[Lexicog] new idiom

Fritz Goerling Fritz_Goerling at SIL.ORG
Sat Mar 3 22:56:08 UTC 2007


Wayne,

 

Today I read a funny extension of the expression “hen-pecked” in English:

“He’s so hen-pecked he moults twice a year.” “Hen-pecked” is an expression I
have not found in other languages.

Other expressions conveying the same idea are in German “er steht unter dem
Pantoffel” (he stands under the slipper) or “”er steht unter der
Knute/Fuchtel seiner Frau” (he stands under the club/rod of his wife) or
“sie hat die Hosen an” (she wears the pants). In French we have “il est sous
la férule de sa femme” (he is under the rod of his wife; under her thumb) or
“elle porte la culotte” (she wears the pants).

There is quite some similarity with some interesting differences. What other
colorful idioms do other languages have to express the same idea?

 

Fritz Goerling

 

I enjoy learning new idioms in any language. Yesterday I heard a new 
Cheyenne idiom:

Náma'xene'enéseha He'haévêháne. 'I came down with a bad cold.' [lit. Cold 
(personified) beat me up bad.]

Have you heard any new idioms lately?

Wayne
-----
Wayne Leman



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