14-06-2020, 06:50 PM
1
Idioms
This morning in a Poetry discussion I used the idiom 'learn by heart'. Later someone else used 'off by heart'. Well ... draped elegantly on the sofa, glass of wine in hand, doing a lot of nothing - I began to ponder - why 'heart'? Had to go and look it up and - guess what - according to Bloomsbury International - it's all due to those Ancient Greeks again.Origin
It may seem strange that this phrase credits the ability to remember to the heart instead of to the brain. However, it all goes back to the Ancient Greeks – they believed that the heart was the home of not only emotion, but also of intelligence and memory. This belief was passed on for centuries and led to the creation of the idiom “to learn something by heart” which was commonly used by the 1300s, when the English writer Chaucer recorded the phrase in his play Troilus and Cressida.
14-06-2020, 06:56 PM
2
Re: Idioms
Originally Posted by Silver Tabby
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This morning in a Poetry discussion I used the idiom 'learn by heart'. Later someone else used 'off by heart'. Well ... draped elegantly on the sofa, glass of wine in hand, doing a lot of nothing - I began to ponder - why 'heart'? Had to go and look it up and - guess what - according to Bloomsbury International - it's all due to those Ancient Greeks again.Do we all feel better for knowing that? Good - I'll go back to the wine!
Just a minor point, Chaucer's work was Troilus and Criseyde, Troilus and Cressida was by Will Shakespeare.
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14-06-2020, 08:26 PM
4
Re: Idioms
Originally Posted by Judd
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<pedant>Just a minor point, Chaucer's work was Troilus and Criseyde, Troilus and Cressida was by Will Shakespeare.
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I only copied and pasted what Bloomsbury published - but I know you are right!.
14-06-2020, 08:27 PM
5
Re: Idioms
Originally Posted by d00d
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Chaucer, Shakespeare, Ancient Greeks or Latinos ... It's always good to reflect upon the things we say.
14-06-2020, 09:00 PM
6
Re: Idioms
Originally Posted by Silver Tabby
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I love words and find 'origins' of things fascinating!
If not l think you would like it??
Donkeyman! 👍😁👍
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