Idiomatic Expressions
Through the abundance of human and non-human languages spoken in the Pallathantic and elsewhere run many common sayings, expressions, interjections, and idioms.
IDIOMS, MAXIMS, APHORISMS
- A
- As brooding as Isfalath, as dower as Isfalath
very sober-faced
- As old as the dwarves
Very old. Compare "Since the dwarves came out of their holes."
- As old as St. Emhard
Very old. St. Emhard lived over one hundred and twenty years. See above expression
- Beneath the moons on a starlit night
When circumstances are perfect; "the moons" refers to Starmoon and Sunmoon shining together in the same part of the sky and 'starlit night' means a clear, night-time sky.
- Between a dragon and her brood
In a very dangerous situation
- Beyond the Lagoon (Throvian)
Beyond the Pale; beyond the great lagoon of Aurice; outside the range of conventional society
- Beware the Dragon. (Thracian)
Can mean the obvious warning. But is thought to refer to Thracian heraldic cadency where the 'dragon' is the second son. Thus, it is an exhortation to the legitimate power to beware someone close at hand who could overthrow and replace the legitimate power. Rhungast Bijäl who slew and usurped his older brother's throne is a prime example. The saying also has currency in noble houses where the younger son (sometimes the second) is raised as the house wizard.
- The dawn is bursting out. The day is breaking forth. The god is mounting up. (Arathracian)
An ancient saying attributed to the Yophentheans and other sunworshipers, said at sunrise.
- A dragonbone from Ddwbha (Gonfalese)
Not the real deal, a fraud, a fake. Refers to a formerly oft repeated story about a visiting diplomat.
- A human is the heartbeat of a god.
Mortals are short-lived, gods immortal.
- A rich priest and his gold are one.
Some people or institutions are very stingy.
- Alas Indolise (Asbardian)
I regret your loss. Taken from a fictional account about the life of Princess Indolise of Bryndyd who died tragically.
- Alleyway Minstrel
Someone secretly in the pay of another
- Approach the mensary (Throvian)
to appear before the Noble Senate of Aurice; to stand before an authority to give a report or accounting
- As ugly as an Uglyami.
Very ugly and threatening. Quite a monster.
Someone who worships Chaos
- Borgissa in a bottle
There's more to this situation or person than it appears to be; opening it up could prove overwhelming
- Borrow the dead
to summon and enlist the services of the undead; originates from an old Neptultchi idiom
- Bring me a pipe of gold.
said when you want the real deal, the authentic item, not a fake or a weak attempt. Refers to a Pytharnian Fable where the queen says "Bring me a pipe of gold."
- Busker to the gods
someone who succeeds well at an otherwise lowly profession
- C
- Circus of Trolls
A disorganized, bumbling mess of people; the trolls are considered ungraceful and crude. For example: //These caterers are superb. The last caterers were nothing more than a circus of trolls.//
- D
- Damn the Yophentheans!
Disregard or contempt for the established authority, said when one does or wishes to disregard or show contempt for the established authority.
- Dance for the wizard, to dance for the wizard
be very circumspect and careful about what one says to avoid offense or anger; be agreeable. Contrast "I haven't come to dance for the wizard." I won't mince words.
- Dawning Lands (Yophenthean)
an expression used during the Yophenthean Empire to mean any state or prince not subject to the empire
- Dine with Orkybanth
to be dead
- Dragoman on the saddle to Ddwbha
someone in great haste
- Dragonmount Cant in the crossroads
means to speak language or secrets inappropriately in public or a place outside of what is appropriate; used sometimes to describe use of highly technical language to non-specialists who don't understand it
- Dragon-tongued
foul-mouthed, employing profanities
- Drinking his happy kegs
He is drunk or fast becoming drunk.
- Dripping tapers for Kualotha
casually worshiping chaos gods in private, having sympathies to chaos gods or worship. In household shrines, a worshiper would light a candle and let the wax drop at the base of the image of the familial divinity whose attention or favor he wished to garner. After the rout of Kualotha, some Trevirites continued to drip tapers for Kualotha who was still much beloved for his benevolence.
- Drive the gontha in the dell (euphemism)
to have sexual intercourse
- E
- Eleven dukes, eleven daughters.
Everything matches perfectly; everything is accounted for. The Kalikán Empire once controlled eleven duchies and the eleven daughters are meant to be the brides of the dukes.
- F
- Faithful as a skyman.
Not very faithful to one’s loves. The skymen of old were like sailors, having different girl friends in different places of the earth.
- For duke and destiny, Not for duke and destiny.
Compare, “For king and country.” Or the more often used, “Not for king and country.”
- Find a wyvern's nest
to stumble upon a very bad situation. Compare: open a can of worms
- G
- Geddamish to me (international)
It’s Greek to me.
- God is in him (Incarnandist)
Interjected to describe a living person, usually by an Incarnandist of a fellow Incarnandist. For example: “Sebekhath, God is in her, is meditating on infinity.”
- Gold in the seams and stitches
to be very wealthy; to have gold in the seams and stitches
- Gold is a dwarf's best friend.
This expression's primary meaning needs no explanation and may also be exclaimed when one finds his favorite person or thing, even if it is not gold.
- H
- He is in God (Incarnandist)
Interjected to describe a dead person or a person not yet born. For example: “Gidhoniel, he is in God, slew wicked Prince Ulcanov.”
- Hum for Kwand and Khandi
Keep your lips sealed. Kwand and Khandi (Khandiwa) were ancient Kalaman gods who were worshiped with humming rather than spoken prayers.
- I
- In Aiak on a dead horse
very unable to provide assistance; far away
- In Skiánthra's shade (Arathracian)
under the protection or aegis of the gods, especially Arathracian gods
- In the year of the gods (international)
Refers to the dating of the Ixsinthion Reckoning.
- K
- Kissed by Threy's blade
poisoned
- L
- Last dragon knight on the skyness
someone who will fight desperately to the death. Compare 'caged animal.'
- Like Kéwbachorn on equinox (Medibgóëse)
done with supreme skill and success. References Kéwbachorn the Magnificent when he performed a magical sacrifice to the gods in a tight pinch with perfect success.
- Love the god; love the goddess.
If you support one member of the partnership, you are obliged to support the other. This saying refers to how the worshiper of a god must be respectful to the god's consort. It is sometimes reversed, 'Love the goddess, love the god.'
- Lover of Bones
necromancer
- M
- March through the Marshes of Baihu
To go through great effort to get somewhere or to accomplish something; to look horrible as a result of it. For example: //You look like you marched through the Marshes of Baihu.//
- N
- Not for Dasironessa's thousand kisses
Used to express unwillingness to do something, regardless of the reward
- Not worth the fight is a battle uncelebrated in song. (Medibgóëse)
A Medibgóëse Saying; without fame or renown, it's not worth it. If nobody knows you did it, why do it?
- P
- Pandancing in Amyrn
Used more often than not as an exclamation about something very unexpected
- Pass out of this realm
Denotation: said of wizards to use magic to exit this realm and enter another; Connotation: to vanish into thin air
- Pay the monkey the ransom, to pay the monkey the ransom, to pay the ransom to the monkey (Thracian)
To have shopped at the wrong place, to have been swindled, to have bought a cheap imitation. Reference to a story from the Jaggudorns about a mischievous monkey.
- Pour a guest-goblet on the ground. (Medibgóëse)
To insult one's host or benefactor unforgivably
- Pray at the house altar
To be most faithful to one's own family. Compare: Blood is thicker than water.
- Prayer for Saint Meihu
Said of someone who is irreligious but becomes devout in a tight pinch out concern for himself rather than true reverence
- Q
- Quirth at a wedding
inept or ignorant persons in a setting where they are bound to do something wrong or inappropriate
- R
- Rhio makes merry
The occasion is festive and joyous, often said at festivities where wine is served and drunk.
- S
- Save your prayers for Saint Salmakhamer (rude)
tell someone who cares; used when you don't want to hear what someone is saying or is about to say
- Say father
to authenticate; originally meant to act in the capacity of a fathersayer.
- Silent as a temple halfling
very quiet; Compare: Quiet as a church mouse.
- Since the dwarves came out of their holes.
For a very long time; compare as old as the dwarves. Dwarves often but not always consider this unflattering.
- Sing to Nesbiria's delight
to meet the standard, to satisfy the expectation. In some languages, a different goddess is used in the expression.
- Six eggs and a sonnet
a complete package; everything reasonably expected
- Sorceress in a peasant's coif
Someone who is much more formidable than she appears. Compare: a wolf in sheep's clothing.
- Sound the dragonhorn (Thracian)
to raise the alarm, usually for a legitimate purpose. Contrast 'Cry wolf.'
- Sprattle your jib (Throvian)
To make haste.
- Stick out like a gontha in the grass.
Something readily obvious to observe. A gontha looks like a giraffe.
- The Sibyl sealed her lips or The goddess won't say
Said when you don't want to tell what you know or name your source. Compare 'A little bird told me.'
- Swear by a pig, a cockerel, and an ass
to insist that one is telling the truth. Refers to an ancient ritual performed before the gods, involving the sacrifice of a pig, a rooster, and a donkey.
- Swear by a pig's ass.
A pun on the older statement to swear by a pig, a cockerel, and an ass; not telling the truth, mocking the truth; jokingly lying
- T
- There’s more than one brothel between Thrace and Thrain.
You’re not the only merchant. I can go elsewhere.
- Threy blows his pipe, Threy is blowing his pipe.
A problem, disaster, or debacle is afoot. This is a very ancient saying, at least 3,000 years old.
- Thus judges Orkybanth.
It is an irreversible misfortune. Orkybanth is the judge of the dead.
- To Bralla on a golden bay
To run after an unlikely opportunity on a whim. Bralla is the goddess of sunmoon.
- Trinkets in the strongbox
insane; to have trinkets in the strongbox means to be insane; compare 'bats in the belfry'
- Troll-dung, Troll-shit //vulgar//
compare horse manure, bullshit
- Troll-witted, Troll-wit
very stupid, lacking in common sense, //considered offensive//
- U
- Under the lawlock
Denotative Meaning: The status of a subdued gibgibsew under the power of magic and drugs to serve a human master. Connotative Meaning: Any person under the full control of or subservient to another. For example: You may think Smiahorn is the man of the house, but he's under his wife's lawlock.
- V
- The very hairs of Zorzorra.
Alludes to a legend about a dragon named Zorzorra. Dragons have scales, not hair. Said when you find something you’re looking for. Compare ‘Eureka.’
- W
- Wash at middisk, He washes at middisk.
Moderns believe that the Yophentheans took their holy baths at noon. So anyone who washes at middisk (noon) is stuffily conservative.
- Wear the ffwrsva
to be a wizard
- What moves Medibgö?
I don’t know. It is a mystery.” The unknown cause of the floating skynesses and the reason they follow regular, concentric orbits remains a mystery. Thus, the saying, ‘What moves Medibgö,’ expresses one’s ignorance about a matter, usually a mysterious matter.
- When Arathrax rides in from the west
Said of something that could never happen. Compare: When hell freezes over.
- When elves dance in Bambnaskügchawr
Said of something that could never happen. Compare: When hell freezes over. Bambnaskügchawr was a magical skyness destroyed during the Isbajutha. Compare: When I dance in Bambnaskügchawr
- When I dance in Bambnaskügchawr
Said of something that could never happen. Compare: When hell freezes over. Bambnaskügchawr was a magical skyness destroyed during the Isbajutha.
- Whistle on the burrows (euphemism)
to practice necromancy
- Who will say ‘father’ for the fathersayer?
How do you authenticate the authorities? A fathersayer is a diviner who reports the true father of a child.
- Wide as the Shadew River
very wide
- Wring the blade
To worship Chaos
- Z
- Zamaclë in summer
someone or something that is perfectly content or delightful
Sayings
- If you choose to tell lies, you had better believe them.
See Also
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