![]() It is interesting to note that in two of these (walk on snares, walk on mines), the meaning is actually walk in a place where you are at risk of stepping on a snare, mine, etc. He considered that the wicked were set in locis lubricis, in slippery places: and like such as go upon ice, their feet would soon slide or like such as walk on mines of powder The wayes of wickednes are slippery, and perplexed, we walk upon snares, we are compassed with briars, and pits (1668) Only i wil shew yt it is a verie slippery path wherein we may slide as soone as they that walke vppon ice (1588)įor alas we walk upon barrels of gun-powder in the day, our snares are so many and we lie in the shaddow of death at night, our dangers are so great (1668)Īnd to their wives men give such narrow scopes, as if they meant to make them walke on ropes (1606) The lord paues our way with thornes, lest wee should suppose our forefathers walked vpon pillowes (1623) Thou shalte walke vpon lyons and venomous edders / and shalte treade vnder thy fote the lyos whelpes and dragons:(1534) I don't know which of these are conventionalized to the extent walk on eggshells is, but you get an idea of how productive the walk on X construction could be.Īll thou canst do, is nothing, and this is to prepare the way for god, though in the meane tyme thou do nothing but drinke malmesy and walke vpon roses, and pray not word at all. It's not hard to find similar expressions of the walk on X type. In the expression we are talking about, the type of path that one walks on is being used metaphorically to describe someone's state of mind or approach to a social situation. Spatial layout and motion is a very common source for metaphorical meanings in all of the world's languages. So I think there is some explanation, and "obvious" things are usually the hardest to explain. But on the other hand, it is metaphorical: people don't just walk on eggs. On the one hand, it's easy to work out the meaning. Or perhaps it's from when you're trying to find where your chickens hid their eggs, and need to walk gingerly in the area.ĭiscussion in the comments raises doubts about whether there's anything more to the question than the earliest attested use of the saying: the meaning is so obvious that there couldn't be too much to it getting coined. My guess (based on raising chickens) is that it's based on how hens walk when getting in and out of their nests (with careful steps). ![]() Send us feedback about these examples.I can find close variants of the expression used as far back as the 16th century in English, and you'll find versions of the expressions in other language as well (several citations below are from the Early English Books Online database). These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'walking papers.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. 2022 Nobody will be surprised, however, if Gabby and Rachel get tearful, and more men get their walking papers. 2023 In a twist on the old refrain, Dallas’ failures have many fathers while its success was mostly orphaned the day Jimmy Johnson was handed his $2 million check and walking papers. 2021 Two days after the law took effect in January 2021, Jack’s Abby handed in its walking papers. 2023 As Marty gives Ike his walking papers (courtesy of Norman Horowitz, naturally), he’s got a new twinkle in his eye. ![]() Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. ![]() 2022 Bally’s has given Tribune Publishing its walking papers, exercising a relocation option in an attempt to force the newspaper company to vacate its mammoth River West printing plant to make way for a casino. 2023 And he was just given his walking papers. 2023 Among those getting their walking papers was Isaac Perlmutter, chairman of Marvel Entertainment, according to the New York Times. Recent Examples on the Web But why, then, have 150,000 tech workers been given their walking papers since the start of this year? - Alan Murray, Fortune, 6 Apr.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |