Skip to main content

English Edification Enrichment (16)



What is the origin of "salad days"?

Shakespeare is believed to have coined this expression. He first used it in "Antony and Cleopatra". In the play Cleopatra says, "My salad days, When I was green in judgement, cold in blood..." The expression "salad days" refers to the days when we were young and relatively inexperienced. Those growing up days when we repeatedly kept making mistakes because of our lack of experience. So even those who have never eaten salad have had salad days! The expression is considered to be rather old fashioned.

Here are a few examples,

* John was in his salad days then and fell in love easily.
* The town did not seem to have changed much since his salad days.

It's been pointed out several times in this column that one of the meanings of "green" is inexperienced.

For example when you say,

"Micheal is too green for the job" what you are implying is that he is too inexperienced for the job.

The expression "salad days" too means inexperienced.

What is the connection between "salad" and "green"?

Well, a salad is usually made of raw vegetables. In other words, green vegetables! Since salad was mostly green in colour, people began to refer to one's early days as "salad days". By the way, the first "a" in "salad" is like the "a" in "act", "fact", and "pact", while the second is like the "a" in "china". The main stress is on the first syllable.

Thanks & Regards.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

English Edification Enrichment (12)

What is the meaning and origin of the expression "once in a blue moon"? When something happens "once in a blue moon" it happens very rarely. Here are a few examples, * My brother George lives in Russia. I see him once in a blue moon. * We have visitors once in a blue moon. * How often does Tendulkar come to office? Once in a blue moon. There are several explanations as to the origin of this expression. According to scientists, whenever a volcano erupts, the sulphur and dust particles that are thrown up into the atmosphere often cause the moon to appear blue for some time. When the volcano on Krakatoa (an island between Java and Sumatra) exploded in 1883, rocks were hurled thirty miles high into the air and dust from the volcano fell nearly three thousands miles away. After this eruption the moon looked blue for several days. Luckily for us, volcanoes don't erupt every day, so a blue moon continues to be a rare phenomenon. Another explanation offered by scholar...
Post a Comment
Read more

Origin of "scot-free"

English Edification Enrichment- What is the meaning and origin of "scot-free"? When you say that someone escaped "scot-free" what you are implying is that the individual escaped a tricky situation without being punished or harmed. The expression carries with it a sense of dissatisfaction. You feel that the individual deserved to be punished, but he wasn't. Here are a few examples. * His father is a politician and so he got off scot-free. * Sanjay got away scot-free because people refused to testify. * Renu made sure that Jyothi didn't get off scot-free. Many people think that the "scot" used in the expression refers to the people in Scotland. It doesn't. "Scot" is the old word for what we today call "tax". So in the old days when you got off "scot-free" you got off "tax-free". In other words, you escaped without having to pay your taxes. Nowadays, it's only politicians who manage to escape scot-free!
Post a Comment
Read more

Hair styling tips 2 (PERMS)

PERMS Assorted Perm Tips 1.Shampoo gently with a shampoo specially created for permed hair. Aggressive shampoos or scrubbing can cause early relaxation. 2.Condition the hair with conditioners specially made for permed hair. Permed hair has varying porosity - ordinary conditioners may over or under condition hair. 3.As perm grows out, spray a volumizing product or gel at the roots and blow dry at the scalp to create added lift. 4.Do not wrap in a towel turban when you get out of the shower with wet hair. The added friction can knot and damage vulnerable wet hair. Instead, carefully blot hair dry. 5.Don't brush hair when wet. Comb with a wide-tooth comb, working tangles out as you move from the ends toward the scalp. 6.A diffuser should be used to dry permed hair. For more curly styles, continue to use the diffuser throughout the styling. For more relaxed styles, remove the diffuser and blow dry at finish. 7.Use extreme care when styling. 8.When using styling appliances, use thermal ...
Post a Comment
Read more