Miriam
Eating crow - delicious!
Today I came across the idiom "eating crow": <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eating_crow" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eating_crow</a>;. I'm watching the TV series "Designated survivor" and there the wife of the US president had to walk back a remark she made about gun control. And she said something like "I have to eat crow, while everyone else eats breakfast." Another way of saying it would be "eat humble pie". What I found intriguing is, that the etymology seems to go back to the idea that eating actual crows must be disgusting as crows are scavengers. But infact I found crow recipes online (in German and English) and crows seem to be quite tasty. Seems that South Australians aren't the only croweaters. ;)
Do you know similar idioms in your native or target language?
22 avr. 2020 20:19
Commentaires · 6
2
Thanks for all the interesting and insightful comments!
@Ryan
<em> "Eating crow" is a bit harsh and usually directed from someone else, although your TV show didn't seem to do that. </em>
Ah, the situation was quite humiliating, so a harsh expression fits well. Thanks for this Japanese idiom!
@Elizabeth
Thanks for this reference to a song. So there is indeed some humble connection between black birds and pie.
@Dan
You're right! It never occurred to me that "raven" has a better image than "crow" but it has indeed a better ring to it. Imagine in Game of Thrones, what if they had sent crows instead of ravens... Thanks for quoting Poe.
@ Richard
Thanks for all these interesting idioms. Well, so you can't unscramble an egg but can put your foot in your mouth.
23 avril 2020
2
There is a Spanish expression used in some Spanish speaking countries that says "retroceder en chancletas" or "retroceder en ojotas" that I think has a very similar meaning.
I would translate it as walking backward in Flip Flops, something that is very difficult, can be risky and humiliating if you fell. The expression is used when someone needs to withdraw an argument from a conversation because it proved to be wrong.
22 avril 2020
2
This discussion reminded me of the nursery rhyme "Sing a Song of Sixpence", copied below
"Sing a song of sixpence, a pocketful of rye, four and 20 blackbirds baked in a pie. When the pie was opened, the birds began to sing. Now wasn't that a dainty dish to set before a king? The king was in his counting house counting out his money; the queen was in the parlor eating bread and honey. The maid was in the garden hanging out the clothes when along came a blackbird and it nipped off her nose.'"
Humble pies full of crow, and blackbird pies fit for a king! :)
22 avril 2020
2
That's interesting insight. I have never compared "eating humble pie" to "eating crow", but I can see where you would make the comparison. I know that during the 1920 depression in America I have read stories where people would make pie from bird meat that they would hunt. So there is a good chance that humble pies were full of crow. As a point of order, I would say that "humble pie" is more of a personal acceptance of a situation where someone has learned a lesson. "Eating crow" is a bit harsh and usually directed from someone else, although your TV show didn't seem to do that.
The idiom in Japanese is to "save face" or "menboku wo tamochimasu". The translation save face does not work great with the etimology of the characters for me and I think they're mainly saying that they should protect their reputation or perception of their reputation.
I'm not so sure about Japanese proverbs with crow.
22 avril 2020
1
The idiom "eating crow" has a few very similar idioms.
**********************************************************************
People often say things that they later regret saying.
We've all said something and then wished we had not said it.
"to put one's foot in one's mouth" means to say something by accident that embarrasses or upsets someone:
- I really put my foot in my mouth with Eva. I asked her how her husband was. I had no idea she was divorced.
So... after we've put our foot in our mouth, we are usually very sorry that we said something that we should not have said. That's when we need to say something to try to make the situation better.
"Closing the barn door after the horse has run away/bolted" is doing something too late.
"Take back something one said"... to retract or rescind something one has said.
- If you don't take that back, I'm telling Mom!
- The senator quickly took back his statement, claiming he had gotten confused on the issue.
- I said she lied, but she didn't lie, so I had to take back what I said.
"You can't unring a bell"
"You can't unscramble an egg"
- You said what you said, and now it is too late to take it back.
"eat your/one's words"... to admit that you've said something wrong. To retract, regret, or feel foolish about what one has previously said.
- You think I can't get an A in this class, but I'll make you eat your words when we get our report cards!
- After I said the team would have a bad season, I certainly ate my words when the team started out undefeated.
23 avril 2020
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Miriam
Compétences linguistiques
Chinois (mandarin), Finnois, Français, Allemand
Langue étudiée
Chinois (mandarin), Finnois
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