CHAPTER III
IDIOMS AND
HUMAN ANATOMY
25
A Darby and Joan
The idiom means an ideal couple. The names used in the
English idiom are the characters in a ballad written by Henery Woodfall
(1735). The characters are said to be Joan Darby, of Bertholomew Close,
who died in 1730, and his wife “As chaste as a picture cut in alabaster. You
might sooner move a Scythian rock than shoot fire into her bosom.”1
Woodfall served his apprentiship to John Darby ;
but another account
localises the couple in the West Riding of Yorkshire.
represent an old and devoted married couple.
equivalents based on Hindu mythology:
(Sitaramulu)/
These characters
There are two Telugu
$a«ra*3ajc»#
! (Parvateeparameswarulu ).
Hindus consider Sita and Rama, and Parvathi and Parameshwara as the most
ideal couples. Their devotion to each other is an example to the world. So,
if anybody wants to talk about an ideal marriage , these couples are taken for
comparison.
A left-handed compliment
This idiom means
something said or written about a
person which seems to be like a praise but actually has an underlying
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implicaion that is unfavourable. Normally, a present is given with the right
hand,but in this idiom a person is imagined to be doing so with the left hand.
This shows that it is not a genuine compliment. The Telugu idiom is more
direct than the English one. The idiom
£*«<£ S"St>3
(notito pogadi nosalu vekkirinchu) means, to praise
with the mouth and simultaneously show contempt on the forehead.
Achilles’ heel
This idiom means the one v-eak spot in a man’s character.
Anatomists call the great tendon connecting the heel with the calf of the leg
“the tendon of Achilles.” According to the legend, Achilles’ mother Thetis
tried to make her son invulnerable by dipping him in the Styx. The heel by
which she held him was not immersed in water and so remained vulnerable.
In the Trojan War, Paris wounded Achilles in this spot and killed him.
To
bruise the heel of Achilles means, to attack a person or a nation at the
weakest point. The Telugu idiom which expresses this idea is
(Keelerigi vathapettu ) which advises a person to
know the weak point of his enemy before atacking him.
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(Ayuvu pattu) is a near equivalent of “Achilles’ heel,” though the Telugu
idiom does not mean weak point.
Bury one’s head in the sand
To avoid facing facts or not to recognise realities by
pretending that they do not exist. According to the fable, ostriches thrust
their heads in the sand when hunted. They think that the enemy cannot see
them because they cannot see the enemy.
In the same way people try to
ignore things which they do not like by simply pretending that they have not
seen it or observed it. The Telugu idiom IS
(Ushtrapakshi valakam).
“Ushtrapakshi” isaostrichf and “valakam”
means “behaviour.” Thus, unlike in the English idiom, in the Telugu idiom
the ostrich is mentioned.
Call a man’s bluff
The idiom means, to unmask a person’s pretence or
deception. This metaphor originated from the game of poker. In this game
the word “bluff’ means to try to impose on one’s opponent by staking on a
bad hand.
The Telugu idiom which has the same meaning is
28
&x>Zx>Ko tToAo-So (Musugu tolaginchu). It means, to unmask a person,
and, metaphorically, to expose the true nature of a person.
Gall and wormwood
This idiom shows how an idea is emphasised by using
words which have the same meaning. “Gall” is a secretion of the liver. It is
very bitter. Thus, figuratively, “gall” became the seat for bitterness of spirit
and rancour. “Wormwood” is a Middle English word. It is primarily a plant
called “antemisia.” This plant is known for its bitter taste. In the sixteenth
century this became an emblem of what was bitter and grievous to the soul.
Thus “wormwood” also represents bitterness and rancour.
A combination of these two words appears in the Bible
also : “remembering mine affliction and my misery', the wormwood and the
gall.” Both the words suggest bitterness. It can be said that the two words
having the same meaning are used to emphasise the idea of bitterness. This
word does not seem to have a Telugu equivalent.
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Hand in glove
This idiom means, on intimate terms, in intimate relations.
This mostly applies to business transactions. The idiom refers to the close
connection between the glove and the hand that wears it. The expression
first appeared in John Florio’s translation of Montaigne’s essays. In 1680 it
appeared in Mansel’s Narrative of the Popish Plot: “Mrs Coillier to whom
'j
Mr. Willoughby was such a crony that they were hand in glove.”
The
idiom is generally used in a dergotatory sense. Since Indians don’t wear
gloves generally, there is no Telugu equivalent to this idiom. The closest
phrase that has similar meaning is
(Oddikagala sneham), close friendship.
Hand in hand
The idiom means in friendly fashion; unitedly.
equivalent is
The Telugu
53eT*^o(Chetilo cheyi).
Have the ball at one’s feet
The idiom means to be in circumstances in which one is
bound to be successful. This metaphor originated from
football.
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The reference is to the player who is in the correct position and the ball is at
a point where he is sure of making a goal. There seems to be no Telugu
equivalent of this idiom.
In the hands of
Figuratively, the phrase means in the charge or control of.
Telugu equivalent is
The
(Chetilo vundu).
Kick the bucket
This idiom is used to convey the message that a person is
dead. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “bucket” is a pole on
which a dead pig is hung. The idiom originated from this meaning. Another
theory is that the bucket was kicked away by a person attempting suicide,
who stood on it to hang himself. This idiom has been literally translated
into Telugu,
( Balchi thannadam^and is
used only in absolutely comic situations. This shows how a language can
adopt certain things from other languages provided it is convenient and easy
for adoption.
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Kith and Kin
The phrase means close relations. “Kith” is from O.E. “Cyth,”
relationship, and “Kin” from “Cynn”, kind, family, “Kin” has always meant
relations by blood and marriage. “Kith” is a phrasal collocation.
originally meant one’s country.
Now it also means acquaintances.
Telugu idiom having the same meaning is
oo£je>©ko
It
The
(Bandhu
balagam).
Out of hand
One of the meanings of this idiom is, beyond control. The Telugu
equivalent is
(Cheyidati povu).
Play a person false
This idiom means,to deceive or betray a person. This is a
figurative extension of the word “play” as used in the idioms “play the
game” and “play fair.” “Play fair” is a colloquial synonym of the idiom
“play the game,” which means to conduct the game according to the
principles followed by those who generally play that particular game. The
words in the idiom “play a person false” are equivalent to an allussion of
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“play the game with a person falsely,” i.e., not keeping to the rules. The
figurative use of play is common, acting a part not on stage but in real life.
The Telugu equivalent is
(Viswasagathukamu)
This idiom is not based on any game.
It means, to betray a person’s
confidence.
Right hand
This idiom means a person’s main assistant, his best and most
trustworthy man. The Telugu idiom is
(Kudibhujam),
right shoulder.
Step off on the wrongfoot
This idiom means, to make a mistake in the initial stage.
The
metaphor is from military drill. If the rule in an exercise is to move the left
foot first and a solider moves the right foot, then he is out of step with the
rest of the soldiers. The Telugu idiom is
(Adilone hamsapadu ).
In Telugu
“adi” means “beginning” and
“padu” means “step”. “Hamsa” is i^swarfj which wobbles while walking .
The idiom suggests that the very begii?ing is not good.
Square a person
The idiom means,to gain a person's agreement, in return tor what
lawyers call a consideration, financial or moral. In a bad sense, it means,
to bribe a person. The Telugu equivalent of this idiom is
saocs^oSo^.(Lanchamicchi manchamekku). “Lanchamu”means“bribqT
“manchamu” is “bed.” Unless one is bribed^oitcannot even get into bed.
The boot is m the other leg/foot
This idiom conveys the idea that the true position of the
circumstances is exactly the reverse. The allusion is to a person conceived
as putting on his left leg a boot that ought to be put on the right foot or vice
versa.
The idiom is generally used when a blame or responsibility is
ascribed to another person instead of the person who has to bear it. There is
no Telugu equivalent of this idiom.
To burn one's fingers
This idiom means, to suffer loss or mischance. The allusion is to
taking chestnuts from the fire
“fingers”
The Telugu idiom has “hands” instead of
tScSjeuipcojS'So
(Chetulu kalchukonu).
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To change hands
This idiom means, to pass from one possessor to another.
Telugu equivalent is identical :
The
3a-3c»(Chetulu maru).
To get /have the upperhand
This idiom means,to control, to obtain mastery. The allusion is to
having one’s hand in a position in which one can strike a person.
Telugu equivalent is
The
(Paicheyi), “pai” is upper, and
“cheyi” is hand.
To have or keep an eye on
The idiom means, to keep watch over someone or something.
This idiom is perhaps based on the phrase “to eye a person with suspicion.”
The Telugu equivalent is similar to the English idiom : t-s 53^
tyoz*
(Okakannu vesi vunchu).
To have one’s head screwed in the right way
This idiom means, to be sensible, especially in practical matters.
A screw is used to hold two things together. Unless it is correctly fixed, it
35
cannot hold those two things. In the same way, the head can work better
only if it is put in the right way. The Telugu idiom is
3j£ircSoSbi3<3©s*<S5J
(Medakaya
meeda
talakaya);
“meda” is
“neck,” and “tala” is “head.” It is used only in a negative sentence : “No
one who has head on his neck would behave like that "
To have one’s hands full
The idiom means, to have as much work as one can do, sometimes
with an implication that the person is fully occupied and so can't accept any
other task. The Telugu equivalent is
(Chetininda panivundu).
To lay their heads together
The idiom means^to be in close consultation with each
other. This allusion was to two people sitting near each other to discuss a
matter. Today the idiom means putting together the thoughts arising in the
brains
of
different
people.
The
Telugu
idiom
is
(Okati modalu nalugu cheru), four
heads joining one head.
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To put one’s hand on one’s heart
This idiom
means, to make a solemn promise or
declaration. The heart is believed to be the seat of one’s spiritual being. So
it is regarded as a sacred thing. The allusion in the idiom is to a person
making the gesture as a form of oath. The Telugu idiom .
ft(Gundemeeda cheyivesi cheppu) has
the same meaning as its English equivalent.
To see eye to eye
This idiom means, to be of the same mind, to agree
completely or think alike. An interesting point to note is that though the
phrase “see eye to eye” has assumed the character of 4W English idiom, in
the sense given above, this application of it has no warrant in the original
context, where it is a translation in the Bible of the Hebrew, and is there
used of people looking at one another eye to eye, face to face. HetOy
Bradley, in The Making of English, observes that this sort of thing
happened to many Bibilical phrases, for the most part literal renderings of
tJdch
Hebrew or Greek, have assumed the character of English idioms, and are
A.
often used with little or no consciousness of their origin* The phrase, used
37
by the great poet Nannaya,
S)3»iS^iS
(Ekathmatha),
seems to be close to this idiom in meaning.
To teach one’s grandmother how to suck eggs
This idiom means, to tell a person how to do something in
which he has more experience and expertness. The allusion in the English
idiom is to making a hole at each end of a raw egg and sucking the contents
without losing or spilling. This can be got only by practice. This expression
holds good for the English because all of them eat eggs. According to the
idiom old people can suck the egg easily because they would have been
doing it since their childhood. This idiom cannot be used in India because it
is not a general practice to take raw eggs. There are many Indians who do
not even touch an egg. The Telugu idiom which conveys a similar meaning
is
(Tataku daggulu nerpu).
Cough is a common infection. An aged person would have had a number of
cough bouts. So one does not have to teach him how to cough.
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Toe the line/toe the mark
This idiom means, to do exactly what one is told or to
follow instructions to the minute details.
The metaphor most probably
comes from athletics. The competitors who are about to take part in a race
stand with their feet just touching the line. The Telugu idiom which has the
same meaning is
(Tu-cha-tappaka).
It means to observe all rules including trivial ones.
Wash one’s hands
This idiom means, to divest oneself of any further connection
with or responsibility for a matter or person. In other words, to have
nothing to do with a thing after having been concerned in the matter; to
abandon it completely. The allusion is to Pontius Pilate’s washing his hands
at the trial of Jesus : “When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that
rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the
multitude, saying, ‘I am innocent of the blood of this just person : see ye to
it’ ” (Matt. XXVII, 24). The Telugu equivalent,
S&sosSCisteS'z*
(chetulu kadugukonu), seems to have originated as
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a metaphor from the fact that people wash their hands in order to get rid of a
stain.
Win hands down
This idiom means, to win easily. The metaphor is taken
from horse racing. During a horse-race the jockey has to hold the reins
tightly to make his horse run fast. If he drops his hands, it means that he is
relaxing the hold on the reins. This shows that he need not worry himself to
make his horse go fast. He does this only when he is sure of winning. He
does not have to take pains to win the race. The Telugu idiom is
(Hastamalaka vijayam), which means, to win
without moving the hands, i.e., without any effort.
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REFERENCES
1.
Quoted in Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase andfable $00.
2.
Quoted in V.H. Collins, A Book of English Idioms
3.
Henry Bradley, The
Macmillan, 1957)224.
Making
133.
of English, 1904 (London :