Say What? The Nitty Gritty of Cultural Idioms

“Bye, Felicia” is a phrase that has become very popular both in online forums and verbal communication.  This simple phrase is catchy and rolls easily off the tongue (or is easy to say without much thought), and it is typically stated as a means of dismissing someone disrespectfully or to signify the end of a conversation that one wishes to discontinue.  The popular use of this phrase has led many, particularly members of the mass and popular media, to speculate as to the origins and original meanings of this rather simple phrase.  It has since come to light that this phrase originated from the movie, Friday.  According to the one of the film’s writers, Ice Cube, the phrase was added and intended to be a dismissive statement that while directed to a specific character (named Felicia) could be applied to any individual who was deemed by the user as no longer worthy of further conversation.  The popular use of this phrase and the general public’s curiosity has led to today’s post, which will explore what cultural idioms are, as well as examine the origins and meanings of three popular American idioms.

Cultural idioms are “expression[s] whose meaning [are] not predictable from the usual meanings of [their] constituent elements, as kick the bucket or hang one's head, or from the general grammatical rules of a language, as the table round for the round table, and that [are] not a constituent of a larger expression of like characteristics” (Dictionary.com).  Put simply, these are phrases that are not meant to be taken literally as they convey a separate meaning than the literal interpretation.  There are simple cultural idioms, such as “to blow one’s mind”, that convey an entirely different meaning from the literal one conveyed in the wording of the phrase.  In the case of the former, “to blow one’s mind”, the literal interpretation fosters ideas of a mind exploding or being destroyed, but the idiomatic meaning is that someone is surprised or taken aback.  Cultural idioms are culturally specific, and one typically needs to be a member of the culture in order to understand the true meaning of the idiom. 

But some cultural idioms convey more than just a meaning and provide a more systematic understanding of the culture.  This allows cultural idioms to be a topic of study among cultural and linguistic anthropologists who wish to learn more about the social aspects of language and more about the specific culture that employs that idiom.  This is definitely the case for three such cultural idioms popularly used in American language: “to kick the bucket”, “on the rag”, and “to go cold turkey”.  Each will be discussed further in the remainder of this post.

Figure 1: Kick the Bucket Illustration by Turquoise Luck

Kick the Bucket

The phrase "kick the bucket" may bring to mind ideas of literally kicking a bucket (with one's foot), or perhaps you are familiar with the more colloquial meaning, which refers to one passing away.  The phrase originated in the 16th century in England.  It is not completely clear as to why the phrase came about, with some scholar citing its origination with the convergence of the French and English languages, but most people believe that the phrase refers to the act of committing suicide.  The idea of kicking a bucket is related to individuals' who would hang themselves and use a bucket to elevate the body and the removal of the bucket would lead to strangulation.  The phrase eventually was applied to all acts of death, which is what it refers to today.

Figure 2: On the Rag Illustration (On the Rag Magazine)

On the Rag

"On the Rag" is a phrase that does not refer to literally standing or sitting on a rag but instead refers to menstruation.  It is a phrase that originated in the late 19th century, and it refers to how women traditionally (as well as in many cultures continue to do) managed menstrual blood, which was through layering absorbent cloth in the vaginal area to catch the menstrual blood.  While menstrual pads and tampons came about in the early 1900s, thereby removing the need to utilize layers of cloths (or rags), the term did not fade and continues today, much to the distaste of many women.

Figure 3: "To Go Cold Turkey" Illustration (Google Images)

To Go Cold Turkey

If images of cold Thanksgiving dinner comes to mind when you hear this phrase you are actually not too far off.  This phrase refers to individuals who quit doing something, such as smoking or drinking, without any assistance or weaning.  This late 20th century phrase originated out of the reaction to those who quit through this method as they are described as looking like "cold turkeys" as they appear very pale, shiver even when they are not cold, and develop dimples and goosebumps.  All of these are symptoms of withdrawal and to some apparently resemble uncooked turkeys.


In conclusion, cultural idioms provide a great deal of insights into culture and language.  As demonstrated here in this post historical, cultural, and linguistic perspectives can and are gleaned from these three common phrases.  So next time you catch yourself saying a cultural idiom you may want to take a moment to determine and discover what you are actually saying versus what the phrase seems to say.

References

Cornforth, T.  No Date.  "What Does the Phrase "On the Rag" Mean?"  About.com  http://pms.about.com/od/myths/f/8428_on_the_rag.htm

Dictionary.com.  "Idioms." http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/idiom


Mackie, D.  2015.  “Friday Hit Theaters 20 Years Ago-And Gave Us ‘Bye, Felicia’.”  People Magazine.  http://www.people.com/article/friday-20th-anniversary-bye-felicia-origin

Martin, G.  2016.  "Kick the Bucket".  The Phrase Finder.  http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/218800.html

No Author.  2016.  "20 Essential English Idioms for Sounding Like a Native."  Fluent U. http://www.fluentu.com/english/blog/essential-english-idioms/

This post was inspired by the public interest in language but is dedicated to my friend, Katie Vogel, who initially brought to my attention the cultural complexities of language.  You are no longer able to read this, but I hope that you are smiling down on those who are.  You are forever in our hearts and memories. 

Eat Your Heart Out: An Examination of Aztec Human Sacrifices

The Aztec are an indigenous group of people who controlled a vast Mesoamerican empire for at least two centuries prior to their conquest by the Spanish in 16^th century.  The Aztec empire was characterized by a public education system, extensive trade networks, creation of widespread roadways, state-wide religion, and a large military.  Unfortunately, these great achievements are not what the Aztecs are most popularly known for, and instead it was their sacrificial rituals that they are most remembered for.  This blog post is dedicated to discussing Aztec sacrificial rituals.  Topics that will be discussed include the types of sacrifices, the preferred sacrificial victims, and the potential motivations for these sacrifices. 

The Aztecs are believed to have practiced a number of types of sacrifices.  They were known to practice both animal and human sacrifice, but it appears that human sacrifice was the most popular type of sacrifice.  The Aztecs practiced a variety of different types of human sacrifice.  These types included death by arrows, where individuals were lined up and executed by hundreds of archers who shot them; decapitation, where the head of the victim was removed from the body; drowning; gladiatorial combat, where victims were tied to rocks, given mock weapons, and forced to fight properly clad and weaponized warriors to the death; dying by impact, which involved being thrown or coerced off high temples; squeezing, typically involving victims being wrapped in nets and crushed; and finally through the extraction of the heart.  This latter type of sacrifice appears to have been the most popular, with at least two to ten individuals sacrificed through this method each month in every Aztec city.  This sacrificial method involved the extraction of the still beating heart of the victim who is believed to have witnessed the event.  The body was then removed and dismembered, with various parts of the body being utilized for further ritual purposes. 

The Aztec culture was one that fostered a sense of desire among its members to become sacrificial victims.  To this end there was no limit to the number of individuals who could be recruited as it was one of three ways for individuals to enter a glorious afterlife (with the other two ways being dying in battle or during childbirth).  Men, women, and children (of all ages) were eligible for sacrifice.  The most common sacrificial victims were known as xochimicqui, who were captives of wars.  These prisoners of wars were also used as messengers of the sun as they would be employed to carry messages to the sun god after they were sacrificed.  Slaves and criminals made up the tlaaltilli class of sacrificial victims, while everyday lawful Aztec citizens could participate in the monthly “Flowery Wars” as a means of becoming eligible for sacrifice.  The “Flowery Wars” were ritualized incidences of warfare that enabled the Aztecs to capture symbolic prisoners of war who would later be sacrificed.  Women could volunteer to be sacrificed, as well, whereas children were often sold for the purpose. In either case these individuals would be trained and catered to during the tenure prior to the ritual, which may have been an additional incentive to enter into this situation.

The Aztec sacrifices were very entwined with religious ideologies.  Aztec sacrificial rituals closely mirror the creation and other myths that were central to the Aztec religion.  But how and why those myths were created has been a contentious topic.  One scholar, Michael Harner, believes that the Aztec sacrifices, specifically the removal of the heart, were a means of feeding the Aztec elites.  Harner claims that the Aztec capital existed in an environmentally hazardous area, which did not lend itself to regular production of agricultural crops.  He also points out that the Aztecs did not have any stable beasts of burden or domesticated livestock, which would have provided an additional means of sustenance.  As a result, the Aztec elites may have advocated for cannibalism as a means of providing them a consistent and nutritious food source.  Another scholar, Nathan Young, believes that Aztec ritual sacrifice was a means furthering the agenda of the Aztec elites, who were focused on conquest and expansion of the empire.  The need for prisoners of war to “feed” the gods encouraged warfare, the consequence of which led to conquered peoples and territories.  Young also claims that the institution of sacrifice enabled the elites to control the poor by enticing them to become soldiers as they could rise in the social ranks of the Aztec society by capturing prisoners of war.  In addition, these soldiers were guaranteed the option of having a splendid afterlife if they died during conquest, which would have been an additional means of feeding the military powerhouse that the elites required to meet their goals.   

At the present time, however, it is unclear which of these hypotheses is more supportable in regards to Aztec sacrifices as the Aztec history has been largely destroyed by the Spanish Conquistadors who participated in a campaign to eradicate their culture, as well as the Aztec people.  While this aspect of their culture is poorly understood it appears that Aztec sacrifices played a pivotal role in Aztec culture.   

Bibliography

Harner, M.  1977.  "The Enigma of Aztec Sacrifice."  Natural History.  86: 46-51.

Harner, M.  1977.  "The Ecological Basis for Aztec Sacrifice."  American Ethnologist.  4: 117-135.


Hassler, P.  1992.  "Human Sacrifice among the Aztecs? A Critical Study."  Die Ziet.  World Press Review.  

Kerkhove, RC.  1994.  “Explaining Aztec Human Sacrifice”  MA Thesis.  University of Queensland.


Kramer, S. 2013.  “Aztec Human Sacrifice”.   MSU Website.


Young, N.  20014.  “Aztec Human Sacrifice: Primitive Fanaticism or Genius of Empire?”  Discoveries p. 112-120.