Oh the... Place Name Idioms
- The Logophile
- Sep 3, 2017
- 3 min read
Updated: May 16, 2018
As a lover of the English language, one cannot help but enjoy the abundance of idiomatic expressions in existence. We hear them in day-to-day speech, but many place name idioms have fallen out of favour. Some are still banded about, and I have put together a list of common and less frequently used idioms referring to place names.
Fiddling while Rome burns
_______________________________________________________________________
To neglect priorities and occupy oneself with unimportant issues during a crisis
Origin:
Rumour has it that during the Great Fire of Rome in A.D. 64, Emperor Nero sat playing the fiddle - otherwise known as the violin.
One flaw in this story is that the fiddle did not exist in ancient Rome: it came into existence in the 11th century.
The second flaw is that Nero was said to have been over 30 miles away from Rome at the time of the fire, in his villa in Antium. Despite providing relief measures on his return, people believe he started the fire to clear the land to build his Golden Palace.
Dunkirk spirit
_______________________________________________________________________
A group of people showing stoicism and tenacity in a difficult and perilous situation
Origin:
During World War Two, soldiers sailed together in rough seas in small boats, from England to Dunkirk (on the French coast). The mission was to rescue German soldiers.
Timbuktu
_______________________________________________________________________
Shorthand for any place faraway. E.g. "From here to Timbuktu"
Origin:
Timbuktu is a city in Northern Mali, but has come to represent the most distant place imaginable.
The story goes that Timbuktu was a haven for salt and gold: two of the things the world wanted. It is said that Timbuktu became a city of imagination, where Muslims felt comfortable to trade, Europeans wanted to travel, and immigrants wanted to settle. It was a remote and inaccessible part Africa, thus competition was created as to who could reach there first and survive to tell the tale.
Rome wasn't built in a day
_______________________________________________________________________
Great works require time and patience
Origin:
Ancient Rome is a magnificent masterpiece. However, the building of it was not done overnight. It took years of hard-work, effort, and patience.
New York minute
_______________________________________________________________________
An extremely short period of time
Origin:
New York City is characterised by its fast-paced, to-the-heel life-style. It is often described as the city of rush and hurry, thus, if something were to happen in a New York minute it will happen ceaselessly.
Crossing the Rubicon
_______________________________________________________________________
To cross the point of no return
Origin:
The Rubicon is a stream in Italy, which once marked the boundary Italy and Cisalpine Gaul. In 49 B.C., Julius Caesar led his army across the stream. This broke the law forbidding a general to lead his army out of his province. In crossing the Rubicon, Caesar has crossed the point of no return - declaring war against the Senate and Pompei.
All roads lead to Rome
_______________________________________________________________________
The same outcome can be reached by using various methods
Origin:
The road system of the Ancient Roman Empire was such that Rome was positioned centrally, with all roads attached to it.
Another explanation is that all secondary cities were connected to Rome, but the cities themselves were not connected to each other. This was done to make it harder for an uprising against Rome to take place.
Road to Damascus
_______________________________________________________________________
A moment of insight which leads to a dramatic transformation in attitude or belief
Origin:
In the Book of Acts in the New Testament, Saint Paul (then named Saul) travels to Damascus (the Syrian capital) in order to persecute Christians. On his journey to Damascus, he has a dramatic encounter with Christianity and converts.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do
_______________________________________________________________________
When in a foreign land, follow the customs of those living there
Origin:
In 387 A.D. Saint Augustine took up his role as a professor in Milan. He noticed that the Church did not fast on Saturdays, as was the custom in Rome.
Saint Augustine sought the advice of Saint Ambrose (the Bishop of Milan) who told him "When I am in Rome, I fast on Saturdays, when I am Milan, I do not. Follow the custom of the Church where you are."
Saint Ambrose's remark was edited through the years, until it remained as "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
Meet your Waterloo
_______________________________________________________________________
To be defeated/meet one's death
Origin:
In Beligum on 18th June 1815, the Battle of Waterloo was fought. The Duke of Wellington's forces finally defeated Napoleon Bonepart, thus "Waterloo" has become synonymous with anything difficult to master.
Villainous, abhorrent, criminal
Commentaires