idiomatic expressions and their original

[Tanya]

Read the following idiomatic expressions:
1. a drop in the bucket
2. a fly in the ointment
3. a word in season
4. a little bird told me
5. can the leopard change his spots

Answer the following questions:
1. Do you know where these expressions come from?
2. Can you explain the meaning of each expression as you understand it?
3. Do you use any of these expressions? and if yes...
4. ...how often and in what situations?
5. tell about your religious position and what country you are from?

 

[Ell]

1. Don't know the source of the expressions. Heard them growing up, from teachers, other adults, I guess.

2. I know all the expressions except, "a word in season".

3. Have occasionally used them or heard them used in conversation at some time or other.

4. Seldom use.

5. Why?

 

[clueless]

Read the following idiomatic expressions:
1. a drop in the bucket
2. a fly in the ointment
3. a word in season
4. a little bird told me
5. can the leopard change his spots

Answer the following questions:
1. Do you know where these expressions come from?

No

2. Can you explain the meaning of each expression as you understand it?

1. Is it the same as a drop in the ocean? Something negligible
2. Never heard of that one
3. A timely word
4. Someone told me but I am not telling you who
5. It is impossible for the person or thing in question to change

3. Do you use any of these expressions?

Perhaps the little bird expression

and if yes...
4. ...how often and in what situations?

not often and only with young children.

5. tell about your religious position and what country you are from?
None. Galicia

 

[phil_t]

You might be interested in the book 'Red Herrings and White Elephants', which is a guide to the origins of hundreds of common and everyday phrases

Phil

 

[clueless]

Phil, this is just a guess, but I think Tanya knows where the expressions come from. Looking at her profile and at the questions about religion and country of origin, I would say the expressions are probably in the Old Testament and she is doing a survey to try to say how widespread they are in different countries and that sort of thing. I am right, Tanya?

 

[Halo]

I don't think you'll get a reply from Tanya very soon - she only posted three times in 2003.

 

[Ice]

That's bizzare - I swear she came on last night (unless i'm going mad ) and asked people to look at her questions. However, it does say she was last here on 9th July 2003 - she could have modified the post which would make it show up on active topics I guess.

Weird

 

[clueless]

That's bizzare - I swear she came on last night (unless i'm going mad ) and asked people to look at her questions. However, it does say she was last here on 9th July 2003 - she could have modified the post which would make it show up on active topics I guess.

Weird

I saw it too. I think she did a posting to welcome a new member and asked people to look at her questions. I thought the questions were a new topic, but I couldn't find them until I went to her profile and clicked to see all her postings and they all appeared to be from 2003

 

[Kookamoor]

Totally bizarre... I noticed on Tanya's welcome thread that a new user, bethm, had answered it yesterday (it's easy not to notice the date sometimes). But that still doesn't explain how the idiom thread got bumped up... there are no edits. Clueless - where was the thread located when you found it and answered it?

 

[Sergo]

That's easy - I've done that myself: got to Tania's profile and asked to show me all her posts. Hop-la, and Clueless enters it, dragging it to the top.

 

[Ice]

Totally bizarre... I noticed on Tanya's welcome thread that a new user, bethm, had answered it yesterday (it's easy not to notice the date sometimes). But that still doesn't explain how the idiom thread got bumped up... there are no edits. Clueless - where was the thread located when you found it and answered it?

Ah ok that explains it - I read the welcome thread as there was a new reply and out of curiosity went to check out the other thread that was mentioned I assume Clueless did the same.