• There seems to be an uptick in Political comments in recent months. Those of us who are long time members of the site know that Political and Religious content has been banned for years. Nothing has changed. Please leave all political and religious comments out of the forums.

    If you recently joined the forums you were not presented with this restriction in the terms of service. This was due to a conversion error when we went from vBulletin to Xenforo. We have updated our terms of service to reflect these corrections.

    Please note any post refering to a politician will be considered political even if it is intended to be humor. Our experience is these topics have a way of dividing the forums and causing deep resentment among members. It is a poison to the community. We appreciate compliance with the rules.

    The Staff of SOH

  • Server side Maintenance is done. We still have an update to the forum software to run but that one will have to wait for a better time.

OT: Metaphorical use of shoes in English adages?

Jesper

Jesper

Members +
Hi

This is very much off topic. But you gentlemen have the English vocabulary in your powers, so I thought that this is the place ;)

What is it with the metaphorical use of shoes in English adages? I do see these adages on a regular basis in the books I read:

Living on a shoe string (I take that as someone living on a minimum of supplies?)

At the drop of a shoe (Something that happens fast/all of sudden/abruptly?)

Waiting for the shoe to drop (Something like waiting for the s*** to hit the fan?)

For what reasons is the shoe used that 'often'? Do any of you know the stories behind?

Kind Regards

Jesper
 
'Gentlemen' ? Flattery will get you anywhere, Jesper.

Always been fascinated by language, particularly our own ( we are blessed with the richest language in the world, but don't tell the French)

I find some of your examples a bit odd - 'at the drop of a shoe' -surely it is normally 'hat' ??? And 'waiting for the shoe to drop' - I think I wait for a penny to drop. (Most Scotsmen would)

English has absorbed words and phrases from all human activities - don't think shoes are any more special than any other clothing....

I wouldn't bet on it anyway - you may lose your shoe... :icon_lol:
 
lefty said:
'Gentlemen' ? Flattery will get you anywhere, Jesper .
. . . . .
Click to expand...
I know, I'm married ;)

Nah, coming here - I imagine - is like entering a club with peace, quiet and courteous speech. :)

I like the English language - and languages in general - very much too.

I even experiment a little with French when on our camping trips to southern France. The French people I have met are happy to help an Absolute Beginner that batter their beautiful language almost to beyond recognition. No high-hatted attitudes were we come to visit. (Or maybe they just want to get me kicked out so they don't have to listen to me any more ;) Who knows? :)

To re-enter the subject, I think I read the 'shoe-thing' in books by American authors. Could the hat had become a shoe during the journey across the pond?
 
Next time I boot up my computer you can pump me for information,as, being retired, I am now a loafer, you see.
That's if I'm not getting wellied (one for the Brits) at my local, with all those other heels and their thick Scottish brogues. But I can only afford so much, being on my uppers, with all those laced drinks. (At least I get a kick out of them).
I'll come back then and continue to clog the forum up with waffle like this !
yours insole,
the Winklepicker.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top