Idioms 117, Etymology, 109, English: “have a cow, in the limelight, John Doe, melting pot” definitions, origins and translations to Spanish and Portuguese
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1) have a cow
Definition
become angry, upset, have a fit
Origin and Observations: “have a cow” is the informal equivalency to the UK’s “have kittens” and means when someone is anxious and worried, (all) hot and bothered, agitated, angsty, anxious. It originated in the early- to mid-20th-century United States. In the early 1900s, "cow" was slang for a fit of anger or rage. For example, "He went into a cow" meant he flew into a rage.
Spanish
manifestar un fuerte y repentino sentimiento: [display a strong and sudden feeling]
enfadarse, enojarse [get angry]
Portuguese
zangar-se [get angry]
enfuriar-se [get mad]
ficar louco de raiva [go crazy with rage]
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2) in the limelight
Definition
In the center of public attention
Origin
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary gives us a lot of information regarding the etymology and use of this idiom. ”Limelights were the first theatrical spotlights. They consisted of a cylinder of?lime?(technically calcium oxide) onto which an?oxyhydrogen?flame was directed. A lens was usually used to concentrate the light in a beam. Limelight was invented in 1816 by Thomas Drummond but wasn't adopted widely for use in theaters until the 1860s. (Drummond wanted his invention to provide safety to boats traveling dark shorelines, but limelight proved to be too expensive and dangerous for lighthouse use.)”
For decades sit was used to spotlight actors or scenes on stage until the advent of electric lighting. However, the idiom is still used today to note someone is the center of attention.
Spanish
en el candelero [in the caldlestick]
bajo los reflectors [under the floodlights, under the searchlights]
en primer plano [in the foreground, closeup]
de actualidad [present time, current time]
ser el centro de atención [be the center of attention]
estar a la vista del público [be in the public’s sight]
Portuguese
nos holofotes [in the searchlights, in the spotlights]
centro de aten??es [center of attention]
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3) John Doe
Definition
1 a party to legal proceedings whose true name is unknown (since 1593)
2 an average man
Origin
Would it surprise you to now that the expression of “John Doe” to keep someone anonymous has been used for more than a thousand years? Note the following from www.liquisearch.com: “Origin?The name "John Doe", often spelled "Doo," along with "Richard Roe" or "Roo" were regularly invoked in English legal instruments to satisfy technical requirements governing standing and jurisdiction, beginning perhaps as early as the reign of England's King Edward III (1312-1377).”
Spanish
fulano [so-and-so, John Doe]
fulano de tal [so-and-so, John Doe]
mengano [what’s his name, John Doe]
persona inidentificada [unidentified person]
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Portuguese
zé ninguém [Joey Nobody]
fulano [so-and-so]
an?nimo [anonymous
desconhecido [unknown]
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4) melting pot
Definition
a place where a variety of peoples, cultures, or individuals assimilate into a cohesive whole
Origin
The following comes from www.encyclopedia.com: “MELTING POT?is a term that originated in Israel Zangwill 's 1908 drama, The?Melting Pot. It examined the American dream, the acceptance of newcomers, and their subsequent Americanization. German immigrants had used the term schmelztiegel ("melting pot") in the early nineteenth century, but the term was not popularized until Zangwill's play.
Spanish
Mestizaje [crossbreeding, mixing of races, melting pot]
Cruces de razas distintas [crossing of different races]
mezcla de culturas distintas que origina una nueva [missing of different cultures resulting in a new one]
Portuguese
mistura [mixture, compound]
cadinho [pan, crucible, melting pot, sump]
caldo cultural [cultural broth, cultural soup]
caldeiro [cooking pot, cooker, broiler, bucket, pail]
