![]() ![]() ![]() ‘Bite the bullet’ remains a popular phrase and is now used in a broader range of circumstances than its archaic origins. bite the bullet – but which may be a more unusual or unlikely circumstance today. Often, idioms originate from an original, literal phrase related to a common circumstance – e.g. Some idioms remain close to the literal meaning of the phrase, but become a commonly used expression in a certain circumstance. An idiom’s meaning is not necessarily linked to the words contained in the phrase, but rather, due to its common use over time, has taken on its own meaning as a stand-alone phrase. Īdvanced answer: An idiom is a phrase or expression using figurative language. the literal meaning of the words in the phrase is not the same as the phrase as a whole. The grease used was either lard (pig’s fat) or tallow (beef fat), both anathema of course to Muslims and Hindus.Simple answer: What is an idiom? An idiom is a phrase or expression where the meaning of the phrase is not apparent from the words in the phrase. The barrel of this new weapon was rifled, and the cartridges needed to be greased so that the charge could be rammed home more easily. The military practice of biting the bullet sparked off the Indian Mutiny of 1857 when both Muslim and Hindu sepoys refused to bite the new cartridges issued for the 1853 Enfield rifle. In military circles, the expression may have acquired a more figurative meaning before the OED’s citation of Kipling's usage in 1891. Biting the bullet, therefore, originally meant no more than getting ready for action, often unpleasant, but always necessary for a soldier. It seems a long tedious process but a well-trained soldier could get off three, sometimes four, rounds a minute. The musketeer would then add the musket ball, either spitting or placing it into the muzzle before ramming everything home with the ramrod. The 'musketeer' would bite off the bullet with his teeth and, keeping the musket ball in his mouth, would put the rest of the cartridge down the muzzle. It comprised the musket ball and the black powder charge wrapped in strong cartridge paper, from where the expression 'cartridge paper' is derived. The cartridge bullet was introduced in 1586. There is little doubt that the original, literal expression is military language from the late 16th century. The OED opts out of the issue of origin and deals only with the current figurative meaning of the expression, which it attributes to Rudyard Kipling’s 1891 novel 'The Light that Failed'. Chew on this musket ball (which one is more than likely to swallow) while I hack your leg off.” This is improbable when a piece of wood or a leather strap to bite on would be much more sensible. This would have been a musket ball because metal cartridge bullets had not been invented then. The most commonly encountered origin is that wounded soldiers during the 18th/early 19th centuries were given a bullet to bite on while they underwent painful battlefield surgery. The meaning of the expression is not the problem but the origin certainly is. ![]() ![]() This expression means to steel oneself to perform or finish a task, often unpleasant, that one may have been avoiding or putting off and this figurative meaning dates from the 19th century. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |