Tossed-around antiquities

We still quote Greek mythology every day, sometimes without having a clue

Image: Chelsea Scott

We’ve already explored English words inspired by movies, or derived from the works of popular authors. But have you ever noticed how many everyday words go back to Greek mythology? Sure, we have the more obvious ones—like "narcissist" or "nemesis"—but you might find in this list terms that you didn’t know were so old. Read on!

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Remember the story of Tantalus? He was a king who tried to fool the gods and make them eat his son. Never a good idea! As punishment, he was condemned to eternal hunger and thirst, forever surrounded by water he couldn’t drink and fruit he could not reach.

Thus the verb and adjective "tantalizing" were born to describe situations where something is temptingly close, but frustratingly out of reach.

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We all have a weak spot, and that’s what we refer to when discussing an "Achilles heel." But why? As myth has it, Achilles, the greatest Greek warrior, became invincible after his mother dipped him in the River Styx as a baby.

However, his heel wasn’t submerged during this process. That became the only spot through which he could be wounded. And, of course, that was exactly where Paris shot him with an arrow after his victories in the Trojan War—leading to his death.

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The moral of King Midas’s fable is: be careful what you wish for! This mythical king asked the god Dionysus to grant him the power to turn everything he touched into gold. It worked out well for him until he held his loved ones and transformed them into golden statues.

The term "Midas touch" usually has positive connotations, though. We use it to refer to a person whose efforts are frequently successful—not someone who jinxes each of them!

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Pandora was the first human woman according to Greek mythology. One day she was set to watch a jar—not a box—her husband owned, which she was instructed to never open. But eventually, curiosity won over her.

When she opened it, out flew all the evils of the world. Today, the mistranslated expression "Pandora’s box" refers to any process that, once set in motion, leads to a chain of disasters.

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In Greek mythology, delivering justice was the job of Nemesis. The goddess of retribution, she made sure that those who committed hubris (excessive pride) or wrongdoing were punished.

Today’s meaning of the noun derives from that. "Nemesis" first referred to that fatal flaw that might destroy one, which then evolved to be used about an opponent or rival who seems unbeatable and who might cause someone's downfall.

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Before referring to a sonorous effect, this word was the name of a nymph. This chatty young creature was cursed by an irritated Hera to only repeat the last words spoken to her—a curse that obviously worked disasters for her relationships.

She faded away until only her voice remained. Her story was used to explain the physical phenomenon of sound being repeated, but also to describe any repetition or imitation.

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In Greek mythology, the Muses were nine goddesses who presided over the arts and sciences, inspiring creativity in mortals. From epic poetry to music and dance, these ladies were the ultimate source of artistic ideation.

Today, "muse" refers to anyone or anything that sparks the same spirit. It could be a loved one, a beautiful landscape, or even a really good cup of coffee.

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"Fury" was never linked to any peaceful or amiable personality—not even in Greek antiquity. Erinyes or Eumenides were raging, vengeful deities who punished criminals. In Roman mythology, these were translated as the Dirae or the Furiae.

The English language adopted these concepts from Latin, and transformed them into "dire" and "fury."

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This word comes from the story of Theseus, the first person to escape the Minotaur’s labyrinth alive. Young Ariadna helped Theseus find his way out by following a ball of thread (a "clew" in Old English).

Thus the concept of "clue" came to mean anything that helps us solve a problem or mystery.

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Millennia before being a character in the blockbuster The Matrix, Morpheus was the name of the god of dreams. He was often depicted with poppies, the source of opium.

In the 19th century, a pharmacist studying the painkilling effects of opium derivates decided to give this substance the name "morphium," in honor of the mythical Greek figure.

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We are not here referring to the tragically sunken ship—although that one derives from this term. "Titanic" is an adjective that describes something enormous and powerful, such as the majestic ship at its time.

The term alludes to the Titans, enormous primordial gods who preceded the Greek Olympians and had enough power to upturn the Earth.

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Finally, a word that gets tossed around very liberally these days: Narcissist! Most of us know the myth of Narcissus, the handsome lad who fell in love with his own reflection and drowned as a consequence.

Countless authors throughout history used "Narcissus" in the same texts as "self-love," from Shakespeare to Byron to Baudelaire. Later, many theorists assigned varying meanings to "narcissism," ranging from healthy to disproportionate obsession with the self.

SAYING THE SAME THING

These 10 American Idioms Have Their Foreign Counterparts

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No matter where we come from or what language we speak, we all have things in common. You might be surprised to know that, in different parts of the world, people often express the same ideas in very similar ways, even if they're using different languages. Idioms such as "Like father, like son" have a couple of creative versions in other languages, such as the one that translates to "A fish's young knows how to swim." If you want to know more, join us to discover the foreign counterparts of these 10 everyday American idioms!

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When you're faced with a situation where you have to take what is available without being able to choose, you can say: "Beggars can't be choosers." This idiom invites us to appreciate opportunities, especially those offered to us by others.

We can find the same idea in the German expression In der Not frisst der Teufel fliegen ("In times of need, the devil eats flies"). With their characteristic creativity, the French say Faute de grives, on mange des merles ("When there's a lack of thrushes, one eats blackbirds.") And there's a similar idiom in Spanish, too: A caballo regalado no se le miran los dientes (One shouldn't look at a gifted horse's teeth.) The latter comes from the tradition of inspecting a horse's teeth to determine its age and health. Pretty witty, right?

Image: Isabel Vittrup-Pallier

Our experiences shape us, that's why the idiom "Once bitten, twice shy" is so right. It means that someone who's been hurt or had an unpleasant experience will be more cautious the next time, trying to avoid similar situations.

Other languages express the same idea with idioms like the Danish Brændt barn skyr ilden ("A burned child avoids fire") or French Chat échaudé craint l'eau froide ("Scalded cat fears cold water").

In Portuguese, people say Cão picado por cobra, tem tem medo de linguiça ("A dog that has been bitten by a snake fears sausages"). And in Spanish, you can say El que se quema con leche, ve una vaca y llora ("Whoever gets burned by milk cries when they see a cow.")

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You've probably heard a wise friend saying, "A bird in the hand is better than two in the bush." This idiom reminds us to appreciate and value what we have.

Like us, other cultures also use birds to communicate this same idea. For example, in Spanish, they say Más vale pájaro en mano que cien volando ("Better a bird in the hand than a hundred flying"). Germans use specific species of birds, saying Lieber den Spatz in der Hand als die Taube auf dem Dach ("Better a sparrow in your hand than a dove on the roof").

Other examples include Russian Лучше синица в в руке, чем журавль в небе ("Better a bird in your hand than a crane in the sky"), and Hungarian Jobb ma egy veréb, mint holnap egy túzok ("It is better a sparrow today than a bustard tomorrow.") What about you? How many birds do you have in your hands?

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In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Marcellus says, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark," after seeing the ghost of King Hamlet. With that phrase, the character shows his suspicion that there is corruption within the Danish court.

Thus, in English, we use this phrase to point out when something appears suspicious or dishonest, implying that there might be hidden issues. Hungarian has a similar version: Valami bűzlik Dániában ("Something stinks in Denmark"). However, other languages have their own phrases to express the same. If you travel to Finland, you can say Kauppaan on koira haudattuna (There is a dog buried in the affair). Spanish speakers say Hay gato encerrado (There is a hidden/enclosed cat.)

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When you solve something quickly and effortlessly, you say it is "A piece of cake." While the origins of this idiom are not entirely clear, it is thought to have emerged in the early 20th century, related to the exact experience of eating a piece of cake: easy, quick, and even enjoyable. In Polish, the expression is very similar, but they use another recipe. They say Bułka z masłem ("Bread roll with butter.")

But if you translate the phrase literally into another language, it can sound a bit weird. If you want to say that something is easy or simple in Russian, you can say И ежу понятно ("It would be understandable to a hedgehog.") With a more powerful phrase, in Slovakia, they say ľahké ako facka ("As easy as a slap.") And the French say Simple comme bonjour ("As easy as hello.")

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This idiom explains that incompetent people will often blame their failures on the environment, other people, or circumstances, but won't assume their fault.

In Bulgarian, they say На крива ракета космосът й пречи ("For a crooked rocket, the space gets in the way"). There's an idiom in German that reflects the same idea: Wenn der Bauer nicht schwimmen kann, liegt es an der Badehose ("If the farmer can't swim, it's due to his swimsuit").

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We're sure no one's ever really tried to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse, but that's the point of the idiom! The exaggeration emphasizes that you can't easily transform something of low value or poor quality into something refined and elegant. It's a way of saying that essential features or characteristics can't be changed quickly.

Other languages have their own ways of expressing the same idea, and some even use silk in their phrases, too. Spanish speakers say Aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda ("Even if the monkey dresses in silk, it is still a monkey.") In Russian, the expression Рожденный ползать летать не может means "If you're born to crawl, you can't fly." Finally, French people say On ne peut faire d'une buse un épervier (You can't turn a buzzard / a dolt into a sparrowhawk.)

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When two people love each other, they are always together and know everything about each other, you might say they're "thick as thieves."

The idiom is believed to have arisen in the early 19th century. In this phrase, "thick" means "close". It's a metaphorical way to describe two people who are inseparable, much like saying they are "partners in crime".

In Spanish, a very similar idiom expresses people can be Como carne y uña ("Like flesh and nails"). Graphic, isn't it? The same idea is used in the Portuguese Ser unha e carne.

In other languages, similar expressions use different objects to bring the same concept. For instance, in Finnish, the phrase Kuin kaksi marjaa translates to "like two berries".

Image: Kelli McClintock

People often resemble one of their parents, whether in appearance or personality and attitudes. And this is where the idiom "Like father, like son" comes in, expressing that similarity.

In other languages, you can find similar idioms. For example, in Portuguese, they say Filho de peixe sabe nadar ("A fish's young knows how to swim.") Russians say От осинки не родятся апельсинки ("Oranges can't grow on an aspen tree.")

Closer to our idiom is the Catalan phrase De tal riu, tal aigua (Like river, like water), and the Spanish De tal palo tal astilla (Like stick, like splinter).

Image: Tom Dils

This idiom comes from the world of hunting. In medieval times, hunters employed an indirect method to capture animals. Instead of pursuing animals directly, they would literally beat the bushes to flush out the creatures hiding there. And that's how we got the phrase "to beat around the bush," which means that someone is being evasive or avoiding a certain topic.

French has a similar idiom to express that someone is diverting or getting distracted from the main path or topic: Y aller par quatre chemins ("To get there by four paths"). In Spanish, you can say Se va por las ramas ("He or she goes along the branches").