{"id":711,"date":"2014-08-23T18:50:53","date_gmt":"2014-08-23T13:20:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital-banjara.com\/blog\/?p=711"},"modified":"2015-02-27T12:40:15","modified_gmt":"2015-02-27T07:10:15","slug":"how-square-is-a-square-meal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digital-banjara.com\/blog\/how-square-is-a-square-meal\/","title":{"rendered":"How square is a square meal?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A square perspective on the funny language called English.<\/h2>\n

I am fascinated by the English language. You can communicate volumes speaking words which, by themselves, mean nothing!<\/p>\n

I speak with reference to the use of idioms in our everyday parlance.<\/p>\n

\"square\"<\/a>

How square is a square meal?<\/p><\/div>\n

Many of the phrases and idioms that we use seem to have \u2018appeared out of the blue\u2019.<\/p>\n

While most of us\u00a0drop idioms a \u2018dime a dozen\u2019, our understanding\u00a0about why we are happy to ‘speak in riddles’ is like a \u2018drop in the bucket\u2019.<\/p>\n

Now, before you \u2018jump down my throat\u2019 \u2018at the drop of a hat\u2019, I must clarify that my intention isn\u2019t to \u2018rock the boat\u2019.<\/p>\n

All I am doing is being a \u2018doubting Thomas\u2019\u2026 wondering why we take things \u2018at face value\u2019 without \u2018looking under the hood\u2019!<\/p>\n

We all behave \u2018like a headless chicken\u2019 and \u2018take a raincheck\u2019 when it comes to making an effort to \u2018go the extra mile\u2019 in \u2018getting behind the scenes\u2019 of commonly used idioms.<\/p>\n

I decided to \u2018go against the grain\u2019 and \u2018get a grasp on\u2019 the \u2018issue at hand\u2019.<\/p>\n

So I \u2018hit the books\u2019 to \u2018get to the bottom of\u2019 the matter.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ll \u2018lend me your ear\u2019 I\u2019ll share what I learned by \u2018burning the midnight oil\u2019.<\/p>\n

Surprisingly, it\u2019s not that we follow the \u2018path of minimum resistance\u2019 when it comes to \u2018getting by\u2019.<\/p>\n

The fact is that there is \u2018more than meets the eye\u2019 when it comes to how we understand and communicate.<\/p>\n

As humans, our process of understanding is a combination of visuals and words. The parts of our brain that process words are different from those that process visuals.<\/p>\n

While communicating, we use both these faculties of our minds. In order to speed up our understanding of what is being said, we take the \u2018best of both worlds\u2019 and create visual images for otherwise unrelated groups of words, as we learn to communicate in English.<\/p>\n

We don’t really \u2018sieve through words\u2019 \u2018with a fine tooth comb\u2019 but rather look at things from \u201830,000 ft. up\u2019<\/p>\n

It\u2019s really as \u2018plain Jane\u2019 as that.<\/p>\n

A \u2018no brainer\u2019 you say? As easy as putting \u2018two and two together\u2019?<\/p>\n

The fact is that while it \u2018isn\u2019t rocket science\u2019 very few of us have bothered to \u2018bell the cat\u2019 and \u2018cut to the chase\u2019.<\/p>\n

I \u2018dabbed my hand\u2019 at it. And well\u2026 \u2018blow me down\u2026\u2019\u00a0 it\u2019s a \u2018whole new ball game!\u2019<\/p>\n

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PS: <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I hope you don’t have an \u2018axe to grind\u2019 against me\u2026 I really didn’t want to \u2018bore you stiff\u2019 with my \u2018mumbo jumbo\u2019. There really is a \u2018method to my madness\u2019 even if you ‘don\u2019t get it’.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

PPS: <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

O.K. It\u2019s time for me to \u2018put a sock in it\u2019 and \u2018pipe down\u2019 before you really start to \u2018lose it\u2019.<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Cheers! Here\u2019s \u2018one for the road!\u2019 \u00a0\ud83d\ude42<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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photo credit: CarbonNYC<\/a> via photopin<\/a> cc<\/a><\/p>\n

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