When Achilleus later was fighting near Troya he was hit by the arrows of Paris – and died. When the tendon linking the peroneus with the top of the heel bone is called the Achilles tendon it has its origin in the Iliad.
NIELS JØRGEN THØGERSEN
Niels Jørgen Thøgersen presents...
WHAT DO YOU KNOW….. About interesting and perhaps surprising topics - also to impress your neighbour at dinner with !
Today you use the expression Achilles heel you refer to somebody’s weak point, where he can be hit – in the figurative sense. So where is your Achilles heel?? All roads lead to Rome Historically this expression goes back to the Roman empire, where all roads throughout the vast empire were leading to Rome. From this literal meaning of the saying another meaning has developed. Today it means that there are many different routes to the same goal.
3rd ed. ( * new since 2nd ed.)
B Bed of roses
A Achilles’ heel This expression comes from the Greek mythology. The ancient Greek hero Achilleus, who was the main person in the Iliad of Homer, was by his mother Thetis dipped in the river Styx. In this way be became invulnerable. When the mother dipped him she held him by his heels – meaning that they did not become wet. Therefore, they continued to be vulnerable.
This expression comes from the time of the decay of the Roman empire around the 3rd and 4th century AC. People did a lot of decadent things in that period. One of them was to have roses in masses all over the place – to live with lots of roses everywhere and at all times. The beds were ofter filled with leaves of roses. The floors were covered with roses. This habit was sometime continued in the Medieval Ages at special occasions. So the expression a bed of roses still today means that you have a good life. A life without problems.
Bird Phoenix This is a legendary animal, which is described by the ancient Greek poets. The feathers of the bird were put to flames by the sun, and it burns in its nest. But from the ashes a new Bird Phoenix arises. That’s where the expression to arise like the bird Phoenix comes from. Another version of this legend goes as follows: The bird Phoenix is the only one of its kind in the world. It has lived for 500 years in the Arab desert. Then it collects sweet-scented wood for a fire. This is ignited by the sun. And from the ashes the bird Phoenix arises again – this time in a younger and a more beautiful form. Today the expression to arise like the bird Phoenix means that something very unexpected is happening – almost out of nothing. It is positive, but close to being unreal. Almost magic.
story collector Peder Syv (1631-1702) is using it. Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) makes it well known in his work Guy Mannering. And later the German emperor Wilhelm II (1859-1941) uses it frequently in his speeches. The meaning of the expression has always been and still is that family bonds are closer than those of outsiders. It is in a way strange that emperor Wilhelm used it so often. He was the grand child of Queen Victoria. And still he was a main initiator of World War I between Germany and Britain (and many more).
Blue blood This saying has its origin from Castillia in Spain. The local Castillians had a more light skin than the immigrants, who were were mostly moors and jews. Due to their light skin you could more easily see the veins through the skin. The expression locally was and is: sangre azul, which means blue blood.
Black sheep In the old days a legend said that it would bring bad luck to have one or more black sheep in the flock. The reason was that you were paid less for black wool than for white wool. Today you talk about the family’s black sheep, when you think of a member of the family, who differs from the rest of the family in a negative way. It might be in behavior or in intelligence. In other words: it isn’t meant positively, when somebody is described as a black sheep. Blood is thicker than water This is a very old expression in many languages. Already in 1180 you see it in some German texts. And later the Danish
Many Castillians at the time – at least the more known ones – were from the nobility. That is why the expression blue blood later has got the meaning it has today: people of royal or noble families.
C Candlemas Day The name comes from the Latin Missa Candelarum that means celebration for the lights. The tradition can certainly be traced back to the 6th century. It refers to the fact that it was on this day - 40 days after Jesus' birth - his mother, the Virgin Mary, was brought up in church to be purified. The day is, therefore, also sometimes called Mary Mas. And why should she be made
clean? Because you considered women who had given birth to be unclean. Only when they had been cleaned in the church, they could attend church services again. It is also on this day that the church blesses all the lights to be used in the forthcoming years. In Denmark, Candlemas was a holiday until 1770. This year stopped by Mr. Struensee in his rationalization activities. Candlemas together with 9 other small Danish religious holidays were abolished and replaced by the so-called Great Prayers Day. It was one of the few reforms that were retained even after his execution. The word kyndel is an old Danish version of the word Kandel (light). Candlemas was mainly in Jutland often called Kjørmes Knud . Knud in this context means: hard frost. On this day half of the winter had passed, and brighter times were ahead. Kjørmes Festivals were organised - one of the eight ancient seasonal celebrations. On this day, it was a sort of Dutch treat parties with pork, and whatever else was suitable to be stored in barrels. There was brandy and dancing till dawn. Besides pork, there was also a tradition of eating rye-pancakes. In the old peasant society, there were a number of warnings and traditions associated with this day:
* Fifth, If you saved some bread from Christmas and ate it on that day,then you would be protected against illness such as headaches and snake bites * Sixth, fruit trees were whipped with rods to ensure a good harvest Candlemas is no longer celebrated in Denmark. But it is often still celebrated in the Catholic countries. In Belgium it is a tradition to eat pancakes on this day Carte blanche This term comes from French and means white card or white paper. In was used in the old days in connection with negotiations – political, economic or military negotiations. The person who was given the mandate to negotiate and to make the final agreement received a piece of white paper ( a carte blanche) only with the signature of the top boss (the king, the prime minister, the general). Then he or she could fill out the rest with the agreement made – and it was all done. Today the expression carte blanche is still used meaning full power of attorney. In the EU Commission the president receives a carte blanche letter from each member of the Commission only with their signature on. Then he alone can decide when they have to step down. Cobbler – stick to your last
* First If the sun was shining, there would soon be snow * Second, If the wind blew so much that 18 bitches could not hold the 19th bitch to the ground, then winter will soon blow away * Third, thaw was good. Kjørmes thaw was just as well as 100 read hay *Fourth, If the lark was heard for the first time that day, then would spring would start very soon
This expression goes all the way back to Alexander the Great (356-323 BC). His painter at the court was called Apelles. He was known to exhibit his works in such a way that he – without anybody noticing him – could study peoples’ reactions. One day he changed a detail on a shoe on a painting to see the reaction from visitors. A shoemaker noticed the mistake. But when
he continued his criticism of the way the legs were painted Apelles could not stand listening to him anymore. He said: A shoemaken should never judge anything but shoes. Later the expression has developed into today’s saying: Coppler – stick to your last. Today this expression means that you should never talk about things you don’t know anything about. How the world would change, if everybody followed that rule Cravat This was a special article of clothing for the neck in the 17th century in Croatia (before the necktie). It was in particular used in the military. The Croatian soldiers used it – also when they served in foreign armies like the French under Louis XIII (1601-43) and Napoleon. In this was this special clothing from Croatia got the name Cravatte in French. Today this is simply the normal word for tie. The same word with the same background is used in German (Krawatte). The English word Cravat has, of course, the same origin. But it continues to refer to the special clothing used in the old days: A wide fabric band worn as a necktie by men, having long ends hanging in front.
The historical origin of this bread is Vienna in early 19th century. The bakers there made a special sort of bread called Kipfel. Some of them brought it to Copenhagen, where is became common from around 1840. Towards the turn of the century a creative Danish baker called L.C. Klitteng decided to make it much lighter by adding a lot of butter. The bread was called Wienerbrød (bread from Vienna). This is to this day a very popular pastry in Denmark – with a lot of calories! The same word is used in French: Viennoise (though it is not exactly the same bread). Baker Klitteng decided to make his bread known all over Europe and later all over the world. He named himself Advisor for Bakers and travelled the world. And he experienced a great success. His bread became popular everywhere. In The US it was – and still is – sold under the name DANISH (pastry). He became extra famous, when he in 1915 was asked to deliver Danish for the wedding of president Wilson. He also planned to “conquer” China and Japan in the 1930ies with his pastry. But he had to abandon his plans, as he suddenly became blind. And finally it is interesting that the same pastry in the city of its origin, Vienna, is neither called Wienerbrød nor Danish. Its name is: Kopenhagener.
Denmark in Western Australia
D Danish (pastry)
On the south coast of Western Australia you find a small town called Denmark. It is a famous local wine district. But it has nothing (directly) with Denmark in Europe to do. It has its name fron a medical doctor in the British navy, Alexander Denmark. He was here with his ship in the beginning
of the 18th century. But who knows... Perhaps the good doctor has Viking blood Dutch treat This expression comes originally from the rivalry between the English and the Dutch in the 17th century. The two nations and their people did not always talk nicely about each other. The English was of the opinion that the Dutch were always trying to avoid paying their share. They wanted to save their money. This is perhaps not totally surprising. The Calvinist religion – to which many Dutch belonged and still belong – encourages people to save as much money as possible. The more money you have when you die, the greater your chance is to get to heaven. So why take the risk and use the money during one’s lifetime ?! Nowadays the expression a Dutch treat often means, that everyone pays for himself, when you go together to a restaurant or a bar. You can also say: going Dutch. This has the same meaning. In some cases Dutch people get offended, when they hear the expression. In other cases they use it themselves to make a bit of fun.
E Europe Day This is on May 9 every year, and it is caused by the fact that it was on this day in 1950 that the French foreign minister, Robert Schuman, in a speech in Paris suggested that a new and binding cooperation should be started among the European countries. A cooperation where
the participating countries transferred some of their national sovereignty to a common authority. Why? Because this would according to Mr. Schuman once and forever make wars between the European countries impossible. The two key countries were France and Germany. They had fought numerous wars between each other – the latest one only five years earlier. The idea for such a new and pioneering cooperation was prepared by the French energetic and imaginative official, Jean Monnet. And then proposed officially by the French government. Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg were positive right away. And only two years later the first European Community, called the European Coal and Steel Community, started. This unique cooperation has since then developed enormously, and altogether 28 European countries are today members. More countries want to join. That is why EUROPE DAY in celebrated all over the continent on this day. In Belgium it is law that all public buildings must fly the European Flag today. More and more countries do the same
F Feather in one’s cap Feathers have in history always played a very important symbolic role. The ancient Greek poet Aesop (620-564 BC) talked in one of his tales about a crowe, which borrowed the feathers of a parrot to try to look better. And the soldiers in the Roman armies wore feathers on their helmets. This should sympolise that they were able to fly, just like the birds. As time went by it became a habit that the more feathers you had in your cap the more important you were. They were a sign of your influence and rang.
A few hundred years it was a normal saying in English that nobody should wear a feather, if he hadn’t killed a Turk. Again: a symbol for something good (?) you had done. Today the expression a feather in one’s cap means that you have got an honour you can be proud of. Fifth column It comes from the Spanish civil war 193639. General Franco was about to attack Madrid with 4 military columns – attacking from north, east, south and west. At the same time he organized that fascist supporters inside the city were ready for fight and at the right moment go into action and attack the government forces from inside. They got the name the fifth column. Later the expression was used about German spies, who under the cover of being journalists, scientists or business people were German spions in Germany’s neighbouring countries – ready to help, if and when German troops attacked the country they were in. During the Cold War the expression the fifth column was used to describe the traitors, who for ideological reasons felt more attached to another country than to their own – and therefore were willing to give confidential information to the other country. The Soviet Union was very active in using citizens of other countries in this role.
dance and loud clapping with the hands. It is in particular known in Andalusia in the south of Spain. Originally it was the culture of poor people. It goes back to the 16th century and comes from gipsy music and somewhat also from the Moorish culture, also after the Moors were thrown out of Europe by 1492. Flamenco is mentioned for the first time in 1774. And when the first Flamenco Café opened in Andalusia in 1842 it was no success from the beginning. Where does the word flamenco then come from? Flamenco – also today – in Spanish means Flemish. How come? Because people in Spain thought in the 16th century that the gypsies came from Flanders (including present day Belgium). It was under the Spanish king from 1556-1713. So perhaps there is some truth in it.
Flying Dutchman The origin of this expression is a legend from the 16th century. It tells about a Dutch merchant ship, which constantly sails over the oceans and never goes into any port. It is in particular seen in the seas around Cape of the Good Hope in South Africa. Seeing this ship gives other ships a warning that an accident is coming up. The legend also tells that the ship is there as God’s punishment of the Dutch captain Vanderdecken for blasphemy. The topic has often been treated in literature and other forms of art, including in Richard Wagner’s opera The Flying Dutchman.
Flamenco It is well known that flamenco is a lively Spanish song with guitar music, a forceful
Today we would rather talk about a socalled ghost ship. This is a ship which is sailing without any crew. Such ships exist.
It is, though, not dangerous just to see them. It only becomes a real problem, if you run into them. And fortunately this happens very rarely. French visit This is an old expression in many countries such as France, England, Germany and the Netherlands. It meant that somebody came for a short visit, said something nonimportant and left without saying goodbye. And it was at the time not considered to be bad manners.
Gordian knot This expression comes from Apollon’s Oracle in Delphi – the centre of the world in ancient Greece. The Oracle had predicted that the person who could undo a knot on the harness on a pole of a wagon in the temple of Zeus in Gordion would become the ruler of the world. Then came Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) and solved the problem by cutting the knot with his sword. And he actually became the ruler of the known world at the time.
In France and Germany the expression English Visit was now and then used with the same meaning.
Today, the expression to untie the Gordian knot means that you solve a problem, which seems unsolvable.
Today a French visit means that you make a very brief visit – and leave very quickly again.
Go to Canossa
G Gentlemen’s agreement This expression comes from a number of dinner parties in 1886 in the American finance magnat J.P. Morgan’s house. Morgan lived in the years 1837-1913. During these dinners (only attended by men) a number of very important agreements were made. They were not written down in a contract and were only based on the spoken word and mutual confidence on what had been said. They were called Gentlemen’s Agreements. In Denmark (and probably also in other countries) you have another way of unwritten agreements. If you have made a deal (bought a horse or something else) the two people clash their right hands against each other. And that confirms the deal.
The background is the German emperor Heinrich IV’s fight with pope Gregor 7. Heinrich governed in the years 1056-1106. When the emperor at the Diet of Worms in 1076 fired the pope it started a very serious conflict. The pope excommunicated the emperor. A year later Heinrich decided to make an end to the fight by walking barefooted all the way to the pope’s castle in Canossa south of Parma in northern Italy. Here he had to wait for 3 days in winterly weather in the courtyard of the castle, before the pope forgived him. The expression to go to Canossa became very much known much later, when the German chancellor Bismarck started a serious fight with the Catholic church in the 1870ies. We will never go to Canossa, Bismarck stated at several occasions. But through negotiations the conflict was brought to an end. And many asked themselves afterwards, if Bismarck in reality went to Canossa to finalise the conflict.
Today the term to go to Canossa means that you give totally in in a conflict. Goulash barons During World War I the German troops were most of the time eating canned food, especially goulash in many forms. The soldiers called their kitchens in the field Gullasch-Kanonen! A large part of it was imported from neutral countries, including Denmark. And its quality was often very poor. And in those countries many people became very rich very quickly because of that export. Many of them were boasting with their money. So the word Goulash Barons is pretty negative. It was in many ways be compared with today’s Nouveaux Riches from Russia and China. Guests and fish smell badly on the 3rd day The expression comes from ancient Greece. The first time it has been written down was by the Roman comedy author Plautus ( about 200 BC). He was often rewriting Greek comedies. In his book “The Boasting Soldier” he has this sentence: No friend is so welcome that he won’t be a nuisance after 3 days in a friend’s house. And to combine this with the smell of halfrotten fish makes the point come clearer through. Everybody knows how that smells Today the expression still means that you should always consider not to stay too long, when you make a visit.
This has since ancient times been a symbol of honesty. In the Middle Ages priests and women put their hand at their heart when taking the oath. But already in the very old times people in the north (Cimbrians, Vikings, etc.) put their right hand on the heart when meeting other people to show that they did not carry a weapon in that hand – that they were peaceful. This has later been replaced by holding out one’s right hand when saying hello. This proves that you do not carry arms in that hand. The Americans put their right hand on the heart when the national anthem is played. This is meant to show loyalty to the country. Hocus-pocus This expression has its origin in the bible: it is a distortion of the words from the communion: hoc est corpus - Latin for: this is my body. It was many years ago in particular used as a swear-word. Later it changed to be used in relation to magics. The first time this was seen was in an English handbook on magics from 1634. It carried the title: Hocus pocus junior. Today the expression hocus pocus is used when you do or show something almost like a magician. You make things happen almost out of nothing! Like many people think about the origins of the expression in Latin. Holy flame
H Hand on your heart
This is the name of the permanent fire in the temples in the ancient times. It is known from many religions. To the ancient Greeks fire was sacred. They believed it had been stolen from the gods by
Prometheus. In the Christian religion it is mentioned in the Law of Moses, where God asks Moses to ensure that the flame on the alter will burn permanently. From there comes the tradition with a burning lamp in Jewish synagogues. It is also known in the Catholic church. When you see a permanent flame on monuments for killed soldiers in wars, f.ex. on the tomb of the unknown soldier under the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, is comes from the same tradition. The Olympic flame has the same origin. Some time in advance of Olympic games a special ceremony is organized at the Mount Olympus in Greece. The flame is ignited by the beams of the sun, and a torch with the flame is transported over long distances, often by a runner, to the place, where the games take place. At the end of the games the flame is extinguished again. Honeymoon The old English expression hony moone from the 16th century was the name for the very first days in the marriage of newly weds. That was where they started their new life and probably also laid the ground for a larger family. In the early 19th century it became a habit for new couples (in the upper classes) in England that they went on a trip immediately after the wedding. They were often accompanied by family and friends on the trip. They either went to see family, who had not been able to come to the wedding. Or to other places. The French Riviera and Italy ( Rome, Verona and Venice) were the most popular places. In France the same habit started in the 1820’es (“English style voyages”). And in the socalled Belle Epoque ( 1871-1914) the honeymoon trips were in a way the start of mass tourism.
In Denmark honeymoon is called hvedebrødsdage (white bread days). Why? Because normally people in the old days only had rye bread to eat. In the days after the wedding they had the more expensive wheat breat or white bread for a few days.
Horse trading The original word horse-trading came from the big horse markets in the Medieval ages. In other countries the same expression is referring to cows (Germany) or bullocks (Denmark). Why? Because there were bigger markets in those countries for cows and bullocks than for horses. In all these markets the trading often took the form of farmers (or more often professional animal traders) discussed – often in a very lively way – the price and at the end made the deal by slamming their right hands together. This was the deal. Nowadays the expression horse trading is in particular used about political negotiations. It refers to talks where each part often has to reduce its ideological or other demands in order to get a political deal. Among voters political horse trading is ofter seen as negative. But in reality it is a necessary and important part of politics in order to get results at the end.
I Irene This name comes from the pious Irene, who lived in Saloniki (in present day Greece) in the beginning of the 4th century. She was a Christian. Therefore, she was like other Christians persecuted by the
Roman emperor Diocletian. And when the Roman soldiers discovered that she had Christian books and did not want to give up her faith she was together with her two sisters Agape and Chionia and all the books put on the fire in Saloniki in 304. Before that they were taken naked to a local brothel. But nobody touched them.
keep the pot boiling when he quotes young people, when they suddenly stof in the middle of their philosophical discussions. Then the others present said: keep the pot boiling. Today the expression is still used to say: keep going – continue. With what you are saying, doing, trying, planning, etc.
The name Irene comes from Greek and means Peace. Köpenick event
J K Keelhauling This is the name of an old maritime punishment, which was used in many countries from the Middle Ages until around 1800. The guy who had to be punished had his hands and his feed tied, got a rope around his waist and was pulled from one side of the ship under the keel and up on the other side of the ship. It was in no way fun. Either he drowned because the rope was pulled very slowly. Or his skin was totally torn into pieces by all the sharp shells which were always attached to the ships buttom. Or both. Fortunately, the rules in human rights made an end to that sort of misbehavior from the side of the skippers! Keep the pot boiling This expression has its origins in the works of the Greek sophist and collector of proverbs Zenobios (117-38). He worked for the emperor in Rome. He writes: If the pot boils the friendship will last. Much later the English author Charles Dickens (1812-70) uses the expression to
This expression comes from an event in 1906. A shoemaker in Berlin, Wilhelm Voigt (1849-1922) – former prisoner and a poor guy to look at – took in the German town of Köpenick outside Berlin the uniform of a military officer and behaved like a captain in the imperial guard. He commanded a group of soldiers to follow him to the City Hall, where they arrested the authorities and took the city’s money box with 4000 Mark. After that he disappeared. But he was caught quite quickly afterwards. After two years he was pardoned by emperor Wilhelm and was freed from prison. He became a popular hero in Germany. Now he wrote a book about the event. It was later also made into a film. The event was used by Voigt and many others to make the Prussian authorities look like fools with their obedience to military uniforms. When the expression a Köpenick event or affair is used now and then today it means that somebody makes fun of the authorities.
L Like a cat round hot milk
This is an expression, which goes several hundred years back. In English literature it appears for the first time in 1855, and it becomes very much used very quickly. The original meaning was, of course, that a hungry cat is very hesitant to put its tongue or paw into very hot milk. It does not want to burn it. On the other hand it does not leave, because it continues to be very tempted. It walks several times around it and hopes for “cooler times”. The sentence also got the present day indirect meaning that people are hesitant to do things they perhaps are afraid of or do not know much about. They postpone doing it for as long as possible. They hurry up slowly. But they normally do it at the end. The saying Danish is not about milk, but about porridge – hot porridge.
M Marianne This name is used about France. It was started by the revolutionaries during the French revolution. It is mentioned for the first time in 1792. It symbolizes the republic – in contrast to the then very male dominated French monarchy. And it stands for liberty and reason. The name is made from the two most common female names in France at that time: Marie (Mary) and Anne. The name Marianne is today still used by all French authorities. It has its own special logo:
It is also the Marianne figure and its meaning, which inspired France’s gift to the United States in 1886: The Statue of Liberty in New York harbor. Marcus MARCUS’ DAY is April 25. The name comes from the evangelist Marcus (or Marc). According to the legend he followed the apostle Peter to Rome as his interpreter. After Peter’s crucifixion Marcus went on to Alexandria, where he was a bishop and later in 67 AC was killed because of his faith. He was first dragged through the city with a rope around his neck. Marcus was son of Maria. It was in her house the first Christian community met. And it was probably also here that Jesus had his last supper. In the 9th century Marcus’ bones were entombed in the Marcus Church in Venezia. His symbol – the lion – is also the symbol for Venezia.
Money doesn’t smell This expression comes from an event during the reign of the Roman emperor Vespasian (9-79 AC). He had decided to introduce a special tax on public toilets. His son Titus was strongly against it. Then Vespasian took a coin and put it under the nose of his son and asked, if it smelled. When Titus replied NO the emperor said: And it is actually coming from the toilets. After Vespasian the public toilets in Paris are actually often called Les Vespasiennes.
Today the expression money does not smell means that it is of no importance, where money comes from. Also if it comes from activities, which are more or less illegal. Money is money is another expression. In other words: the expression money does not smell is not a very positive one.
innovations and discoveries in literature, science and arts. They were the source of knowledge.
Money is the root of all evil
Clio: Thalia: Erato: Euterpe: Polyhymnia: Calliope: Terpsichore: Urania:
This expression comes from the bible. But it has been misquoted over the centuries. St. Paul said according to the bible: The love of money is the root of all evil. And this is, of course, a very different story from giving money itself all the blame. The meaning of the expression today is rather: don’t let money decide everything. It is nice to have But there are other values in life too. Murphy’s Law It comes from England. We don’t know exactly, who this Murphy was. But it is certain that it refers to an Irishman (Murphy is a typical Irish name). This Irishman was electrician. And the English had no confidence in his technical skills. Things always went wrong, when he tried to do something. In this way the expression Murphy’s Law came to mean, that if anything can go wrong it will go wrong. This is not nice or just to the Irish. But history and traditions are not always nice and just
Muse This is a word from Greek mythology. They were the inspiration for the Gods for
There were 9 muses. They were all daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne. Each of them looked after a special field: history comedy poetry of love song hymns epic poetry dance astronomy
Nowadays, you still see the connection between some of these names and a number of words linked to the 9 special fields. And today you also use the expression: a man’s muses. This means that there are women behind him to inspire and encourage him.
N •
Neandertal men
Just 12 km to the east of Düsseldorf you can visit your very old ancestor, the Neandertal Man. He is more than 60.000 years old. The village is called Mettmann and is very close to the motorway (Autobahn) from Wuppertal to Düsseldorf). The valley is called Neandertal – created by the small river Düssel. It was named after the German writer and painter Joachim
Neander (1650-80), who loved to come to this valley. It was here that some workers in 1859 found human bones, which were examined by specialists. They came from human beings who lived there about 60.000 years go. They got the name the Neandertal Men. Afterwards the place where they were found was forgotten. And it was rediscovered only about 50 years ago. Now you can visit a very interesting Neandertal Museum in the village. It illustrates in a very lively way the development of mankind over thousands, even millions, of years. And the explanations are in German as well as in English. See more here: http://www.neanderthal.de/en/ Noah’s Ark This is from Noah in The old Testament. He was the constructor of the ARK, which he used to rescue his family, two pairs of all animals and a vine from the Flood. Historically it is likely that the Flood actually happened in pre-historic times, when the Mediterranean Sea broke though the Bosporus into the Black Sea. The Mediterranean was until then about 8 meters higher, so it is evident that the break-through was an enormous disaster. The legend tells that Noah landed his Ark on the mountain Ararat. It lies at the eastern side of the present day Black Sea.
O Ottomans
The Ottomans were the population of the huge Ottoman empire created in 1299 by Osman I – an empire which lasted more than 600 years. It was dissolved in 1922. It covered present day Turkey, large parts of Central Asia, the Balkans in Europe, and most of the Middle East and North Africa. Its peak was in the 16th century following its conquest of Constantinople in 1483. The Ottoman Empire was ruled by a Sultan with his seat in Constantinople/Istanbul. The empire was to a large degree built upon slavery – all the way up to 1908. They were Eunuks, harem women, Janishars and normal slaves. In the 19th century about a quarter of the population in Istanbul were slaves. They were primarily taken from Christian areas, and many were sold to the Arabs. The last part of the Ottoman Empire was split up in smaller countries after World War I, as the Ottomans had fought with the Germans – and lost. The piece of furniture called an Ottoman is a special sofa without armrest and back. It was brought to Europe in the 18th century by the Ottomans.
P Paint the town red This expression comes from the US. Originally it comes from an IrishAmerican ballade, which says: the beacon hills were painted red. It referred to a tradition that the hills with the beacons were actually now and then painted red to signal that a big festival was about to start. There is also proof that the expression comes from the Missisippi river. The captain of an old steam ship had big
difficulties in competition with the new steam ships. One day he said to his crew: Paint her red, boys! From then on his business was very good again. In German you talk about Rot anstreichen (to paint something red). It refers to the tradition that you make a red mark in your calendar/diary for days when some festivities are expected to happen. Nowadays the expression to paint the town red is – as you know – still used. It means you are going to have a great evening out. Normally without painting anywhere.
in the Greek mythology - the god for shepherds and for wild animals in the mountains. He had horns, legs and a tale like a goat. He moved around on grazing-grounds and in forests. When people met him they were terror-stricken. Especially when they came to wake him up he made them really frightened. It gave them a panic fear. They panicked. This is the historical, mythodological origins of the expression panic fear. Its meaning today is a sudden fear, which people can hardly control.
Pandora’s box Parkinson’s law This story comes from Greek mythology. Pandora was a woman, who was rich and possessed a lot of valuable things. She was created by Hefaistos from earth and water. She was considered to be the first ancestress of all women. When she got married, she received from the gods as a present a big box with food. She was in the first instance not allowed to look into the box. But she was too curious and opened the box despite the prohibition. This meant that all sorts of pains jumped out of the box and were spread to all people in the world. In the bottom of the box only hope was left. That is why people always have hope left, when everything else has gone. Today the expression Pandora’s Box is used to describe that something unexpected may happen, if you do things with unpredictable consequences. In other words: if you open Pandora’s Box. Panic fear In ancient Rome people were of the opinion that a sudden loud noice – panicus casus, in Latin – often was made by Pan. He was a god
The British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson (1909-93) wrote in 1958 a book, where he presented his laws about how the public sector almost automatically grows and grows. One of the laws says: an official wants to increase the number of his subordinates, not of his competitors. Another law goes like this: the officials create work for each other. That is why the number of officials increases progressively even if the work does not increase. It even does so if the number of tasks decreases. And a third law: the budget costs increase without obvious reasons as progressively as the number of officials. The term Parkinson’s Law has later become a often used concept, which means that the public sector grows and grows automatically. It is not a positive concept. When somebody says that this is Perkinson’s Law he is of the opinion that things are going too far. And that something has to be done about it. Peter Principle
This expression tells that there is a tendency to promoting all employees beyond what their skills can manage. This naturally leads to incompetence and people being useless or worse in their jobs. The expression was in its most recent form described by the Canadian Lawrence J. Peter in 1969 (hence the name), The Peter Principle. But already in 1910 Jose Ortega e Gasset wrote that all employees ought to be degraded to the level under the one they are actually working at. This would according to him give the best work. To this description can be added – as others have done – that in such a situation (ruled by the Peter principle) staff often manages to manipulate with their incompetent superiors in such a way that they do not interfere in their work. It is often called Managing upwards. As an old hand in the EU I wonder, if this principle still lives today
one of your best friends. Or at least not any longer!
Platonic love The Greek philosopher Platon (427-347 BC) is in one of his dialogues praising the highest form of love, which human beings can move up to from the lower, sensual love. It is the higher love, which according to Platon stimulates the ability to see the beauty of the soal and of one’s character. From this praise comes the expression Platonic love – meaning the completely non-sensual love between man and woman. Several philosophers claim that Platon has been wrongly interpreted in this way, and that he only thinks about the need for philosophical comprehension. Today the expression Platonic love is still used in the first interpretation – a nonsensual, more physical love. They live in a Platonic way, as they say.
Place where the pepper grows To be sent to the place where the pepper is growing is a very old expression, which originally comes from France. They had – and still have – an area in the north of South America called Guyane. It has always had a very tough and unpleasant tropical climate, where nobody wanted to go. At the same time a lot of pepper is growing in the area. The name Cheyenne pepper is very well known. During and after the French revolution from 1789 prisoners were sent to Guyane to terrible conditions. So the threat to be sent to the place where the pepper grows comes from that habit. Today the expression is used in an indirect sense. If anybody tells you that he or she wants to send you there it is probably not
Plimsoller This name comes from a British politician Samuel Plimsoll (1824-98). He was fighting very actively against ships, which were not seaworthy (so-called “coffin ships”). They were sailing, often very much overloaded, because the owners wanted them to be wrecked. In this way they could cash in the insurance money. Plimsoll wanted to save British seamen from drowning due to these circumstances. In 1875 he succeeded to have a law about it passed in the British parliament. This law made such ships unlawful. One of the instruments which was introduced was socalled load lines on the outside of any ship, so that you could see, if the the load was heavier than permitted. They are still in use.
In other words: the name a Plimsoller means a ship, which is not seaworthy. It’s a “coffin ship”.
Potëmkin wings This expression comes from Russia in the 18th century. Tsarina Catherine the Great (1729-96) had a governor-general in the south of Russia called Grigorij Potëmkin. He lived in the years 1739-91. He was a dynamic officer, who was very interested in many things, including women (also the tsarina). When he in 1787 had to show Catherine around in his part of the country he contructed a range of artificial villages to give her the best possible impression. All houses looked nice and attractive from the street side. And they were filled with people, who looked very healthy and happy. The Tsarina should get the impression that his region developed very positively under his leadership. But behind the front walls everything was like before: depressing and underdeveloped. When you today talk about Potëmkin Wings you refer to the fact that things are not always as they pretend to be at first sight. The “decorated reality” does not correspond to the real reality.
Q R Red thread You say: A red thread goes through it! This is an expression which comes from the Royal British Navy. For centuries it had a serious problem about its ropes being
stolen. And nobody could trace where it had gone. That is why they started to weave a red thread into all new ropes. This made it much easier to find the thieves and to bring the ropes back to the Navy. This method is still in use. And it has been further refined in the sense that each Navy base has its own colour of the thread. The same method was used by the Danish Navy until 1900. The expression a red thread through something means today that things are coherent.
S Saint Nicolaus December 6 is called NICOLAUS’ DAY. It is named after bishop Nicolaus of Myra. Myra was an ancient city in Greek Anatolya at the south coast of present day Turkey. The small town of Demre can be found at that place today. Nicolaus lived in the 4th century AC. The legend tells many stories about him. One is that he once during a sea voyage in a heavy storm managed to make the waves go quiet and thereby save many seamen in danger. He also did a lot for poor children. And he lived a very active Christian life. He dies around the year 350. And many pilgrims visited his grave afterwards. The town of Demre still has a Christian church with the name of St. Nicolaus Church. It has just been renovated. In the year 1087 people from the city of Bari in the south of Italy decide to find Nicolaus’s grave in Anatolia. They find it and bring his relics with them back to Bari. They are still here. You find them in the St. Nicolaus church in the center of the city. Nicolaus is the patron for children, seamen – and lawyers.
At the same time he is the model for Santa Claus. He is the man who brings presents to the kids – either today at St. Nicolaus’ Day, or at Christmas eve on December 24. The habits are different from country to country. •
Saint Patrick’s Day
The English poet Thomas Carlyle wrote about it in 1831 – inspired by German sources. He presents a long praise of silence and all its virtues. Such as: speech is of time. Silence is of eternity. It seems that the well-known phrase Speech is silver and silence is gold (Sprechen ist Silbern, Schweigen ist Gold) comes from Switzerland.
It is March 17, and it is Ireland’s national day. Why? Because it has its name from the country’s first bishop Saint Patrick, who died 76 years old on that day in 461 AC. He was born in Roman England andcame to Ireland to introduce Christianity. The legend tells that he used the 3-leaved shamrock to explain the holy trinity to the Irish pagans.
In a religious context it is still practiced in a Belgian monastery. New monks are not allowed to say a word the first five years. They are expected to pray and to brew beer (and drink it in between). So it must be quite a challenge to keep totally silent after a couple of mugs of great, strong beer!
This green shamrock is carried by all Irish, in particular on Saint Patrick’s Day. And it is also the reason why Iremand and the Irish often are linked to the colour green.
Sisyphonean labour
The day is celebrated by the Irish all over the world. And it is the only national day in a country outside the US which every year is celebrated by a big reception in the White House in Washington – and with most Irish top politicians as guests of honour. Silence is gold This expression goes all the way back to Ancient Egypt. It later appeared in an English bible from 1382: Silence is maad in heuen (made in heaven).
The expression Silence is gold is often used today to tell talkative people that saying nothing is often preferable to speaking. Whether it helps is another matter
The Greek poet Homer (about 8 centuries BC) tells in the Odyssee about the Greek king Sisyphos. At a certain moment he has to suffer for his many sins, including his frequent excitements. He is, therefore, asked to roll a big stone to the top of a big mountain. Just before the top the stone rolls back each time. So he has to start all over again. That is why the expression Sisyphonean Labour today means very hard and very useless work, which does not give any results. Storm in a tea cup
It is a very old Roman proverb. Cicero (106-43 BC) quoted it in this way: He started a storm in a small spoon! Later the French political philosopher Montesquieu (1689-1755) used the expression Une tempête dans un verre d’eau. Directly translated: A storm in a glass of water. He used it to describe political instability in the mini state San Marino. The expression was in English, of course, made to: a storm in a tea cup. The meaning of this expression was then and also today that something which perhaps gives the impression of being important is in reality of no real importance.
T Trojan horse It comes from ancient Greece. The Greek poet Homer ( 8th century BC) writes in his book The Odyssee about the 10-year Greek siege of Troja in Asia Minor. Then they built a huge horse of wood. A number of Greek soldiers were hiding inside the horse. Then the Trojans were tempted to bring the nice horse inside their city. And during the night the Greek soldiers came out and conquered and ravaged the city of Troja. The expression a Trojan horse is, therefore, since used to describe a special war trick. The same method was used by some prisoners in a German KZ camp to get out of the camp hidden in a big box. The indirect sense of the expression means that you use sneaky, hidden methods to obtain what you want. In the Internet world a Trojan horse is a small programme, which looks useful, but
which in reality risks destroying a lot in your computer. Throw down the gauntlet It comes from the Medieval Ages. In the tournaments of the knights a knight would throw his gauntlet in front of another knight to challenge him in a duel. Before that tradition a gauntlet (a glove) had for centuries been the symbol of a hand – which again was the symbol of a person. Today the expression to throw down the gauntlet still means to challenge somebody. Not in a duel, but in a more peaceful way. The expression is sometimes changed into: to throw the gauntlet into the ring. This is wrong. It should be to throw the towel into the ring. This means to surrender, to give up. So this in a way is the opposite of throwing down the gauntlet. Tycho Brahe Days These are 32 special days throughout the year selected by the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe in the 17th century. He selected them on the basis of his calculations and considered them to be particularly unfortunate. ( Good old nonsense )
U V Valentine’s Day
Most people know that it is February 14. But few are aware that at least three men have contributed to the name. They were all catholic priests and were killed because of their faith. The first Valentinus lived in the 2nd century AC. He was born around 100 AC in the area near the Nile delta and got his education in Alexandria. He became quickly a follower of the Christian Theudes, who had been one of the apotle Paul’s followers. Later he founded a special Christian movement, the Gnosticians, which had great influence in the early Christian church for more than 600 years. It spread out through Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. I was based upon “mystical knowledge” and on “how Chritianity should have been”. Valentinus moved to Rome and was offered to become bishop, but declined. The Catholic church after a while took distance to Valentinus, as he did not follow the official doctrines. Later he moved from Rome to Cyprus. Here he ran into conflicts with the Roman authorities, as he cured the blind daughter of a judge and made to whole family Christians. He was put into prison and beheaded in 160 AC. The second Valentinus is perhaps a legend. The roman emperor Claudius II ( 268-70 ) ordered his soldiers not to marry. Still the priest Valentinus continued to marry them. He was arrested and killed on February 14. The Catholic church made him a saint in 496 AC under the name Saint Valentine. The third Valentinus was bishop in Rhaetius ( present day Tirol in Austria ) and was beheaded around year 470 AC. It is probably the second Valentinus who has given name to the Saint Valentine’s Day tradition, which started in the US.
Lovers Holiday, it is also called. In the US alone more than 200 million Valentine postcards are sent on this day. Some historians think that Valentine’s Day in reality comes from the Roman Lupercalia festival, which took place on February 15 and which should promote fertility. Others say that it is exactly on February 14 that the birds start mating. Everything comes together under the happy name VALENTINE’s DAY and its traditions. Vessel of the Danaids Danaos or Danaus was in Greek mythology the son of a king in Egypt. He had 50 daughters – called the Danaids. They were forced to marry 50 men. But when 49 of then during the wedding night killed their husbands they were afterwards condemned to pour water into a vessel, which had no bottom. And according to the legend they continue to do that all the time until this very day. In other words: this is a work which never ends. So the expression the vessel of the Danaids refers to a task, which is futile and useless, and which never ends. Volapük This is an artificial language created by the catholic German priest Johan Martin Schleyer in 1879. He claimed that God in a dream had asked him to create a new international language. He built his language on words and expressions from English, German and French. And very soon more than a
hundred thousand Volaküpists were supporting the new language. International Volapük congresses were held in 1884 and 1887 (in Germany) and in 1889 (in Paris). The language used at these congresses was German, not Volapük. In 1889 you had 283 Volapük clubs and 25 magazines. And 316 text books existed in 25 languages. Around the turn of the century the language more or less disappeared again. It was too complicated and did not develop. And the rise of the other international artificial language Esperanto was another reason. Though a new and simpler form was created in 1931 it did not change much. And today less than a 100 persons speak Volapük. As an example you can see how the Lord’s Prayer looks like in Volapük: O Fat obas, kel binol in süls! Nem olik pasaludükonöd!
To be sent to the place where the pepper is growing is a very old expression, which originally comes from France. They had – and still have – an area in the north of South America called Guyane. It has always had a very tough and unpleasant tropical climate, where nobody wanted to go. At the same time a lot of pepper is growing in the area. The name Cheyenne pepper is very well known. During and after the French revolution from 1789 prisoners were sent to Guyane to terrible conditions. So the threat to be sent to the place where the pepper grows comes from that habit. Today the expression is used in an indirect sense. If anybody tells you that he or she wants to send you there it is probably not one of your best friends. Or at least not any longer!
Y Z
Regän ola kömonöd! Vil olik jenonöd, äsä in sül, i su tal! Givolös obes adelo bodi aldelik obsik! E pardolös obes döbotis obsik, äsä i obs pardobs utanes, kels edöbons kol obs. E no blufodolös obis, ab livükolös obis de bad!
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W Where the pepper grows…
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