Word & Phrase Origins

 

1. I have my doubts about that ‘losing face’ item. I think it is Chinese in origin and is 1000s of years old.

   Posted by Steel Turman       04/30/2005  at  03:24 PM  



2. I also have doubts about “losing face”. I have heard it said that ancients who lost favor had their face taken off statutes and paintings so a current favorite could be illustrated. But I really think it goes back to imperial China.

   p’s and q’s are easily mixed up by printers. and once the type slug gets in the wrong slot it may get into print. But there are other easy mixups: b, d, I, l, etc.

   Posted by KenS       04/30/2005  at  06:00 PM  



3. "ancients who lost favor had their face taken off statutes and paintings....imperial China”

   I’ve seen ancient Egyptian images of people that were chiseled from walls because the person depicted was out of favor with a later ruler.

   And from the USS Constitution:  On some cruises, officers took their wives, and if one had to deliver a baby while the ship was underway, the only place on the entire ship affording some privacy and warmth was between two of the 24 pound long guns near the ship’s cookstove, and if the newborn was a boy, of course he was “a son of a gun.”

   Talking was forbidden because orders were all verbal and passed along by word of mouth.  Violations were punishable by 12 lashes. The only place conversation was permitted was at the water point, a butt-barrel with an opening, called a scuttle, from which to pour the drinking water.  Hence idle rumors became “scuttlebutt.”

   Posted by dick       04/30/2005  at  10:37 PM  



4. I have an idea about “wise ass”. And an idea is more fun than a fact anyway.

   In the Bible, OT, I forget where, is a fascinating and somewhat comical tale about an ass (donkey) that speaks. Perhaps the only animal thought in Biblical lore.

   Anyway the donkey, owned by Balaam, is considerably smarter than he. Balaam eventually comes to a bad end anyway. I don’t recall the details.

   From the story I would say “be a wise ass” but things get twisted in speech. So maybe the original wise ass belonged to Balaam.

   Posted by KenS       05/01/2005  at  02:06 PM  



5. KENS: I was wondering if anyone would make the connection to Ba’Laam’s ass.

   Numbers 22:1-41 (KJV) tells the story.

   Posted by The Skipper       05/01/2005  at  02:43 PM  



6. I think “holy xxxx” came out of Catholic ritual. “Holy Mary, mother of God,...”. Prayer in time of stress, a natural progression leads to prayer when startled.

   From there you remove the Catholic inference. Hence “holy moly” in Captain Marvel comics. “holy cow” may breed the sacred cows of India to the all-purpose “holy”.

   When movies and TV wanted to use curses writers knew “holy” signalled surprise so tack it to “shit” as a test.

   Astonishment is a tactic to test boundaries. “holy fucking anteaters” was a trial horse for movie use of the f-bomb. The intent was not to study pios anteaters.

   Posted by KenS       05/01/2005  at  08:08 PM  

Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.