Yes, yes I DO want you to get the most out of this class, out of college, out of life in general... BUT... That's not what this post is about.
This week's prompt is a little different. Consider the common expression "milk (something) for what it's worth"/ "She's milking this situation"/ "Go for it baby, milk it!"
Our contemporary speech is littered with verbal phrases/ metaphors/ parables etc. whose roots are agrarian and yet we use them in non-farm-related contexts.
Your assignment is:
1. Find 2 idiomatic expressions whose origin is in agriculture ("don't count your chickens til they're hatched") OR that has a relationship to the environment (to "turn over a new leaf"). My hope is that you will come upon these in your everyday life. You'll find that to find TWO is actually a piece of cake. The trick is in #2:
2. You are not allowed to repeat someone else's phrases. Check the blog before you post. I'll be making a list so that we can all "reap the benefits" of a concerted effort. This is both to see what you are able to come up with as well as an incentive not to procrastinate; the "early bird" will have it easy.
3. Once you have your two expressions, restate in your OWN WORDS what you think they meant when they came about (imagine in what context they were used- Ask yourself Who, What, When, Where, Why and How).
4. Do some research (wikapedia is fine) to verify your speculation (#3). You might be surprised at the origin of certain sayings. For ex."Come Hell or high water" comes from cattle ranching, in particular "the driving of cattle to railheads in the mid West in the latter part of the nineteenth century. In 1939 Paul Wellman published a book with the title Trampling Herd: the Story of the Cattle Range in America in which he wrote: “ ‘In spite of hell and high water’ is a legacy of the cattle trail when the cowboys drove their horn-spiked masses of longhorns through high water at every river and continuous hell between.” (http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-com1.htm)
4. Put them in the context of today's use. Discuss how it differs (if at all) from its source. Give your reasons for why you think the expression caught on in vernacular setting and why/ how the meaning evolved.
These instructions may seem long, but the ultimate result will be fairly quick compared to other weeks. As you all have already started seeing differently (i.e. thinking about your role in relationship to global systems, noticing what you previously overlooked, etc.), now I'm asking you to listen carefully to what you and others say. Our cultural heritage is rich in remnants of our past and they are not only important to informing our future choices but in teaching us to pay attention to our roots.
ps. (as if this wasn't long enough) I just wanted to mention that I'll add bonus points to anyone who surpasses the minimum requirement of coming up with 2 idioms or who comes up with idiomatic expressions from other languages (with the corresponding translation and cultural explanation, of course) -Reed
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Kristen Zelenka
ReplyDeleteResponse #4
My two idiomatic expressions are “to go against the grain” and “Put the axe to the grind.” Before any research, I think that “to go against the grain” has origins in farming and early carpentry when sanding wood and how you are supposed to sand with the grain. It might also have to do with chopping wood. I believe that “put your axe to the grind,” means that you had to sharpen your axe and get work and chores done. This also has its roots in early American farming.
The metaphor ‘to go against the grain” has origins dating from the 1600s and refers to the natural direction of the fibers in a piece of wood, when sawed "against the grain," the wood will tend to splinter (http://www.answers.com/topic/against-the-grain). This deals more literally with the act of cutting wood against the grain. Today this idiomatic phrase has taken on a new meaning. It now more refers to “A person who does things in an unconventional manner, especially if their methods are not generally approved of, is said to go against the grain. Such an individual can be called a maverick.” (http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/go+against+the+grain.html). I believe that this change happened because the phrase first received general knowledge of farmers who consisted of the majority of our population and then as our society became more industrial, to obtained its new meaning of individuals going against the “grain” or norms of society.
However, my interpretation of “put the axe to the grind” is incorrect because the saying is actually to “have an axe to grind.” The phrase actually means to “have a dispute to take up with someone or, to have an ulterior motive/ to have private ends to serve” (http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/174000.html). The phrase is believed to have been authored either by Benjamin Franklin or Charles Miner, both whom were from Pennsylvania (http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/174000.html). I don’t believe that the meaning of this saying has really changed except for the cultural understanding of what it means to actually grind an axe. In either case it means that you have to start taking action in order to do something else.
Another idiomatic expression is “fair de middlin” that my uncle who is a farmer uses all the time however I cannot find anything on its origins. My uncle says that its comes from farming and growing corn and that when the corn was half grown, half the height it is supposed to be by the harvest, that you would say that it was “fair de middlin” to mean that everything was on track. Today he now uses it to refer to how he is feeling. If you ask him how he is and he is just doing ok or good he will respond by using this phrase.
My two expressions are a “needle in a hay stack” and “Don’t have a cow!” A needle in the haystack refers to an object that is so small compared to its environment and how there is an abundance of objects just like it around it. When you think about it, it would be almost impossible to find a specific needle in a haystack filled with thousands of needles that look exactly the same. The Using English dictionary defined “a needle in a haystack” refers to the impossibility of trying to find something with all that is surrounding it. (http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/needle+in+a+haystack.html)
ReplyDeleteThe other expression, “Don’t have a cow!” is associated with how a person may go ballistic when a certain event occurs. I didn’t know how someone could literally “have a cow” but I only understood the meaning from hearing it in context over and over again. For instance, if I were to break down about losing a game and express my emotions, someone may come up to me and say “don’t have a cow!” and in other words tell me to relax. Wikipedia talks about “Don’t have a cow” as not getting worked up about something and brings up how having a cow actually is referring to how if one were to give birth to a cow, they would feel a lot of pain. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don't_have_a_cow) I never thought it was actually associated with the birth of a cow but in a way it does make sense because we would actually go crazy if that were to happen to us.
“Needle in a haystack” was most likely created centuries ago when agriculture was predominant and hay was an important farming tool. Today, we would use this expression when we can’t find something important to us. An example of when we would use this expression is if we were trying to find our car keys in our messy office. “Don’t have a cow!” originated in the late 1950’s. Since cows are one of the most important animals in farming, this expression relates to agriculture in several ways. Like the example I introduced before, a way we would “have a cow” if is we were to get worked up or upset about not accomplishing something. Someone were to tell us “not to have a cow” if we for example, were noticeably angry about getting a bad grade.
Alyssa Olson
ReplyDeletePost #4
The two idioms I chose were “A long row to hoe” and “Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket”. These both relate to agriculture because they either deal with the cultivating aspect of farming or the production.
The first idiom “A long row to hoe” I believe has been around almost as long as farming has. Its very straight forward in that something is going to take a long time. I can imagine a farmer after a long day of work, sitting behind his tractor with just one more row to hoe, thinking that this is going to be “a long row to hoe”. The expression means that it is going to be a difficult task and also very time consuming. While researching this idiom I was not able to find any differing explanations or history for this saying. I believe due to its straightforward nature there is not much to be said of it because it is all within the context. (http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/a+long+row+to+hoe.html).
As for this saying during modern days I believe the expression still holds true as it did hundreds of years ago. When one says this idiom they are expressing a long and grueling task that they are about to begin. This idiom’s meaning held true through out the years and either in past or modern times still expresses the same significance.
The second idiom I chose was “Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket”. This in modern times relates to the idea that you don’t want to put everything into one thing, or rely solely on one object or hope because the risk is too large. If you were to split your “eggs” into separate baskets then if something happened to one basket it would not completely destroy you, yet only slightly set you back.
While researching this phrase I was not able to identify if it came from a farming term or if it only merely references agriculture. I was able to discover that the meaning is very similar if not the same now as it was in earlier times. Each piece of history I found about the saying said that it was a term to tell one not to rely too heavily on one hope or aspiration, to spread their hopes around. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_put_all_your_eggs_in_one_basket).
It was interesting to see that most of the meanings of these idioms have not change at all or only very little since the past. I never took much notice to the agricultural derivatives in many of the popular idioms of our culture. Our country used to one of farming and agriculture and it only makes sense that many of our phrasings and speech would be a product of it.
Response 4 in Progress....
ReplyDeleteLauren Korany
My idioms are "to cry over spilt milk", and "That's a cock and bull story."
Response 4 in progress..."why buy the cow when you can have the milk for free?" and "Don't kill the goose that lays the golden eggs".
ReplyDeleteAgrarian Idioms Used in Everyday Contexts
ReplyDeleteMeghan Schwend
“Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free” and “To stay out ‘till the cows come home” are two idioms related to agrarian society , but are used in everyday contexts relating to people. Agrarian idioms can be found in almost every language. “Tener ojos de cordero degollado” is an idiom from the Spanish language that I will discuss.
The first, “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free” often refers to men using women for sex, rather than having a relationship with them. Using them and losing them-- to put it bluntly. In a more broad sense, “why pay for something you can get for free?” I spent some time looking this idiom up and could not find a specific origin. It does make sense though, milk is much cheaper and easier to manage than taking care of a cow just for milk purposes. A parallel can be drawn between this and some men’s relationships with women. Why should a man feel inclined to commit to a woman when he can have all of the benefit of marriage without the obligation?
The second idiom is “To stay out ‘till the cows come home”. This one refers to coming home very late at night. It comes from the agrarian use describing the time that cows wander in from pasture at their own leisure. It is used to describe someone staying out late, usually indulging in something (drinking, partying, etc), and coming home whenever they please. This phrase draws a parallel to “party animals” and real animals.
Finally, the phrase, “Tener ojos de cordero degollado”, disturbingly translates to “eyes of a lamb whose throat has been cut out”, with the more acceptable meaning, “to have sad looking eyes.” This one is definitely more graphic than the other idioms discussed. One can describe a person as having sad eyes by saying “El tenia ojos de cordero degollado.” This probably originated from farming society where disturbing images like this would be talked about in a very casual manner, making its way into mainstream dialect.
Response #4 in progress. My idioms are "april showers bring may flowers" and "bet the farm"
ReplyDelete#4 in progress "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" and "whistle while you work "
ReplyDelete-Pat
I'll join in and post a pre-response. My idioms are "hold your horses" and "kick the bucket". I'm surprised no one has picked those yet.
ReplyDeleteI'll be writing about the phrases "The grass is always greener on the other side"and "pushing up daisies."
ReplyDeleteI'm doing "a day late and a dollar short" and "a rolling stone gathers no moss."
ReplyDeletePete Hall
ReplyDeleteResponse 4
My two idioms are “hold your horses” and “kick the bucket”. Initially I would assume that hold your horses meant patience and control, the rancher or general horse owner who could control his or her horses was strong, not apt to quick action and calculated. They were never brash with their animals. I would also assume that the term originates when horses were the main mode easy transportation, such as a horse and buggy. Holding your horses would implore you to slow down. A quick search of Wikipedia corroborates this hunch, "Hold your horses"…is a common idiom to mean "hold on" or wait, which is believed to have originated in the United States of America in the 19th century and is historically related to horse riding, or driving a horse-drawn vehicle. The saying is typically used when someone is rushing in to something. However it also has a more literal meaning and in certain circumstances is the preferred idiom to use. "Hold your horses" literally means to keep your horse (or horses) still, which would be used when horse riding, or driving a horse-drawn vehicle. Thus it is very easy for someone without previously hearing the expression to understand its meaning. Someone is to wait for a moment. It is usually followed up with an explanation to demonstrate why they should wait. For example, "Hold your horses, you haven't thought about this yet."
Interestingly, the same Wikipedia entry references there being other origins of the word, namely horse drawn artillery. “British soldiers stood behind their artillery. When asked by an American consultant he was told they always did it that way. Some checking revealed that when the canon was fired the horses bolted and ran off, thus, hold your horses was forever set forth.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hold_your_horses)
I believe this idiom still holds today, but not in it’s literal form as artillery is no longer horse drawn and few people use horses in the 21st century the same way they did in the 19th. In it’s ‘translation’ of meaning patience, it is still very applicable to today. This idiom probably caught on because of its ease of understanding.
Kick the bucket is a phrase that I’ve always understood to mean to die, or to do something similar. I believe this is a very well understood idiom, but the origins are not well known. World Wide Words says, “There are two main theories about this one. One suggests that the word doesn’t refer to our modern bucket at all, but to a sixteenth century word that comes from the French buque, meaning a yoke or similar piece of wood. It is said that the word was applied in particular to the beam from which a pig was hung in order to be slaughtered. Inevitably, the pig would struggle during the process, and would kick the buque.
The expression is attested to in particular by a citation in the Oxford English Dictionary: “The beam on which a pig is suspended after he has been slaughtered is called in Norfolk, even in the present day, a ‘bucket’. Since he is suspended by his heels, the phrase to ‘kick the bucket’ came to signify to die”. (http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-kic1.htm) This definition is even used in Shakespear's Henry IV Part II “where he says: Swifter then he that gibbets on the Brewers Bucket.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kick_the_bucket)
The other supposed origin, purported to be much less credible, is “a method of suicide in the Middle Ages.[3] A noose is tied around the neck while standing on an overturned bucket. When the pail is kicked away, the victim is hanged.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kick_the_bucket)
Kick the bucket most likely caught on because ever person is familiar in some way or form with death and the phrase kick the bucket is an easy way to address something with such significance.
Paul DiStefano
ReplyDeleteThe Idiomatic expressions I chose are, “A day late and a dollar short” and “A rolling stone gathers no moss.” I have heard both of these expressions before, but I have never thought about them in an environmental context before. Before looking it up, I knew that “A day late and a dollar short” means, “too little too late.” That you are a day later than you should be, and a dollar less than you should be, and there is nothing you can do about it now. When I looked it up I found out I was right. It means that it is too late. This relates to my life now because of what we are learning about in lecture. That most of the world believes that it is “too little too late.” That one person won’t make a difference. This is the exact way we cannot think. If we think this way, the world will only get worse. If everyone does there little job to help the earth, it won’t be “too little too late.”
“A rolling stone gathers no moss” is also a saying I have heard before, but also one that I was a little less clear on what exactly it meant. What I thought of first was that someone who is greedy or cocky and tries to get ahead would not accomplish anything. When I looked up the actual meaning, I notice I was close but not completely on target. The real meaning is, “people who keep moving to avoid responsibilities and cares.” I believe this also relates to my life today because of what we are learning about in lecture. That many people only think about themselves as a system and avoid their responsibilities as being apart of a global system in general. If people stop only thinking about themselves and start participating in this system, in which they are responsible for doing, then this world will be better off.
As I was first reading the blog prompt, I didn’t think there would be a lot of phrases that would fit into this category. I got nervous thinking about how hard it’d be to come up with two, especially since Reed already used a bunch of examples in the prompt. I looked outside and started picking out several aspects of the landscape and was immediately able to think of more than two phrases—in less than 30 seconds. I can’t believe how many idioms are agrarian in nature! (No pun intended…)
ReplyDeleteI chose the phrase “The grass is always greener on the other side (of the fence).” I believe it probably stemmed from when many people owned farms and lived off the land. This phrase has a very envious tone to it. I imagine that the farmers would notice their neighbor’s crops and be jealous of how fruitful their harvest was, even if their own was just as good. In my research, I found that the phrase stemmed from basically the same situation I said. There was even a scientific article written that found that the grass actually does look greener when it is farther away, which explains why they have found that a cows and horses often try to get at the “juicy green grass” just on the other side. (http://www.deproverbio.com/display.php?a=3&r=4) This phrase is still used today, but isn’t usually used in the agrarian sense. For example, my most vivid memory of this phrase being used in the past was in reference to women’s hair. I have found that women with curly hair always wish they had straight hair, and women with straight hair always wish they had curly hair. As you can see, neither style is more desirable, it’s just that women tend to want what they don’t or can’t have. I think it definitely applies in today’s society because many people enjoy complaining about what they have, even if they are very wealthy, attractive, etc. We tend to wants what others have and don’t take the time to appreciate what we already have. I think the meaning has evolved since the majority of us don’t own farms, so the meaning has taken on a more materialistic connotation.
The second phrase I chose was “pushing up daisies.” I actually heard this for the first time when I was on a road trip with my family this summer and we were driving out west. We were on Route 66 when I saw these 4 consecutive signs from Burma Shave that stated, “If daisies are,” “your favorite flower,” “keep pushin’ up,” and “those miles per hour.” I had to ask what it meant because I hadn’t heard the phrase “pushing up daisies” before. This phrase is in reference to having died and been buried. When you are buried, you’re “pushing” flowers up through the ground. In my research, I found that this phrase stems from the custom of growing flowers…over a grave” (http://www.quotations.me.uk/famous-idioms/159-pushing-up-daisies-idiom.htm). This makes more sense. The origin for the meaning still applies to how it is used today. It is still common to have flowers at a gravesite. I think it is a common phrase because society likes making light of certain situations and adding humor to usually sad or morbid situations.
I have found three idiomatic expressions that I want to analyze, but I’d like to focus on the two English sayings first. They are; “To cry over spilt milk” and “A cock and bull story”. I already have a vague understanding of what they mean without researching them because they are a part of the culture I live in. I may not fully understand their origins, but when someone says, “don’t cry over spilt milk,” it usually means to avoid getting upset over something that you can’t get back. When someone says, “that’s a cock and bull story,” means that the story is made up or ridiculous. When I imagine their use during their original times, I could imagine them rooting from actual situations that had occurred in an agricultural setting. “To cry over spilt milk” may have originated from the value of hand squeezed milk that the farmers or buyers may have put a deal of money into. To “spill the milk” would be costly. Yet, no one could save the milk once it had been all over and this would be an upsetting event for the owner. When I imagine the origin of the phrase “A cock and bull story”, I think of the two animals being in the same location. I can imagine that both male farm animals would not handle being in contact with one another, especially if this phrase were to refer to a confrontation. Therefore, the act of the two meeting would be utter nonsense, which is what this phrase means.
ReplyDeleteAfter researching the two phrases, I had found their true origins. “To cry over spilt milk” originated in England, and was first seen I the Oxford English Dictionary as the phrase “Tis folly to cry for spilt milk”. This came about as early as 1638. (http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question14436.html) The meaning of the phrase is the same as what I had suspected. However, the origin of “A cock and bull story” was one that I didn’t expect. It came from Buckinghamshire, England and the coaching business in the city. The two largest coaching inns in the city were known ass the Cock Hotel, and the Bull Hotel. The two had an infamous rivalry in the city and thus exaggerated tales were made about their “confrontations”. (http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/cock%20and%20bull%20story.html)
I suppose that the meanings of the idioms in today’s context would not differ from their original meaning. I had some sense of what they meant, as I had mentioned earlier. My explanations from them did not stray far, if at all, from their original meaning. They refer to agricultural roots, but do not need be applied to them. That’s the wonderful thing about idioms and proverbs.
Last, but not least, is my final idiom; "Nu pot sa fac din rahat bici." This Romanian idiom translates as, “You can’t make a silk purse out of a pig’s ear.” I found this very interesting as a phrase. My first reaction to it was that you can’t make something that starts off as unvalued into something valuable. So, the base of material can’t be made into something… better. Well, isn’t that what we do as artists? We take materials that are otherwise useless to us (even trash) and create something valued. Upon research, I found that this means that if you try to improve something beyond its capable boundaries you are doomed to failure. (http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/26/messages/1199.html) This could defiantly be used in modern times, even if, as artists and designers, we choose to defy it's meaning.
Patrick Shamsuddoha
ReplyDeleteThe two Idiomatic expressions I chose are,"A bird in hand is worth two in the bush" and "whistle while you work". The interesting thing about the first is that at first glance it doesn't give up it's meaning, it took me about 10 minutes to really understand what it meant. which I thought it was about hunting and I was wrong. As for the second phrase, I know it was part of a Disney song and was fair sure of it meaning, but know understanding of its origin.
So what i later found out to be the true meaning of "A bird in hand is worth two in the bush" was It's better to have a small actual advantage than the chance of a greater one. in short be thankful for what you have and don't get greedy. The phase was first used in an 18th century song entitled 'A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush' and is listed as being 'Sung at Vauxhall' [London]- The Vocal Magazine: Or, Compleat British Songster, 1781
Gay Strephon declares I'm the girl in his mind,
If he proves sincere, I'll be constant and kind,
He vows that tomorrow he'll make me his wife,
I'll fondly endeavour to bless him for life,
For all other fwains I care not a rush,
One bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
(http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/a-bird-in-the-hand.html)
The phase in the song refers too a young women marrying the man that asks her and not worrying about other suitors that may or may not call on her. So from what i understand, This phase is still relevant in today's hectic world. With the mass gambling that took place on wall street, we learned that risking all we have for the slim shot at something greater isn't always the best course of action.
"Whistle While You Work"
Oddly enough the second phrase i choose also comes from a song. Now I had simply thought that the disney song writers had simply appropriated the phrase from some where else., but in fact the song written by Frank Churchill and Leigh Harline for the 1937 animated Disney movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whistle_While_You_Work) So a much more contemporary phase I'm sure but let it's meaning not be lost in it's youth. the phrase means you should find in enjoyment in the things we must do and in turn the become less of a chore to complete.
"Das geht auf keine Kuhhaut."
ReplyDeleteEnglish: That doesn't go onto a cowhide
"...wie die Kuh vorm neuen Tor/vorm Berg dastehen"
English: ...like a cow standing before a new gate/mountain
I chose two German idioms, both concerning cows, but I would guess do not have anything in common beyond that.
I believe when someone "steht wie ein Kuh vorm neuen Tor", they would be very confused. If a cow was confronted by a new landmark or obstacle, they wouldn't know how to react, and perhaps this would mean that they were "dumbstruck", so to speak. Maybe this phrase would be used when someone looked sort of blank or perplexed.
I found a site that defined the phrase and provided an example. It’s sort of like a German Urban Dictionary.
Wenn jemand völlig verdattert und überrascht wie angewurzelt dasteht, dann steht er da, wie die Kuh vorm neuen Tor.
English: When someone is absolutely befuddled and surprised, rooted to the spot, then he stands like a cow before a new gate.
"… – … Ääähh… – … rotblau gestreifte Haare… – …?
"Steh nich da wie die Kuh vorm neuen Tor. Komm rein, Kaffee ist fertig"
English: “Ahhh… Red and blue streaked hair…?
“Don’t just stand there like a cow in front of a new gate. Come in. Coffee’s done.”
I don’t believe the meaning has varied very much from its original intention, besides the users of the phrase lacking any real world experience with the confusions of a cow. It stemmed from a real world observation of a cow’s behavior and was used as a straight analogy of observation more so than an idiom.
For the second phrase when something “geht auf keine Kuhhaut,” I would assume that it means that either something does not fit or does not “hold any water”, meaning that it has no basis for the claims it makes. When I think of cow skin I think of leather, and for something to I guess in this case be able to be branded on there, it would have to be true or concrete enough to be permanently added.
Again, I found a definition on the same site as the first phrase.
Wird benutzt, um darauf hinzuweisen, dass eine bestimmte Situation oder ein bestimmtes Missverhalten über alle Maßen geht.
Angeblich geht die Aussage auf einen Volksglauben zurück, dass nach dem Tode der Teufel alle Sünden der verstorbenen Person auf eine Kuhhaut schrieb. Hatte der Verstorbene mehr gesündigt, als Kuhhaut vorhanden war, ging das auf keine Kuhhaut und er kam in die Hölle.
English: Used to indicate that a certain situation or an act of misconduct is beyond measure. Apparently the idiom is based on a folk belief that after the death of the devil, all the sins of a deceased person would be written on a cowhide. If the deceased had sinned more than the cowhide could handle, it didn’t go on the cowhide and he went to hell.
There was an example given:
"Jetzt ist aber genug! Der Unsinn geht ja auf keine Kuhhaut!"
“Now that’s it! This nonsense doesn’t go on any cowhide!”
When it is used today, I don’t think the meaning would have changed, but the source would have been forgotten. The act of writing something on cowhide is now an outdated reference, and as it was for me, I didn’t instinctually think to think of writing something on it.
In context, I believe this would be used to chastise someone. I also think it would mostly be used as an overdramatic statement against someone’s actions, because in the example given, the word “Unsinn” or nonsense is used, and that sounds more like just misbehavior than anything too extreme.
I suppose the advantage to going last is that I get to learn something new, of which I am a fan, rather than picking two idioms off the top of my head. Two of the most interesting phrases I found were “Appeler un chat un chat,” which hails from French meaning “to call a cat a cat” and the international phrase “Das ist Banane!” (German) or “that’s bananas,” or “to go bananas.”
ReplyDeleteThe first is a French saying which is assumed to have rooted out of superstitions in the middle ages. (http://french.lovetoknow.com/French_Idioms) At this time the image of a cat was tied very closely with the image of a witch; thus to call a cat a cat was merely to note something was exactly as it had appeared to be, rather than something of the supernatural. One way this may have stuck in the French culture (and all others with histories of witch hunts) is through the graphic images tightly associated with alleged witches and their prosecutions. Later realizing witches weren’t really all they were hyped up to be, ‘calling something as it is’ might of caught on with the French. Today I believe this message is still valid, with food for example. Do we know what is in our food? Are things today what they appear to be? I think much of this “green” attitude is getting back basics we may have lost throughout human development; seeing things as they really are, and knowing for a fact they are what they appear to be. Organic food is what it is, it is food, naturally grown the way it was meant; it is what it is.
The second saying I found has a very interesting simple origin which I had never really associated with the phrase. To “go bananas,” to me, means to go a little out of ones mind. According to englishdaily626.com/slang, the origin of this phrase comes from the interaction between apes and bananas. “When apes are given a bunch of bananas, they eat them with tremendous enthusiasm, as though they've lost their minds.” As near relatives of apes of course this holds true to us, it is a natural virtue of all primates, if not all organisms. Perhaps we do things without thinking outside of ourselves, such as all of the terrible things we talk about in ADP, though of course, we are much more developed than apes and however bonkers we may go we may be able to stop and think and figure out what we all really need to be doing to keep a healthy global connection.
http://french.lovetoknow.com/French_Idioms
http://german.about.com/library/blredew_B.htm
http://www.englishdaily626.com/slang.php?054