Comments on: Idioms and Culture (63) http://thewordnerds.org/2006/05/20/idioms-and-culture-63/ A podcast about words, language, and why we say the things we do Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:35:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Daniel Watkins http://thewordnerds.org/2006/05/20/idioms-and-culture-63/#comment-28 Daniel Watkins Sun, 04 Jun 2006 19:54:05 +0000 http://thewordnerds.info/2006/05/20/idioms-and-culture-63/#comment-28 "To bite the bullet" may also come from the biting of a cartridge when loading a musket. The bullet was bitten out of the cartridge, the powder poured into the barrel and the bullet spit after it. The explanation you give makes more sense though, but wasn't the first thing that came to my mind. :p “To bite the bullet” may also come from the biting of a cartridge when loading a musket. The bullet was bitten out of the cartridge, the powder poured into the barrel and the bullet spit after it.

The explanation you give makes more sense though, but wasn’t the first thing that came to my mind. :p

]]> By: Stephen http://thewordnerds.org/2006/05/20/idioms-and-culture-63/#comment-16 Stephen Tue, 30 May 2006 17:37:22 +0000 http://thewordnerds.info/2006/05/20/idioms-and-culture-63/#comment-16 In Book III of Ars Amatoria (Art of Loving), Ovid provides a guide to women to catch a man. One line reads "Ne trux caper iret in alas", which literally translates as "Do not let the wild Billy-goat run wild in your pit". The wild Billy-goat is the latin idiom for body odor. In Book III of Ars Amatoria (Art of Loving), Ovid provides a guide to women to catch a man. One line reads “Ne trux caper iret in alas”, which literally translates as “Do not let the wild Billy-goat run wild in your pit”. The wild Billy-goat is the latin idiom for body odor.

]]> By: Jonathan Grunert http://thewordnerds.org/2006/05/20/idioms-and-culture-63/#comment-7 Jonathan Grunert Sat, 27 May 2006 13:05:36 +0000 http://thewordnerds.info/2006/05/20/idioms-and-culture-63/#comment-7 One of the Spanish idioms I learned in high school was "No hay Moros en la costa." Literally--"There are no Moors on the coast." In English, we'd say, "The coast is clear," for the very reason you mentioned on the show. In Spain, there is hostility toward Moors, while in America, we try to be nice to everybody. Good show, and good job on the website. One of the Spanish idioms I learned in high school was “No hay Moros en la costa.” Literally–”There are no Moors on the coast.” In English, we’d say, “The coast is clear,” for the very reason you mentioned on the show. In Spain, there is hostility toward Moors, while in America, we try to be nice to everybody.

Good show, and good job on the website.

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