1.0The News Journalhttps://qa.thenewsjournal.netrich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="BTMrDC5fLW"><a href="https://qa.thenewsjournal.net/in-a-manner-of-speaking/">In a manner of speaking</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://qa.thenewsjournal.net/in-a-manner-of-speaking/embed/#?secret=BTMrDC5fLW" width="600" height="338" title="“In a manner of speaking” — The News Journal" data-secret="BTMrDC5fLW" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); /* ]]> */ </script> https://qa.thenewsjournal.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Bena-Mae-mug137.jpg200228I have always had a fascination with the English language. I can’t imagine another language being so expressive, so colorful. I love the way we twist it, turn it and hone it to suit our purpose. Take today, for example. I could say I have a bad cold, which is true. But that sounds too bland, too under-descriptive. So I’ll say I have the “granddaddy” of all colds. Now that sounds much more impressive. It conjures up a picture of fever, runny nose, Vicks, Kleenex, Alka-Seltzer Plus. I love the simplistic expressions we use whenever we want to soften a description of someone that might otherwise sound unforgiving, cold. At lunch the other day, my friend Pat Hedden of Clinton and I were discussing that very thing. “Have you ever noticed,” Pat asked, “how we use the term ‘bless his or her heart’ when we don’t want to seem too critical of someone? Take for instance,” she went on, “she’s the worst housekeeper in the neighborhood, bless her heart. Or, he always was good for nothing, bless his heart. See how saying ‘bless his or her heart’ gets us off the hook, makes us look less judgmental?” Nobody was better at turning a phrase than Yogi Berra, the great catcher for the New York Yankees. His Yogi-isms have become so popular that we use them all the time without thinking about where they came from. His “It ain’t over til it’s over” is used constantly by sports announcers in all sporting events. One of my favorites is, “No wonder nobody ever comes here anymore. It’s too crowded.” And, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” The story goes that once when a waitress asked if he would like his pizza cut in four or eight slices, he replied, “Better make it four. I don’t think I could eat eight pieces,” Sometimes Yogi’s sayings catch us off base, but eventually we catch on. Many of our sayings get lost in the translation. Once a computer translator was asked to translate into Russian, then back into English, the following adage, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” The answer came back, “The wine is good, but the meat is spoiled.” Another one, “Out of sight, out of mind” came back “Invisible, insane.” I wonder how “He has bats in his belfry” would translate. Nowhere could the English language be more fun than here in the heart of Appalachia. Old timers will argue that they speak the true “Old English.” Although I’m not an expert on linguistics, I’m inclined to agree with them or at least defend to a degree their argument. Take the expression, “like buying a pig in a poke” for example, a saying that is all too common in these parts. The phrase goes back to the sixteenth century in rural England when the farmer would go into town once a month to make his purchases. Market Day, it was called. It was not uncommon for the vendor, who kept one pig on display, to offer for sale others tied up in bags. If the farmer handed over his money without first looking in the bag, he found when he arrived home with his purchase that he had been duped. When he opened the bag, he would often discover that he had actually bought a puppy or a cat. The same goes for “letting the cat out of the bag.” If the buyer opened the bag before he paid for it, he was revealing the trick that was about to be played on him. We often speak of something that has gone to “rack and ruin.” That saying also has its roots in England where the word “rack” is an alternative spelling of the word “wrack”, a variation of the word “wreck.” To go to “rack and ruin” is to literally be in a state of decay or, “gone to pot” as we commonly say these days. The lowly sandwich which we take so much for granted, began with the Earl of Sandwich who, not wanting to leave the gambling table, called for some sliced meat and bread to be brought to him. Think of him the next time you’re eating a BLT. And then there’s Salisbury steak. To be continued… Pineapple Cheese Ball Ingredients 1 8 oz. can crushed pineapples (drained) 2 8 ox. pkgs. cream cheese 1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt 2 cups chopped pecans 2 tbsp. finely chopped onion Directions Let cream cheese come to room temperature. Mix cheese, pineapple, 1/2 cup of chopped nuts, onion, green pepper and salt. Set in refrigerator to chill. When chilled, roll into a ball and roll in remaining pecans, covering completely. Refirgerate until ready to serve. Serve with assorted crackers.