Anatomy of Phrases
"You may choose your word like a connoisseur,
And polish it up with art,
But the word that sways, and stirs, and stays,
Is the word that comes from the heart." Ella wheeler cox
Ever wondered how our anatomy is used in the language to describe a person?
The beggar groveled before the hard hearted old man in the car. Her pathetic pleas fell on his deaf ears as he opened the newspaper to read; turning a blind eye to an accident on the road. She turned away and in a fit of anger spat out all the vituperative words she knew.
“Most foul-mouthed woman.” The old man commented.
Vignesh had butterflies in his stomach and spiders crawling up his spine facing the old man for his nth job interview.
He remained tongue-tied at the barrage of questions directed at him.
“You would make the ideal observer, young man.” Commented the old man acidly giving Vignesh a back handed compliment.
Stepping out in the sunshine of Mumbai afternoon, Vignesh went to his bosom pal’s dancing school. A bit of dancing cheered him up.
“Vignesh you have two left-feet.”
As Vignesh continued to stumble and fall on his dancing partner.
“And you Samarjeet are tone deaf.”
Vignesh proceeded to belt out the latest film song opening his mouth wide.
Samarjeet began to feel that his friend had perhaps turned soft-in-the head giving so many interviews. He hurriedly left the dance hall running into Lisa the girl who had her nose-in-the-air.
“Sorry, he gasped trying to untangle himself. It’s that friend of mine. In fact a bum-chum. He can’t sing and insisted on caterwauling. I was running to save my life.”
She ignored him and dismissed him as if he were an annoying fly.
“Ah Samar what are you doing on the floor? Trying out some new dance step?” Neha extended a helping hand to her young friend.
“Thanks. You have always bailed me out from trouble. What’s wrong with Lisa? She was in college with me but she never acknowledges my presence?” Samarjeet was clearly upset.
“Oh Lisa she has been preoccupied lately. Her nose is always in the grinding stone yet she never manages to complete her projects.” Neha added seriously.
“Unlike you who has her ears on the ground and gets the out of turn promotion.”
“Samar you do manage to put yourfoot in your mouth, don’t you?” Neha was upset.
Written by Chandra Ghosh Jain © 24.5.07 Jaipur
Some more..
Blue-eyed boy, Green-thumbs,
Some in Hindi
Kaan-ki-kacchi, Aankhon-ka-taara, Naakon-tale-ungli-chabana
