The world is supposed to be full of possibilities, but they narrow down to pretty few in most personal experience. There’s lots of good fish in the sea . . . maybe . . . but the vast masses seem to be mackerel or herring, and if you’re not mackerel or herring yourself, you are likely to find very few good fish in the sea. ~Lady Chatterley’s Lover
Most of us know what Lawrence meant, but the implication would not be clear to someone with only a rudimentary grasp of the English language. The skill to interpret idioms requires usage and repetition, opportunities which Americans get from an early age. Let’s look at this phenomenon.
For the sake of imagery
Giving conversations a punch with a colorful reference makes communication better, and not only by jazzing up the conversation. Grammar Revolution also mentions that idioms:
- Emphasize a cultural connection by connecting the listener to the speaker with a kind of “inside baseball” vernacular.
- Provide detail in a concise manner.
- Contain cues about the speaker’s cultural values.
All that, and let’s be honest, it adds whimsy. That’s a conversational feature we don’t observe often enough. Maybe speakers have been working on the deficit for centuries; idioms go way back.
How far back?
One source, Antiquity Now, mentions St. Augustine as giving advice about how to behave when you’re out of town: When in Rome, do as the Romans. Well, really, he said, “Cum Romanum venio, ieiuno Sabbato; cum hic sum, non ieiuno: sic etiam tu, ad quam forte ecclesiam veneris, eius morem serva, si cuiquam non vis esse scandalum nec quemquam tibi,” but Latin probably isn’t your first language. However you read it, the year was in the neighborhood of 390 A.D., and there’s no reason to think that idioms originated with St. Augustine. So, they date back at least 1600 years, which was about the time the Romans were building aqueducts, in case you need the point of reference.
- Feeling under the weather probably has a nautical connection. When a sailor didn’t feel well, he’d head under the bow to remove himself from adverse conditions. Thus, he was under the weather.
- Beating around the bush likely originated in Britain. Hunters searching for grouse would beat the bushes to flush the birds out. Obviously, the birds exited reluctantly, in the same manner as people who prefer not to communicate directly.
- The proof is in the pudding takes us back to the Brits. The original saying was, “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” That is, we don’t know the quality of the food until it is consumed. Also, pudding by their definition at that time, was likely minced meat. The only quality it needed was good taste.
- Turning a blind eye is believed to have arisen from an incident involving Admiral Horatio Nelson in the midst of battle. The admiral deliberately ignored a signal to retreat from a fellow officer, doing so in a rather sneaky way. Gazing toward his compatriot as if seeking direction, he raised his telescope to his blind eye. We often do much the same—though more figuratively.
Hold your horses; we're in the home stretch
I have lived in all three Grand Divisions of Tennessee, as well as an additional four states. I say this to illustrate that I’ve been exposed to other ways of speaking, and they (people in those states) to mine. Though my accent may have been a challenge when I first moved out of Tennessee, I don’t think my phraseology ever created confusion, though on occasion that might have been preferable to total understanding. I have no reason to believe the rest of the country would be any different from my small sample. If I’m correct, this means idioms have made their mark quite broadly.
What about other countries, you ask? Yeah. They’re doing it, too. At least the Spanish speakers are. Here are a few examples:
- Spanish: Carlos se metió en un buen berenjenal. Intent: Carlos got himself in a real pickle! Literal translation: Carlos got himself in a good eggplant!
- Spanish: Tengo que consultarlo con la almohada. Intent: I have to sleep on it, but the literal translation is: I have to consult my pillow about it.
Why mention another language? Because idioms are so common in our everyday language that we don’t even acknowledge them floating into our eardrums. Not when they’re spoken in our first language. But. Once in a blue moon, you might chat with someone who “isn’t from around here,” and you might want to cut them some slack when their English language skills don’t cut the mustard.
That’s it. I’ll call it a day.
You really “ Break a Leg” with your posts. Always a delight.
Thank you! So glad my words made you a happy camper. 😉
Fun blog, this one. You’re a smart cookie:)
I’m as pleased as Punch that you liked it.
I like the description of an out of bounds action or verbalization as “beyond the pale”, but we have to go waaaay back to “catch the drift” so “ at the end of the day”, idioms are fun, at least for the “inner circle”.
True. And trying to compile a complete list would be a Sisyphean task.
Your writings are always a word to the wise and down to earth, Gayle. You’ve hit the nail on the head again!
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while. 😉