# to eat, chew, swallow, digest (fact, idea)



## ThomasK

Do you use *food (digestion) metaphors* in your language when talking *about ideas* and how you deal with them ? 


Hij wil het voorstel ons *door de strot* duwen (He wants to push that proposal down our throat)
Ik *slik* dat niet ( (I do not swallow that)
Dat is *onverteerbaar*. (That is indigestible, I cannot accept that)
Het ligt op mijn maag/ ik zit ermee *in mijn maag* (It is/ I have it on my stomach, id.)
I suppose it is very common (see George Lakoff, _Living by Metaphors_), but maybe other languages are even more original or witty.


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## enoo

In French:

I can only think of 3 verbs used in those cases : *avaler* (to swallow), *gober *(to swallow whole), *digérer* (to digest).

_Il *avale* n'importe quoi._ - He swallows/believes anything. 
_Il *gobe* n'importe quoi. _- Same meaning as above, maybe a little bit stronger.
_Il n'a pas *digéré* leurs mensonges._ - He didn't digest/stomach their lies.

Not sure this one is related but:
_Ça lui est resté en travers de la gorge. _- 'it stayed stuck in his throat' (he found it hard to swallow / he didn't accept it / he's still angry about it)

(Well, obviously English too has its share of eating-related verbs for that, at least to swallow and to stomach  )


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## ThomasK

Mais oui: the 'en travers de la gorge' fits perfectly into this series (thanks) !


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## Maroseika

Russian:

Проесть печень (to eat one's liver thru), достать до печенок (to get smb's liver), достать до кишок (to get smb. guts) - to pester smb.
[Быть] поперек горла - [to be] across one's throat (about smth. one doesn't like at all).

Expressions with "to digest" and "to swallow" also exist but seem to be the western loans.


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## ThomasK

Oh yes, *'het ligt op mijn lever'* is even more common even in Dutch (it lies on my liver). Good hint !!

But how should I understand 'to *get* somebody's guts' ? To take them (and thus kill the person) ? And how can I do it ? ;-) By bashing him or her ?


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## Zsanna

I think there must be a lot of expression in all languages of this kind - after all, no matter what language you speak, everybody must eat.
And - I suppose - verbs as well as nouns (connected to the parts of the body involved in eating as well as the names of food etc.) are widely used metaphorically everywhere.

Swallow and digest (as well as their synonyms) are also used widely in Hungarian in different expressions (easy to imagine how).

Maroseika's example with "pester" gave me the idea that for the same thing we use the term "to chew somebody's ear" - _rágja vki fülét vmiért_ - (like e.g. a child for a particular present from his parents).

But apart from that one of the first that comes to mind is the word "falat" (= bit that is to be swallowed or was chewn off) because we have quite a lot of expressions with that:
- *nagy falat* = big bite - usually indicates a difficult task to grapple with
- *megállt a falat a torkán* = the bite stopped (=got stuck) in his throat - could not continue as before (there is surprise involved in this)
- *a szájától vonja meg a falatot* = takes away/ban the bite from his (own) mouth - indicates that the person chooses rather not to eat to (e.g.) save up for something or to be able to help somebody else.

Similarly, there are a few expressions with "bone" (= csont), like *lerágott csont* (= a bone that doesn't have any meat left on it) indicating a topic so much discussed that it cannot provide anything new anymore.

Edit: I have changed the English _bit_ for _bite _(to translate _falat_) because in this context it seems to me a better translation.


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## ThomasK

By the way: some busy Americans had someone else read for them and named their magazine "Reader's Digest" !


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## Zsanna

But it is an excellent name!  
Would _you_ like to eat something that somebody else has already digested?


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## apmoy70

In Greek:
-Μου έχει/μού 'χει φάει τα συκώτια
Mu *e*xi (uncontracted)/m*u*'xi (contracted) f*a*i ta sik*o*tça
lit. "He/she has eaten my livers".
We use it when someone whines all the time, when someone is vexatious and annoying. I do not know why we use "livers" (plural) and not "liver". Συκώτι, sik*o*ti, _n._, is the colloquial name for the "ήπαρ, *i*par, _n._", from the ancient Greek "ἧπαρ (hēpar, _n._, from where _hepatitis_ is derived)". Συκώτι derives from the Byzantine Greek "Συκώτιον, su'kotion, _n._", diminutive of the "ἧπαρ συκωτόν, hepar suko'ton" which means "the liver of an animal fed with figs" (σῦκον, 'sūkŏn, _n._->fig), a medieval delicacy  
-Eίναι αχώνευτος/αχώνευτη
*i*ne ax*o*neftos (masculine)/ax*o*nefti (feminine)
lit. "He/she is indigestible"; when some is cantankerous and bad for company
-Δεν τρώγεσαι με τίποτα
ðen tr*o*ʝese me t*i*pota
lit. "you are inedible", when someone has a deplorable attitude
-Mου έχει καθήσει/κάτσει στο λαιμό
Μu *e*xi kaθ*i*si/k*a*tsi (colloquially) sto lem*o*
lit. "[something]is stuck in my throat"; when something unexpected has happened (it has a negative tone)
And something different:
-Δεν μασάω
ðen mas*a*o, lit. "I don't chew"
a slang expression, which means "I can't be bullied/I'm not afraid/I'm not intimidated"

[x] is a voiceless velar fricative, known as the hard ch
[ç] is a voiceless palatal fricative
[ð] is a voiced dental non-sibilant fricative
[ʝ] is a voiced palatal fricative
[θ] is a voiceless dental non-sibilant fricative


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## ThomasK

Zsanna said:


> But it is an excellent name!
> Would _you_ like to eat something that somebody else has already digested?


No, no, that is not my point. I don't want ideas that are like *'hapklare brokken'*, which means 'pieces [bites, broken bits - brokken] that are ready [klaar] to be swallowed [happen - is like a quick bite, you can imagine what I mean when just say the word (opening for 'ha' and biting for 'p')]. I sometimes do want food that has been prepared, but not indeed digested, which is what RD has done: they have read and selected for you ! ;-)


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## Maroseika

ThomasK said:


> But how should I understand 'to *get* somebody's guts' ? To take them (and thus kill the person) ? And how can I do it ? ;-) By bashing him or her ?


Just figuratively, no blood...
Actually, quite the same sense as with the liver: not getting it from smb., but getting (touching?) it inside smb.

By the way, "sitting in one's livers" also exists in Russian. And I have no idea why liver is in Plural here.
Just noticed that in Greek it's also "livers" instead of "liver". But why, indeed?


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## ThomasK

Really? We don't touch those internal organs, but we use the outer parts: nose, belly, etc. ;-) But you will see that I used them in a new thread, because it might be better if we focused on ideas only, how we use eating language when talking about ideas.The new thread focuses on how we use eating language (or refer to body parts realted with it) when talking about how we treat them. 

_(If a moderator were reading this, I'd suggest s/he add ideas to the thread: Eating and Understanding Ideas - so as to distinguish between ideas and treating people.)_


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## ThomasK

I happened to find a lot of these expressions at http://efl.htmlplanet.com/metaphors.htm. Some I had not thought of are: 

 
_All that heard the choir were *edified*._
_I'm still *chewing* on your words from last night._
_Some teachers *spoon-feed* their students._
 
And there are more in English, showing ideas are often considered food in English...


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## enoo

Hmm... Just wondering, how is "edified" related to eating? 
(To me it's only related to building)


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## ThomasK

Just before you start enjoying your Xmas dinner _(so I hope, or that is what I wish you)_, I'd like to ask you whether you can also eat, digest, chew, ... ideas. We can in Dutch. And in your language? I guess you recognize the pattern... Let's focus on verbs though (but do suggest other words if you think they are related).

In Dutch we use:
- _on*verteer*baar_ (undigestable)
- _dat *slik* ik niet_ (I don't swallow that > I don't take/ accept that)
- _de andere partijen *lusten *dat niet_ (they don't like [to eat !] that)

Maybe also
- _iemand iets_ _*voorschotelen*_ (to serve, but lit. to offer on a dish; to dish up)
- _ik *proef *bitterheid in_ (I taste/sense bitterness in ... -- as in _een voorsmaakje/ een voorproefje_, a foretaste)
but there are others, I think, some at least better than the latter.

[Moderator's Note: Merged with a previous thread]


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## Rallino

In Turkish, 

to eat something _([accusative] + yemek)_ and to digest something _([accusative] + sindirmek)_ both exist. However, they have different meanings.

sindirmek (to digest), can mean to accept something, or to fully understand a concept.

_Thomas'ın böyle bir konu açmasını *sindiremiyorum*_. (I can't digest the fact that Thomas has started such a thread. )

_Yeni bir dil öğrenirken, bir konuyu *sindirmeden*, bir sonrakine geçmem._ (While I'm learning a new language, I never pass to a new topic without fully digesting the previous one.)


yemek (to eat), however, means _to fall for a joke_, or _to dare doing something_ (this one isn't used anymore as much as when I was a kid)

_Ona finalden F aldığını söyledim; ama *yemedi*. _(I told him he got an F in the final exam, but he didn't buy it.)

_O gün patronun suratına yumruğu patlatmayı düşündüm; ama *yemedi*... _(That day I was seriously thinking of smashing my boss' face with a punch, but I didn't dare.)


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## ThomasK

Well, you can simply eat ideas. Now I come to think of it: I think you imply don't swallow it (through your throat). And your digesting: I recognize that, it is very much like our meaning of the word, I think. But tell me about the swallowing: whether I am right or not.


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## Rallino

Hmm.. In Turkish we don't use the verb "swallow" for ideas, but you're right, maybe "not to dare" can be equated to not being able to swallow.


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## Maroseika

Russian:
Мне надо это переварить - I have to digest this = I have to realize this (think it over).


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## Alxmrphi

I suppose you can in English, or you could argue the case that you do.
For example if you have an idea and someone doesn't think it will be accepted by others, you can say "_that won't go down well_", sort of like 'swallowing' (digesting).
You can also say "_That's hard/difficult to stomach_" (to accept [process/digest]), and you can replace 'to stomach' with _'to swallow'_ with the same meaning (to accept [an idea]).


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## rusita preciosa

Russian: 
проглотить обиду /proglotit' obidu/ - lit. "to swallow the offence/the wrong" said when a person supresses the feeling of being wronged or does not respond to an offence
прикусить язык /prikusit' yazyk/ - lit. "to bite the tongue" - refrain from saying something 

English: 
*to swallow* one's pride
*to eat* - often used in the sense of "incurring expenses" (If you do not order it by Thursday, you'll eat the additional shipping costs)


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## Gavril

(American) English:
_Let me chew on that _"Let me think about that"


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## ThomasK

Thnanks, everyone. I do wonder about biting one's tongue: interesting expression, but I think this kind of torture does not strictly have to do with the digestive process involving ideas ;-)... 

That reminds me: when we say we don't swallow soemthing, the French(-speaking) will say that it is "*inbuvable*", so I heard and read: undrinkable. However, we never drink ideas. Does anyone of you? Any speakers of Romanic languages around? _(But cheers: this is Xmas evening !)_

How about spitting out? I checked, but we don't do it with ideas, so it seems.


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## sakvaka

Yes, in *Finnish* as well.

_Minun täytyy sulatella tätä jonkin aikaa. _I have to digest (> think of) this [unbelievable change] for a while._ 
Tommi ei tuota purematta niele! _Tommi won't swallow that without chewing (> be likely to accept that one)! 
_Minun on vaikea niellä ajatusta, että... _I find it difficult to swallow (> accept) the thought that...


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## ThomasK

Thanks. So all of you refer to eating, not to drinking, whereas _inbuvable_ in French (meaning something like indigestible, untolerable: not to be swallowed).


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## apmoy70

In Greek a situation/idea is either gulped down or digested; in fact it's much more common to use negation in order to show distress or denial, e.g:
"I can't _καταπιώ*_ (kata'pço-->_gulp down_) what he said/did"
"I can't _χωνέψω**_ (xo'nepso-->_digest_) what she just thought"

*verb «καταπίνω» (kata'pino) from the Classical «καταπίνω» (kătă'pīnō)-->init. _to drink in, gulp down; _later _to swallow up, consume; _in the modern language it carries mostly the meaning of "swallowing, gulping".
**verb «χωνεύω» (xo'nevo) from the Hellenistic «χωνεύω» (xō'neuō), from the Classical «χοανεύω» (xŏă'neuō)-->init. _to cast in a mould, to smelt_ or _cast metal _later _to assimilate, digest_.

[ç] is a voiceless palatal fricative
[x] is a voiceless velar fricative, known as the hard ch


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## 810senior

Japanese:
1. 飲み込む_nomikomu_(to drink down, to swallow) can be used in the sense of to understand, comprehend e.g. 状況を*飲み込む*(to understand the situation), *飲み込み*が早いね(you understand it quickly).
2. 噛み砕く_kamikudaku_(to crunch) also means to break something down(to tell someone of something in an easy way). mostly used as this set phrase: *噛み砕いて*説明すると(to explain this easily lit. to smash it down and explain it)
3. 噛む_kamu_(to chew) means to say it wrong in some context: 言葉*を噛む*(to say it wrong lit. to bite a word)


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## momai

In Arabic (Syrian):
to eat: "I ate it" means I got into trouble.
to chew:"chewing" is used when talking about others in a bad way.The person who is talked about would be called a chewing gum.
to swallow: is used to tell A about how hard you are tryng to keep yourself calm while B is lying.
to digest: digesting a joke means you find it funny. A digested person is a nice and humorous person.


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## Dymn

*Catalan*:

_mastegat _("chewed"): well explained, in a derogatory way:
_Els meus alumnes són estúpids i ho volen tot ben mastegat. _My students are stupid and they want everything explained in detail.

_potable _("drinkable"): acceptable

_empassar-se _("to swallow"): to buy into, to believe something false without questioning:
_S'empassa tot el que li diuen. _She buys into everything they say.

_pair, digerir _("to digest"): to come to terms with, to accept mentally a difficult situation:
_Fa dos anys del divorci i encara no ho ha paït. _It's been two years since the divorce and he hasn't come to terms with it yet.

_pair, digerir _("to digest"): to put up with, to tolerate:
_No puc pair la meva sogra. _I can't tolerate my mother-in-law.

*Spanish*:

_¿y esto cómo se come? _("and how do we eat it?"): how come?, to ask for something you don't understand

_potable _("drinkable"): acceptable
_
tragarse _("to swallow"): to buy into, to believe something false without questioning

_tragar _("to swallow"): to put up with, to tolerate


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