I was on bluesky about to comment on some art someone made and was going to comment it is a diamond in the rough but I did a search to make sure it was rough and not ruff because it is not an expression I use much. When I searched it I found out it meant. “a person who is generally of good character but lacks manners, education, or style; a rough diamond.” I just thought it meant hidden gem. Has anyone else misunderstood the meaning of an expression?
- Didros ( @Didros@beehaw.org ) English7•12 days ago
Almost all idioms we use commonly actually originally meant the opposite. “Blood is thicker than water” is a longer saying about chosen family being the true strongest bond. “Great minds think alike” finishes with but fools seldom differ. A few bad apples, spoil the bunch. “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps” only a fool would try it. It’s the most human thing in the world to twist sayings to mean the opposite.
- Alice ( @Alice@beehaw.org ) English4•10 days ago
Pretty sure the “original” meaning of “blood is thicker than water” came later. There’s a popular bit of misinfo that it’s short for “the blood of the covenant is stronger than the water of the womb” but no one can point to a single historical usage of it.
I prefer the version that doesn’t prioritize family ties, but I don’t think it’s the original.
- IndeterminateName ( @IndeterminateName@beehaw.org ) English2•12 days ago
I like “little things please little minds” which actually finishes with “while greater fools look on” again completely reversing the meaning.
- Lime Buzz (fae/she) ( @SweetCitrusBuzz@beehaw.org ) English2•11 days ago
“Curiosity killed the cat” but satisfaction brought it back.
“Jack of all trades, master of none” but better than a master of one
I have heard of most of them except the great minds think alike one. I wonder if there is a word for idioms that keep their meaning.
- ℕ𝕖𝕞𝕠 ( @Nemo@slrpnk.net ) English3•12 days ago
- ɔiƚoxɘup ( @Quexotic@beehaw.org ) English3•7 days ago
100% thought it was a diamond among common stones. I think that misunderstanding began with the movie Aladdin.
- ErsatzCoalButter ( @ErsatzCoalButter@beehaw.org ) English2•10 days ago
Deal with this all the time. I never trust an archaic term because of how many common archaic terms are like that, or worse, with their implications. And idioms like you are citing are really common. A favorite of mine is counting how many famous idioms are just considered excuses to go to the restroom in the Midwest. See a man about a dog? Poo. Take a constitutional? Poo.
- jay2 ( @jay2@beehaw.org ) English1•7 days ago
Words do evolve and change meaning over time. The Flintstones had a ‘gay old time’ for years. Verizons ‘unlimited internet’ package is not without imposed limits, and the ‘Burger King’ is permitted to make the shittiest burger ever.