9
A bed of roses
This is an example of identical idioms in both languages.
Flowers and petals world over are indicative of softness. When spread over
a bed, they are cool, soft, and extremely comfortable to the person who
sleeps on the bed. Thus “a bed of roses” implies a situation of ease and
pleasure. In English, the word “rose” is used while in Telugu no particular
flower is used.The Telugu equivalent is
( poola
panupu ). “Poolu” means “flowers,” “panupu” means “bed.” Normally,
both in English and Telugu, this idiom is used in a negative sense.
For
example, “Life is not a bed of roses;”
( Jeevithamu poolapanupu kadu).
Interestingly, the English idiom also has an antonym, “a bed of thorns,”
implying a situation of great anxiety and apprehension. Though we don’t
have an exact equivalent in Telugu, there is an idiom
( Mullabata), which means a path full of thorns.
A black sheep
Sometimes a flock of sheep consists of a sheep with black
fleece.
This figuative phrase suggests that the person concerned is an
exception-The ISoya ^&nar&Uy__ refers to a. baJL Oh
zoorthLesg jberso* ■
10
'This
idea may be connected to the fact that black fleece is less valuable than
white fleece or it may be due to the fact that “black” is generally associated
with the sense of morally bad such as “ a black crime,” “a black record,”
etc.
The
Telugu
idiom
which
tJjoVsaaoeT* Koeroco
has
the
same
meaning
is
(Tulasivanamlo ganjayimokka)
“Tulasi” is a very sacred plant for Hindus, and “Ganjayi” is a plant whose
leaves are made into a drug for smoking. So, the idiom is used to identify a
bad person among a group of good people.
A cock and bull story
This idiom means an absurdly incredible tale. It was first used
in Burtan’s Anantomy ofMelancholy (1621) : “Some men’s whole delight is
..... to talk of a cock and bull over a pot.” Later it was used in Sterne’s
Tristram Shandy (1767): “ ‘Lord’, said my mother, ‘what is all this story
about?’ ‘ A cock and a bull,’ said Yorick, ‘and one of the best of the kind I
ever heard.’ ” Brewer says that the origin of the phrase can be traced to the
fact that it refers to the old fables in which cocks, bulls and other animals
discoursed in human language on things in general.1 According to William
11
*
Freeman, the idiom is the corrupted form of the expression “a concoted and
bully story.”2
The Telugu idiom is
54303
( Kakamma
kathalu ). This might have originated from the fable where the fox tells the
crow a story to get the piece of meat from its mouth.
A dog in the manger
This idiom refers to a mean-spirited individual who will not use
what is wanted by another, nor let the other have it to use; one who prevents
another enjoying something without any benefit to himself.
The idiom
comes from Aesop’s fable of the dog that fixed its place in a manger and
would not allow the ox to come near the hay in the manager but would not
eat it himself. The Telugu idiom
(Varrakkada
kukka) is an exact equivalent of the English idiom, “Vammi” is “haystack,”
and “kukka” is “dog.”
A fish out of water
This idiom conveys the idea that a person situated outside his
usual
or proper environment will feel uncomfortable.
-fixed charojcterl&Ucs cvnd
e'ajx. rjd/fy ish&nects
•
du-Ues
Nature has got
exampk birds
12
animals cannot fly. These characters remain the same all over the world. In
the present idiom, a fish is taken as an example. Whether in England or in
India, a fish has to be in water;
it cannot stay out of water. In the same
way, an individual must remain in his own environment or profession. If he
comes out of it, he will feel uncomfortable. Taking this idiom as an
example, one may conclude that most idioms based on Nature are almost
identical in all languages because Nature is almost the same in all countries.
The Telugu equivalent is
( Odduna
padda chepa), a fish on the bank.
A storm in a teacup
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, this phrase
originated from the metaphor used by Cicero, in delegibus fluctus excitare
in simpulo, which means “to rouse up waves in a small ladled The idiom
means to make a lot of fuss about a trifle matter.
Similar expressions are
“a storm in a cream-bowl” and “a storm in a wash-hand basin.” The Telugu
idiom
(Teakappulo tufanu ) is a
literal translation of the English idiom and is used by very few people.
13
A wolf in sheep’s clothing
The allusion is to a fable of Aesop. According to this fable, a
wolf disguised in sheep’s skin deceives the flock of sheep and enters the
sheepfold. A well-known passage in the Bible, in the Sermon on the Mount,
says, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but
inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matthew, 7,15).
Generally, the idiom means a dangerous enemy who plausibly
poses as a friend, The corresponding Telugu idiom is
W
(Mekavanne puli). The idiom literally means a tiger which looks like a
goat.
As blind as a bat / mole
Both bat and mole are falsely described as blind.
A bat is
believed to blunder in light and see only in the dark. A mole’s eyes are very
small and it works underground; so it cannot see. There are certain moles
in the south of Europe whose eyes are covered with membranes. In this
way the mole and the bat have become proverbial for blindness.
Englishmen in conversation often use striking comparisons to
give flavour to their intercourse, and the comparisons are expressed in short
14
pithy phrases. For example, “as black as coal,” “as brittle as glass,” “as
cunning as a fox,” “as fat as a pig.” Such comparisons are not uncommon in
Telugu.
example,
In fact, in Telugu, metaphors are used more than similes.
Kooussj,.
For
(Guntanakka, “jackal”) is used to describe a
cunning person. Telugu language also has similes like
(pandilaga balisina), which means very fat like a pig.
Chicken-hearted/, chicken -livered
The idiom refers to a coward. Chickens are easily frightened.
The slightest noise makes them run to their mother for protection.
The
idiom refers to a person who can be easily frightened. The Telugu idiom
which conveys this meaning is
“Goddu” means
eebtfj
frag
(Bedurugoddu ).
“animal.” Even a small sound disturbs the animal. A
slight disturbance makes it run helter-skelter.
Crocodile tears
The idiom “crocodile tears” means hypocritical show of
grief. The tale is that crocodiles moan and sigh like a person in deep
distress, to allure travellers to the spot, and even shed tears over their prey
iddLe.
clevcntr'l-ri^
fb-rt S (M, i)
vje.
ct- /hn
5A_aK&Speace's -Henry JF
have ~tk&
15
following lines : “As the mournful crocodile / With sorrow snares, relenting
passengers.” But, scientifically speaking, the lachrynal glands of crocodiles
respond to the slightest stimulus and thus it looks as if the crocodile is
always shedding tears. The tears don’t indicate any grief. They do not
represent any emotion and they don’t serve any specific purpose other than
lubricating the eye ball to facilitate the smooth sliding over of the
transparent eyelids which crocodiles possess. Based on this fact, the idiom
“crocodile tears” is formed to describe the false or hypocritical grief shown
by some people to impress others. As the nature of crocodiles is the same
all
over
the
s
world,
it
has
an
equivalent
(Mosali
in
kanneeru).
Telugu
“Mosali”
also:
is
“crocodile,” “kanneeru” means “tears.”
Donkey-work
The expression is generally used to refer to the work, often
onerous work, which is much below the abilities of the person who does it.
The phrase can be connected with the expressions “a donkey boy” or “a
donkey man” referring to the person who performs the humble duties of
being in charge of a donkey. A “donkey - engine” refers to a small engine
16
on a ship used for subsidary operations like feeding the boilers of the
propelling engines. The Telugu idiom
n*<
(Gadidachakiri ) normally refers to unrecognised hard work. Generally,
housewives use this expression with reference to domestic chores.
Finefeathers make fine birds
The original form of this idiom was “Fair feathers make fair
fowls.” The first record of the current form is a hundered years later than the
original one. A fine plumage is not the only consideration in a bird. Other
things like weight and tenderness are to be taken into consideration. Being
well dressed gives one an impressive appearance, but a fine appearance may
be a cover over a bad character or stupidity. So a person should not be
judged by the outward appearance.
The Telugu idiom which has this
meaning is
T’KboXo&otSa'&o
kaugalinchukunte radu).
Though a person may embrace his friend
lovingly, this act may be only an outward gesture;
warm feeling in his heart.
(Kadupulolenidi
he may not have any
17
Go through fire and water
This expression alludes to the medieval ordeal by fire and water
trails in Anglo-Saxon times. Fire and water are two different things but both
are equally dangerous. The risk of being burnt by fire or being drowned in
water is equal. This is used as emblematic of what a person is ready to
undergo or what he has undergone. The Telugu idiom closest to this idiom
is
(Atupotulaku tattukovadam).
«tMa*tMoSa
“Atupotulu” means “ebb and flow” ( of the sea ), and the idiom implies
surviving testing times.
In deep water
This idiom means in difficulties; in great preplexity. The allusion is
to a person almost drowning and not knowing how to reach the bank. The
Telugu equivalent is
aocSjoSoXo
(Ninda munugu),
which means to drown completely.
Make hay while the sun shines
The meaning of this idiom is, to seize the opportunity to do
a thing while circumstances are favourable.
In England the weather is
18
rarely warm and dry.
So, whenever there is sunshine, people make
maximum use of it, and farmers of England make stacks of hay. In India
there was no electricity for a long time. Even today there are a number of
villages which do not have that facility. When it becomes dark, people light
small lamps, “dipams.”
So the saying goes that all the work should be
completed before it is too dark. The Telugu idiom is
&z>2mq&n> *«»
(Deepamundaga iilu chakkabettukonu). Thus the
idioms in English and Telugu have the same meaning but reflect different
social backgrounds.
Make head or tail of it
The phrase is generally used in the negative sense. For
example, “I can’t make head or tail of it.” The general meaning of the
phrase is simple, but the connection between this meaning and the face
value of the words is obscure. Perhaps, “head or tail” stands merely for
“begining or end.” Thus the idiom means that one cannot differentiate the
begining from the end.
In this phrase, “it”
stands for a number of
circumstances, without clear form, constituting confused mass, like a
shapeless creature in which one cannot make out the head or tail.
19
Figuratively, it means, there is no connected picture or a sequence of
thought. The allusion may also be to being unable to tell the difference
between the head and tail of a much used coin.
The Telugu idiom is
(tala toka leni): “tala” is “head,” and
“toka” means “tail,” and it is used in the same way as it is in English, in a
negative sentance.
Not room to swing a cat
The idiom means, to have extremely little space.
There are
many conjectures about the origin of this expression. One of them refers to
the cat in a gag or leather bottle at which arrows were shot. There is a
reference to this idiom in Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing ( I, i) :
“If I do, hang me in a bottle like a cat and shoot at me,” Another conjecture
is that “cat” is an abbrevation of “cat - o’ - nine tails,” a whip with nine
x
*
lashes used for punishing offenders. This explanation is objeced to on the
grounds that “cat” was not used with this meaning until long after the
expression became common. The third explanation refers to the practice of
sailors “swinging” their hammocks or cots within a confined space in a ship
and the word cat is a corruption of the word “cot”, “cat” is also an old
20
Scottish word for rogue, and if the derivation is from this, the “swing” is that
of the condemned rogue hanging from the gallows,
V.H. Collins refers to
The Times, which, in a correspondence, explained that the allusion was to a
small cargo boat swinging at her moorings.3 The Telugu idiom
Qts&iJSiCo
(odducherataniki irakatapadu)
is nearest to this explanation. It conveys the idea that there is not enough
space to reach the shore.
To bell the cat
The allusion is to the fable of the cat and the mice. The mice
enthusiastically agreed that the cat should have a bell around its neck so they
could be warned of its approach. All the mice agreed that it was a good
idea but not one of them was willing to volunteer to bell the cat. Thus the
idiom means, to undertake for the common good a dangerours task that will
make an enemy harmless.
Generally, the idiom means, to undertake the
dangerous part in a course of action. Thus anyone who encounters great
personal hazard for the sake of others undertakes to “bell the cat.”
The Telugu idiom is
taSS-sSeT* «oto
ganta kattu) is a literal translation of the English idiom.
( Pillimedalo
21
To flourish like the green bay tree
Qrsen colour signifies prosperity. The Telugu idiom
(Pacchaga vardhillu) is based on this belief.
The English idiom is derived from Psalms 37,35 which speak of “the
wicked spreading himself like a green bay tree.” A bay tree is an ever green
tree.
The idiom means, to enjoy great prosperity or unbounded success in
one’s undertakings or career.
To make mountains out of molehills
The idiom means,to exaggerate a small insignificant matter.
The corresponding Telugu idiom is
Ooao3 S’*o&&tx>
(Goranthalukondanthalu cheyu ). The Telugu word “gorantha” means
as small as the finger nail, and “kondanta” means as big as a mountain.
People generally tend to exaggerate things, especially their griveances or
troubles. A small problem is viewed through a magnifying glass. Thus an
insignificant problem appears to be menacing. So a small molehill or finger
nail is seen as a huge mountain.
22
To nip in the bud
'SorwatfiLriip
The idiom means, to destroy before it has had time to develop; to
stop something in its early stages, as a bud is nipped by frost or pests, etc.,
thus preventing further growth. Another explanation is that “nip” was used
as far back as early infhe sixteenth century for pinching off the buds or
shoots of a plant. The Telugu idiom is
(Moggalo tunchu). “Mogga” means “bud” and “tunchu” means “nip.”
To play with fire
Figuratively, the idiom means, to trifle with danger, to engage
lightly in an affair that has dangers in it and may lead to disastrous results.
The Telugu idiom
SSytS* 3esn*oo
conveys the same meaning.
(Nipputo chelagatam)
The allusion is probably to the way that
children are inclined to play with fire. Children who play with the flaming
coals in a grate run the risk of burning themselves or of setting something
alight.
This idiom is especially applied to men and women in their
sentimental attatchments.
23
To put one’s head in the lion’s mouth
The idiom means, to take great risk. The allusion is to a person
at a circus who performs this trick. It is a very dangerous feat. The person
knows that it is dangerous, yet he performs the trick. Thus the idiom refers
to a person who knowingly takes up a dangerous job. In the Telugu idiom
^ Pulinotlo thala doorchu ) ,
we have a tiger, “puli”, instead of a lion. In English there is another idiom
which has similar meaning : “ To take the bear by the tooth” ( needlessly to
run into danger).
To throw cold water
This idiom means, to discourage a plan or a proposal ; to dwell
upon its weaknesses and disadvantages.
The allusion is to the act of
throwing water on a fire. The Telugu equivalent is
(Neerukarchu). “Neeru” means “water,”
24
REFERENCES
1.
Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and fable, rev. by Ivor H. Evans
(London : Cassell, 1977)1 V-6-
2.
Quoted in V.H. Collins A Book of English Idioms, 1956 (Madras :
Orient Longman, 1984) 62.
3.
V.H. Collins, A Book of English Idioms 86.