|
ESL Forum:
Techniques and methods
in Language Teaching
Games, activities
and teaching ideas
Grammar and
Linguistics
Teaching material
Concerning
worksheets
Concerning
powerpoints
Concerning online
exercises
Make suggestions,
report errors
Ask for help
Message board
|
ESL forum >
Message board > Etymology
Etymology
|
Spagman63
|
Etymology
|
Hi. I would like to start a thread about idioms and phrases specific to certain countries. I would be very happy to have you contribute but I would suggest you use discretion. :) For my first phrase I would like to offer the phrase "bucks". This is a slang term for American dollars. It has its origin in the trading era in the frontier days of America. The term �buck � referred to a "buck skin" from a male deer (buck). Since they didn �t have a standard currency they used the barter/trade system. An item would cost a certain number of "buck skins". We often say, "Can I borrow five bucks?" I also saw a former president had a sign on his desk that said, "The buck stops here." LOL
Does anyone know why English bills are called �quid �? I often heard that while I was living there. I think this will prove to be interesting. Be safe.
|
12 Jun 2009
|
|
|
|
kunter
|
|
You will be pushed to find an accurate answer for that one mate unfortunately. There are many theories floating around but it is hard to verify as this slang term for pound seems to have originated in the 1600s.
The most plausible answer I heard was that �quid� was old slang for a Sovereign coin (fact) which is now the equivalent of a pound in modern money.
So why did they use �quid� as slang for a Sovereign? Apparently it is from the Latin �quid pro quo� meaning �which for what� or �something for something�. |
12 Jun 2009
|
|
|
Spagman63
|
|
Kunter,
�ello mate. LOL Yeah, I was thinking of quid pro quo. :) Thanks for the post. Care to add anything? |
12 Jun 2009
|
|
|
Aimee/S.
|
|
Hi. What do you mean by "specific countries" - English-speaking countries? Idioms in English?
I asked my husband (South African). He gave me the expression "monkey �s wedding". Used in South Africa when the sun shines while it rains! Do you know it? |
12 Jun 2009
|
|
|
|
|
**********
|
"monkey �s wedding" - that �s fun. Here in Portugal, we say that the witches are eating freshmade bread:
A chover
A fazer sol
As bruxas
A comer p�o mole
|
12 Jun 2009
|
|
|
Spagman63
|
I want to know the etymology of the phrase not just the phrase. Why is it said that way? Where did it originate? That sort of thing.
Lin Lin, No, any country can contribute just please explain the history behind the phrase.
Nika,
What does this mean? witches are eating freshmade bread. You didnt explain the etymology.
|
12 Jun 2009
|
|
|
