.  Harper’s Magazine, May.

        Voyager upon life’s sea, to yourself be true;
And, where’er your lot may be, PADDLE YOUR OWN CANOE.

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  1868.  Broadside Ballad, sung by HARRY CLIFTON.

        My wants are small, I care not at all,
  If my debts are paid when due,
And to drive away strife on the ocean
  Of life, I PADDLE MY OWN CANOE.

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  1870.  C. H. SPURGEON, At Metropolitan Tabernacle [speaking of Mr. John Magregor said]—He puts his trust in God and PADDLES HIS OWN CANOE.

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  1871.  DE VERE, English of the New World, p. 343. The familiarity with boating, which the unsurpassed number of watercourses all over the country naturally produces everywhere, has led to the use, not only of PADDLING ONE’S OWN CANOE,… but also of ‘bailing one’s own boat,’ in the sense of ‘minding one’s own business,’ independently and without waiting for help from others.

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