"Life's too short..."

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            Our world is made up of words. We write them, speak them, hear them, read them. We use them to describe our world, express our feelings, share experiences and expand our imaginations. How we put words together gives people some indication of our intelligence or our education; our current state of mind; our intentions.

            But because our world is made up of so many different ethnic groups and nationalities, words are distinct and certainly subject to interpretation. Whether you write or read or watch television programs, you might come across a word or phrase which is unfamiliar. A simple example: what do you call the rather long, cushioned piece of furniture in your living room? A sofa; a couch; a divan? And to add another dimension to our confusion, in what century are we talking? Is it a settee? What about that cast iron cooking pan? Did you grow up calling it a frying pan or a skillet? Have you ever known it as a spider?

            I work only in the English language. I took French in high school and Spanish in college but am fluent in neither. I spent a week in Paris one summer and after perhaps half that time, I began to understand some of the signs and words I came across but I could never begin to understand the spoken language as it is rapid and lyrical and far beyond my high school experience. I envy people who know more than one language. I enjoy reading books set in different countries because although they are written in English, there are words unique to the country of origin. Words like a lift (elevator), a boot (trunk of a car), a jumper (sweater) are so fun to read.

            What are some of your favorite words? Are they part of your culture or unique to the part of the country or world where you live? Do they have to do with your ancestors? Is it a word your grandparent always said? Are they favorites because of their definition, their spelling or their sound?

            We put words together to form sentences, thoughts or messages to impart information. From our earliest introduction to language, we learn to use words to express ourselves and to ask and answer questions about our world. We write answers to test questions and conduct serious social debates.

I want you to think about very short groups of words put together to form what we call sayings or idioms. You can find these everywhere from bumper stickers to jingles and commercial trademarks. Many of the more famous sayings can be found in Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations. From childhood we began attributing sayings such as “Honesty is the Best policy” to Abraham Lincoln or the famous “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” to President John Kennedy. Wonderful people like Maya Angelou, Gandhi and Mother Theresa have left us a treasure trove of inspirational sayings. Even though you might not recognize its author, quite often you know and understand the saying.

Many words and sayings are used so much they become clichés. While there is nothing wrong with clichés (it’s raining cats and dogs), it is much more fun to use words that are fresh and unique.

One of my favorites is “Not all who wander are lost” which originated with J.R.R. Tolkien in The Fellowship of the Ring. Another is on the back of a tee-shirt. In a vertical row it has the days of the week – “Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday,” then across the bottom – “See, there is no Someday.” Think about it. Does it speak to you as it did me?

The same questions can be asked about sayings as we asked about words. Where did the saying come from; does it have multiple meanings depending on your ethnicity? Is there deeper meaning than what you might first read into the words?

Years ago I began using a saying on my website which I like to attribute to my new insight into my world at a time when things didn’t make sense. At that time, I wasn’t always in a good frame of mind. Two years after ending a forty year marriage, I was diagnosed with cancer and began another arduous journey. Some days I had a very hard time living this mantra, and yet most days they were the most important words I could say to myself:

“Life is too short to go through it in a bad mood.”

Think about idioms. Write down some of your favorites. Is there a pattern in what you relate to? What would your expression be based on something from your life or something you are working toward in the future? Are your sayings funny or are they related to growing and reaching new levels? Maybe they are about how to live life or something about feelings, emotions and believing.

Above my door where I read it every time I leave the house is another of my favorites:

“It’s never too late to live happily ever after.”

Barb Baldwin

http://www.authorsden.com/barbarajbaldwin

http://www.bookswelove.com/romance-authors/baldwin-barbara/

            

Romantic expressions - part 2 by J. S. Marlo

J. S. Marlo BWL Author Page

Like I said last month, I'm fascinated by expressions & idioms. In my October blog, I covered some criminal expressions, but since I write romantic suspense, not just suspense, there's also a romantic side to my stories.
So, here are some expressions about love and romance, their meanings, and their origins:

- To fall head over heels in love (late 1700s): to fall deeply and completely in love. "Heels over head" used to describe a bad fall, but then in the late 1700s,  it changed to "Head over heels" to describe falling in love.

- Sugar Daddy (early 1900s): a rich older man who lavishes gifts on a young woman in return for her company or sexual favors. In 1908, Adolph Spreckels, heir to the Spreckel's sugar fortune, married a woman who was 24 years younger than him. She called him "Sugar Daddy".


-  On the rocks (late 1800s): a relationship experiencing problems. It was originally used for ships which ran aground on rocks and broke apart. Since the late 1800s it has been used figuratively for other disasters or problems.

- The course of true love never did run smooth (1598): people in love often have to overcome difficulties in order to be with each other. It was first used by William Shakespeare in his play "A Midsummer Night's Dream".
 

people in love often have to overcome difficulties in order to be with each other (Theidioms.com)

- No love lost (1800s): there is a mutual dislike between two people. It originated in the 1500s where it meant extreme love or extreme hate. Then in 1800s, it began to signify hate exclusively.

- Labour of love: a task done for the pleasure of doing it, not for gains or reward. It originated in the Bible.

- Pop the question (1826): ask someone to marry you. It has been used since 1725, but with the meaning of asking something important. The specific sense of proposing marriage has been used since 1826.

- Kiss and make up (mid 1900s): become reconciled. In the mid 1900s, it replaced the expression "kiss and be friends", which had been used since the 1400s.
 




- Wear one's heart on one's sleeve (1604): make one's feelings apparent. It was first recorded in Shakespeare's play "Othello".

- Marry in haste, repent at leisure (1693):  those who rush impetuously into marriage may spend a long time regretting it. First originated in print in "The Old Batchelour" by William Congreve.

 

- Get hitched (1600s): get married. It was initially used in 1500s to describe tying horses to wagons. Then in 1600s, it started being used to describe two people getting married.



- Cupboard love (mid 1700s): affection given in order to gain a reward. It derives from the way a cat shows superficial love for a person who feeds it, or for the cupboard that holds its food.

- Hell has no fury like a woman scorned (1697): a betrayed woman is more furious than anything  hell can devise. The English playwright and poet William Congreve first wrote these words in his play "The Mourning Bride".

Time to go back to writing, and maybe use one or two expressions.

Happy reading!

JS

 J. S. Marlo's Website

Criminal expressions - part 1 by J. S. Marlo

J. S. Marlo BWL Author Page

I'm fascinated by expressions & idioms. They are colorful and interesting, and they often stump me as many of them cannot be translated word for word in my first language.

I write romantic suspense, so there's always a crime being committed in my stories...and a dead body or two hidden somewhere. I often use expressions and it got me curious to know where they come from. So, here are some of them:

- To cover one's tracks (1898): to conceal or destroy evidence of a shameful or nefarious act. The expression stems from "hiding one's footprints".

- To get caught red-handed (1432): to get caught in the act. It comes from Scotland, and it's an allusion to having blood, which is red, on one's hand after the execution of a murder or a poaching session.

-  To keep one's nose clean (late 19th century): to stay out of trouble, to avoid doing anything shady. It originates from "to keep one's hands clean", an expression widely used in England in the 18th century which meant to avoid corruption. When it crossed the Atlantic, the "nose" replaced the "hand".

- A red herring (18th century): something designed to distract or throw someone off a trail. A herring is a fish that is often smoked, a process that turns it red and gives it a strong smell. Because of their pungent aroma, smoked herrings were used to teach hunting hounds how to follow a trail, and they would be drawn across the path of a trail as a distraction that the dog must overcome.

- A whistleblower (19th century): a person who exposes someone involved in an illicit activity. The term attached itself to law enforcement officials because they used whistles to alert the public.

- The long arm of the law (1908): the far-reaching power of the authorities. It began in 16th century as "Kings have long arms".

- A wild goose chase (1592): a futile search, a useless and often lengthy task. The original meaning is related to horse racing, as a 'wild goose chase' was a race in which horses followed a lead horse at a set distance, mimicking wild geese flying in formation.

- A skeleton in the closet (early 1800s): a dark or embarrassing secret that is best kept unrevealed. It stems from the dissected corpses that British doctors kept hidden for research purposes.

- The third degree (19th century): intense interrogation. In Masonic lodges there are three degrees of membership, and in the third degree, the member undergoes vigorous questioning.

- A cat burglar (1907): a burglar adept at entering and leaving the burglarized place without attracting notice. First used by a reporter to describe a burglar who operated in London.

- A stool pigeon (19th century): a person acting as a decoy or informer. It stems from the use of a decoy bird (often a pigeon) to lure birds of prey into a net.

Now I need to stop googling and go back to writing a special children's book for my granddaughter.

Happy reading!

JS

 J. S. Marlo's Website

The confusing world of idioms by J. S. Marlo

J. S. Marlo BWL Author Page

I love idioms. They can be colorful, sarcastic, and more often than none, impossible to translate in a different language. 

The first idiom I encountered in English was When pigs fly. I was in my twenties slowly learning English when one of my friends said it. I understood the when, the pigs, and the fly, but I couldn't figure out how or when she switched the conversation to pink farm animals. She explained, but then she was also surprised we didn't use that expression to say never in French. I told her we do have a similar expression, which also features a farm animal. In French we say Quand les poules auront des dents, which translate to When hens will have teeth. 
That's when I learned I couldn't translate idioms words for words. At the same time, it was fascinating to discover how two different languages use two different images to convey the same meaning, like:

Love at first sight   is the equivalent to   Coup de foudre (lightning strike) in French.
Once in a blue moon   to   Tous les trente-six du mois (every 36th of the month)
To feel under the weather   to   Ne pas être dans son assiette (not to be in one’s plate)
To mind one’s own business   to   S'occuper de ses oignons (to take care of one’s onions)
To have other fish to fry   to   Avoir d'autres chats à fouetter (to have other cats to whip)
To put in two cents   to   Mettre son grain de sel (to put one’s grain of salt)

It just goes to show that every language is truly unique and meanings can really get lost in the translation.

Happy reading & writing!
JS

 J. S. Marlo's Website