Just another column about Language
From time to time, I just stop; then take note of our wonderfully confounding English language.
Today is one of those times.
I无毛视频檝e often questioned why we use phrases like 无毛视频渏ump in the shower无毛视频� when nobody jumps into showers.
Likewise, I无毛视频檝e never known anybody who truly 无毛视频渉ops out of bed.无毛视频�
I无毛视频檝e never been in the company of somebody who got 无毛视频渉opping mad无毛视频� 无毛视频� or managed to 无毛视频渇ly off the handle.无毛视频�
Do people really 无毛视频渉it the sack无毛视频� or 无毛视频渉it the hay?无毛视频�
These are the tricks the English language plays on us with the countless idioms that have been devised, then used 无毛视频� sometimes over centuries.
If there无毛视频檚 a 无毛视频渂andwagon无毛视频� nearby, try not to 无毛视频渏ump on it.无毛视频� That could be dangerous.
Never, I mean never, 无毛视频渂ury your head in the sand.无毛视频�
Fortunately, if you plan to 无毛视频渂ury the hatchet,无毛视频� it doesn无毛视频檛 involve a real hatchet that could inflict real harm on another person.
I无毛视频檓 sure there are some people who read this and say this is silly. But I无毛视频檇 like to 无毛视频渂urst your bubble无毛视频� and tell you that English is full of these idioms that must be daunting to anybody who comes from another country who无毛视频檇 like to learn the language.
Can you imagine trying to explain to somebody from Asia that a 无毛视频渟keleton无毛视频� in somebody无毛视频檚 无毛视频渃loset,无毛视频� has nothing to do with skeletons or closets?
That would be no 无毛视频渨alk in the park!无毛视频�
Don无毛视频檛 take a foreigner to lunch and tell them that you无毛视频檙e so hungry you 无毛视频渃ould eat a horse.无毛视频�
They无毛视频檇 be perplexed.
They may even be 无毛视频渋n a pickle.无毛视频� They could even 无毛视频渇ly off the handle无毛视频� and 无毛视频渉it the roof无毛视频� 无毛视频� which has nothing to do with roofs or handles, or even pickles.
That same foreigner might be fascinated when they hear that somebody was 无毛视频渂orn with a silver spoon in their mouth.无毛视频�
Where would that spoon come from, they might ask.
And you would be compelled to explain that the person with the silver spoon, may have been on third base, and thought they hit a triple. Which requires a completely different explanation.
References to the human heart are among the most overused phrases in the English language.
There are 无毛视频渂roken无毛视频� hearts; 无毛视频渉eavy无毛视频� hearts, from the 无毛视频渂ottom无毛视频� of people无毛视频檚 hearts; somebody may become 无毛视频渇aint无毛视频� of heart; we无毛视频檙e always told 无毛视频渉ome is where the heart is;无毛视频� some people can be 无毛视频渨arm无毛视频�-hearted, while others can be 无毛视频渃old无毛视频�-hearted. And you can 无毛视频渢ake无毛视频� heart, with a little heart and soul.
None of those things have anything to do with the physical organs that beat inside of our bodies.
I think the overuse of the word 无毛视频渉eart,无毛视频� is some sort of language abuse.
I think I无毛视频檒l just 无毛视频渢hrow down the gauntlet无毛视频� and let everybody know I无毛视频檓 无毛视频渢icked off无毛视频� about it.
Maybe I won无毛视频檛. I无毛视频檇 probably get some 无毛视频渂utterflies in my stomach,无毛视频� or worse 无毛视频� 无毛视频渁nts in my pants,无毛视频� about protesting the way we Americans have taken such idiomatic license with language.
What does 无毛视频渟mack dab无毛视频� mean?
To me, it无毛视频檚 a phrase that doesn无毛视频檛 make a lot of sense. I know I无毛视频檓 probably being a bit too literal, but if you have a dab, why would you want to smack it?
I无毛视频檇 suggest if you feel compelled to stick the phrase 无毛视频渟mack dab无毛视频� into a sentence (not counting the way I just did it) then, perhaps, you might first try to find a more suitable phrase. 无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 not brain surgery,无毛视频� you know.
I无毛视频檇 also suggest you avoid using rhyming phrases like 无毛视频渆asy peasy.无毛视频�
There are many phrases that have nothing to do with how they sound.
无毛视频淭hin-skinned无毛视频� has nothing to do with skin.
A 无毛视频渢all order无毛视频� has nothing to do with height.
A 无毛视频渟now job无毛视频� has nothing to do with weather.
Playing 无毛视频渟econd fiddle无毛视频� has nothing to do with music.
A 无毛视频渟tiff upper lip无毛视频� has nothing to do with anybody无毛视频檚 face.
无毛视频淕reen thumbs无毛视频� don无毛视频檛 have anything to do with the color of anybody无毛视频檚 thumbs.
And, finally, if something is a 无毛视频減iece of cake,无毛视频� it has nothing, whatsoever to do with dessert.
That无毛视频檚 the 无毛视频渘ail in the coffin.无毛视频�
Edward A. Owens is a multi-Emmy Award winner, former reporter, and anchor for Entertainment Tonight, and 40-year TV news and newspaper veteran. E-mail him at freedoms@bellatlantic.net.