Wednesday, March 01, 2006

chewing the fat and bleeding like a stuck pig

I like this funky little site called Origins of Phrases.

Because our language is weird.

Did you know the origin of this phrase? Sometimes it seems like there's a lot of stuff I don't know but should.

The writing is on the wall
Meaning: One can see the inevitable result of circumstances.
Example: We are having a downsizing and the writing is on the wall: we'll all be cut loose.
Origin: From the Book of Daniel in the Bible's Old Testament. Belshazzar, the king of Isreal, had stolen from the temple in Jerusalem. At a party where wine was being consumed, the fingers of a man's hand appeared and wrote on the wall.

The interpretation of the writing was that the King's days were numbered. He had been weighed on the scales and found deficient and his kingdom was divided and given to the Medes and Persians. That same night, Belshazzar was killed.

1 Comments:

At 3:03 PM, Blogger Butch said...

"mene mene tekel ufarsin" are the words. you have been weighed and found wanting

 

Post a Comment

<< Home