Fun with Idioms: Poles Apart

What it sounds like: Two separate poles that have been placed far away from one another.

What it means in conversation: To be completely different; in opposition or disagreement.


If you think of the idiom in terms of geography, it makes perfect sense. The North Pole and the South Pole are exactly opposite one another. There is no way to be further apart than those two geographic locations. Applied figuratively, if two people are in complete and total disagreement they are as far apart as possible, just like the North and South Poles. As in many parts of the English language, we’ve become lazy and dropped the directional indicators so that we just say “poles” and expect everyone to understand that North and South are implied.

Fun with Idioms: Lame Duck

with Idioms: Lame Duck

What it sounds like: A duck that's been wounded.

What it means in conversation: An elected public official who has been either defeated in a new election or whose term cannot be renewed, but who has a short period of time left in office during which he can still perform certain duties, though with somewhat diminished powers.

The United States recently had a lame duck session in congress and the senate between the elections and the swearing in process. Since the elections are in November, the officials who are being replaced still have to serve out their terms until January.

Lame duck sessions can be interesting because the officials who are leaving office at the end of the term don't have to worry about their re-election chances. Since they know they will be out of office, they can do things they wouldn't have done before. If there is going to be a sizable shift from one party to the other in January, the party that is losing the majority may try to push through as much legislation as possible before they have to leave office.

Fun with Idioms: Pin Down

When someone says they have you pinned down, it doesn't usually mean that they are sitting on top of you. It's not often that they are discussing the act of driving a large pin through you, either.

Pinning someone down means that you are forcing them to admit the truth. You pin someone down when you want to get to the fundamental reason or fact about something that you feel is important.

You can also pin down a concept or idea by working until you get to the fundamental explanation of the concept.

The phrase pin down originated as you would expect, from seamstresses and tailors who use pins to hold their work steady. They could pin down the fabric so that it would hold its shape before any actual sewing took place.

Tip of the week

Here is another visualization exercise.

My recommendation is you take advantage of it when you are not driving smile. We would prefer you keep your attention where it needs to be - on the road and the drivers around you.

But on a day when you are not driving and before you leave, visualize the route you will take. Consider as many details as you can. While en route, notice how many of the details you recalled, or forgot. Why did you miss them? Are you using your peripheral vision when doing in tasks that require concentration? Are you letting your background processing notice things even while your mind is engaged?

Peripheral vision and awareness of visual back ground cues are important in a visual language such as ASL. They add color, texture and dimension to our story telling techniques. We will always identify ourselves as less than fluent as long as we leave out these details. Remember, storytelling is the consultative register for native ASL users. Details mean everything.

Fun with Idioms: Halcyon Days

I thought I would pull out a golden oldie. When I was in High School, I had a teacher who loved this idiom. She used it to refer to summer vacation, Christmas break, or any opportunity to be away from the day to day grind and off enjoying some rest and relaxation.

According to Greek mythology, Halcyon was the daughter of the Ruler of the Wind. She married King Ceyx of Tachis. By all accounts, it was a true love match. Her husband was a sea-farer and as happens to sailors, he lost his life during a storm. Halcyon learned of his death through a dream, and cast herself upon the waves. In mercy, the gods turned her and her resurrected husband into kingfishers.
A kingfisher as spoken of in the Halcyon myth

A kingfisher.

Great story, right? Well, it does not end there. Zeus was a bit of a jerk. I cannot find what Halcyon and Ceyx did to irritate him, but the King of the Gods would only allow Halcyon to lay her eggs in winter and on the water near the shore where she found her husband's body. After losing several nestings and crying piteously, Zeus relented and asked Poseidon, the God of the Sea, to calm the waves for her. Thus, for a week to tend days every January, the seas calm and the kingfisher's eggs hatch. These days are still celebrated in Greece as "Alkionides Meres" - Halcyon days.

Although not as common as in the past, it is still a phrase one can use to remind others of restful and tranquil times to come, or of the past.

During snow storms where people are housebound for six to ten days, maybe it is a good time for a reminder.

New tip of the week

We have been home all week with an enforced staycation due to heavy snows in our area. The time off has reminded me of a tip that is easy to overlook.

Make the time to read. Read anything and everything you can tolerate.

There is an enormous amount of vocabulary available to one who reads. Novels can be the source of colloquialisms and new slang.

Non-fiction may provide register hints and vocabulary choices not used in every-day language.

Biographies provide insights into historical persons and events that can be the schema for a multitude of scenarios.

Even comic books, romance novels and adult literature will allow one to understand the interests of the people one interprets for.

As for me and my house - we are science fiction and horror addicts. You would be surprised at the number of physics classes now teaching theories I first learned in a science fiction novel. And horror novels can be great fodder for psychology, biology and anatomy classes.

May your days be filled with great stories.

Stay warm!

New tip of the week

One thing I have noticed about interpreting is we all take it rather seriously. Now I get - its a business and we influence people's lives so it must be taken seriously.

But it is also a language, and the best language learners are kids at least in part because they play with the languages they learn. I remember when the kids were little and at the pre-reading stage. They recognized landmarks like the "golden arches" and knew it was McDonald's. Then they would make up words that rhymed with McDonald's. Sometimes they were so silly the back seat would erupt with giggles. They were learning the rules of words.

In the same way, we need to update our language use on occasion by finding fun ways to learn new things. One that I came across yesterday is actually a memory game. I have always been a fan of "concentration" ever since I saw it on television. I loved trying to remember where the prizes were shown to match them up and then guess the picture underneath. Amazon has just such a game available in software form using ASL signs and meanings.

A website called "playkidsgames.com" has a cute memory game like concentration. Called "Musical Memory Turtle", players watch as the shell of the turtle lights up and plays music. Then the player has to remember the order exactly to advance the turtle in his "race." The easy and not so easy versions are really fun. The difficult level reminds me I am not as good at this as I used to be.

These are just two suggestions for ways to bring fun back into your learning process. You will enjoy the lessons, let off a little steam - and you just might remember something.

Have fun!