IDIOMS, A LESSON IN HISTORY & CULTURE
“Toe the line,” I know that this expression means to do what’s expected, but I didn’t know the origin until I watched the movie, Far and Away with Nichole Kidman and Tom Cruise. In the movie, a line is drawn with chalk on the floor and two boxers are told to “toe the line” before the fight begins.
Aren’t idioms fun? These phrases have figurative meanings rather than making any literal sense. Being an English as a second language teacher, I’m aware of the usage of idioms and how difficult it is for second language speakers to acquire them. Native speakers often have trouble with idioms as well. Here are some we tend to misquote: “deep seated,” “statute of limitations,” and “for all intents and purposes.”
I have studied Spanish for seven years, but I don’t know many idioms. Recently, my adult ESL class taught me a new one, “en la puerta del horno se quema el pan.” Literally, “in the door of the oven the bread burns.” Any idea what it means figuratively? It’s the same as our “don’t count your chickens before they hatch.” Go figure!
We can learn a lot by studying idioms. Each one is a little history lesson wrapped in a package of words. I challenge you to take note of the idioms that you hear or use each day and imagine how challenging it would be for you to understand them if you were an English language learner.
Idioms are deeply tied to culture and history. Sometimes they are used as shortcuts to express emotions. Often idioms are tied to agriculture, such as “living in high cotton,” “hard row to hoe,” “even a blind hog finds an acorn” and “take the bull by the horns.” Have you ever wondered where we got the idiom “get your goat”? In horseracing, a goat was often put in a stall with a racehorse the night before to keep it calm. Sometimes an opponent would steal the goat, leaving the horse in an agitated state.
Idioms are unique to regions. When I moved to the South, I heard more idioms than ever before. I recall a church service when the pastor said, “faster than a chicken on a June bug.” And who hasn’t heard, “bless your little heart” which may not always be meant as a blessing. My neighbor, from Arkansas, just taught me two new ones: “ain’t no hill for a stepper” and “that’s mighty thoughty of you.”
Maritime idioms are also common. Perhaps you have been “under the weather” lately? Sailors who were seasick were often put below deck to recover. They were literally under the weather. Who hasn’t heard “batten down the hatches,” “show your true colors,” or “run a tight ship”? I was surprised to learn that “to turn a blind eye” originated from an admiral putting his blind eye in a telescope so he could ignore the signal to stop fighting.
Many of our idioms are borrowed from other cultures: “paper tiger” and “long time no see” are from China. “The straw that broke the camel’s back” is an Arabic idiom and “to catch someone red-handed” is Scottish.
The study of idioms makes for great history learning. “Spill the beans” is from ancient Greece when voters put beans in a vase to cast their votes. If you are an Alice in Wonderland fan, you might note that the Mad Hatter seems a bit on the crazy side. Someone “mad as a hatter” is loony. That 18th century phrase comes from workers exposed to mercury in the felt-hat making process. “Close, but no cigar” is a phrase from carnival games when cigars were given as prizes.
In the dentist’s office last week, I used an idiom. I suggested that we “let sleeping dogs lie” when the dentist was assessing one of my teeth. Thankfully, she agreed with me!
Though we use many old idioms, they are not static, new idioms are created every day, such as “throw shade” or “brain rot.” What idioms do you use? Don’t be afraid to sprinkle a little visual imagery into your language. Well, see y’all later, if the creek don’t rise!
