Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

 About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

You are not logged in. [Log In] Wordsmith.org » Forums » General Topics » Miscellany » Etymology
Register User    Forum List        Calendar     Active Topics     Search     FAQ
Topic Options
#2848 - 05/22/00 05:53 AM Etymology
Sushmita Offline
stranger

Registered: 05/22/00
Posts: 2
Loc: New Delhi, India
Does anyone know the origin of the phrase "Teach my grandmother to suck eggs" ? It's such an amusing phrase, but where did it come from ?

Sush
_________________________
Sush

Top
#2849 - 05/22/00 12:54 PM Re: Etymology
AnnaStrophic Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 03/15/00
Posts: 6511
Loc: lower upstate New York
I would love to know where this phrase originated, too! It also occurs in Brazilian Portuguese: vá ensinar tua vovô a chupar ovos. ("Go teach your grandmother to suck eggs") ... I was never quite sure what it meant, but I guess it's equivalent to "go fly a kite."



Top
#2850 - 05/22/00 01:23 PM Re: Etymology
tsuwm Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 04/03/00
Posts: 10463
Loc: this too shall pass
according to Quinion [see link], it's from an 18th century translation of a Spanish playwright; he also includes this verse to demonstrate the meaning:


Teach not thy parent's mother to extract
The embryo juices of the bird by suction.
The good old lady can that feat enact,
Quite irrespective of your kind instruction.


http://www.quinion.com/words/qa/qa-tea1.htm

http://members.aol.com/tsuwm

Top
#2851 - 05/22/00 02:30 PM Re: Etymology
Jackie Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 03/15/00
Posts: 11578
Loc: Louisville, Kentucky
OH! OH! OH!
I bow, and kowtow, to the new enthusiast!
Congratulations!! You are Supreme in my book!
I visited the link--thank you.


Top
#2852 - 05/22/00 03:13 PM Re: Etymology
David108 Offline
member

Registered: 05/09/00
Posts: 112
Loc: Auckland, New Zealand
in tones of great awe

Thank you for that, tswum. I have added the link to my bookmarks, and will certainly use it. How do you find these things?


Top
#2853 - 05/22/00 03:25 PM Re: Etymology
AnnaStrophic Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 03/15/00
Posts: 6511
Loc: lower upstate New York
(adding my voiced to the awed)

That's great stuff, enthusiast tsuwm. I am humbled before your astonishing research talent. Thanks for this and other links. :-)


Top
#2854 - 05/23/00 09:22 AM to my truckling claque...
tsuwm Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 04/03/00
Posts: 10463
Loc: this too shall pass
[pleonasm can be fun!]

research for my own modest word page has led me to discover (1) all of the good word sites in the known English-speaking universe [hyperbole] and (2) several useful tricks for taming the available search engines.

for instance, try this at http://google.com

enter the following search string as shown:

grandmother "suck eggs"

and there, right at the top, you should see the hit for Quinion, with whom I was already quite familiar and on which I leaped forthwith. this stuff really ain't rocket science!

"What's another word for Thesaurus?" -Steven Wright

Top


Moderator:  Jackie 
Forum Stats
8423 Members
16 Forums
13686 Topics
209740 Posts

Max Online: 3341 @ 12/09/11 02:15 PM
Newest Members
teepee, smoothcriminal86, janbra, junebug, Stephen A
8423 Registered Users
Who's Online
0 registered (), 30 Guests and 3 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters (30 Days)
LukeJavan8 86
jenny jenny 68
wofahulicodoc 52
endymion6 45
BranShea 35
Rhubarb Commando 29
Buffalo Shrdlu 19
zmjezhd 16
Jackie 16
Faldage 14
May
Su M Tu W Th F Sa
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31
Board Rules · Mark all read
Contact Us · Wordsmith.org · Top

Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 2013 Wordsmith