Fighting in Market Square this morning…

No, I got it wrong! It’s Punch and Judy! Sometimes the silly old things are better than social media and smart phones. Plenty of kids seem to think so anyway…
And my saying of the day is ‘clutching at straws’.
The phrase "clutching at straws" originates from the proverb "a drowning man will clutch at straws," which describes a desperate person clinging to anything, even something flimsy like a straw, in a futile attempt to save themselves. This proverb, and thus the idiom, first appeared in Thomas More's "Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation" in 1534. The phrase signifies trying anything, even with little chance of success, to improve a difficult situation. 

Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Proverb's Origin:
The core idea of a drowning person grasping at straws is ancient. Thomas More's 1534 work formalized it in writing. 
Metaphorical Meaning:
The phrase moved beyond literal drowning to describe anyone in a desperate situation, willing to try anything, no matter how unlikely to work. 
Variations:
The phrase is sometimes rendered as "grasping at straws" or "catching at straws". 
Straws as Reeds:
The "straws" in the original proverb are often interpreted as the thin reeds that grow by the water's edge. 
Modern Usage:
The idiom is used to describe attempts to improve a bad situation when the methods used have little chance of success, often due to a lack of resources or information.