By Lois E. Wilson
I may be going out on a limb, but it is reported that idioms exist in all languages. Usually these words or phrases are not to be taken literally. They evolve by usage and have a meaning deduced from that of the individual words. They are to emphasize and create mental images that do not necessarily exist. Have you ever seen it “rain cats and dogs?”
A politician or candidate for office on a certain issue is “sitting on the fence” or “straddling it.” We know from well-used phrases, we do not need to look outside the window to see if he is still on the fence.
We have learned at the present time, the politician is unwilling or unable to commit to a side or share his views with the public on the issue. His constituents want to know. His answers fall on deaf ears; the ball is in his court, and his back is against the wall. So he tries to throw them a curveball.
At a public meeting, one man challenges him and exclaims loudly, “You’re trying to pull my leg! Sir, I voted for you last time but since then have found the issue involved will cost an arm and a leg. You have not said what you would do!
“I believe you bit off more than you can chew. You’re like a fish out of water. You’re beating around the bush, barking up the wrong tree—and seem out to lunch most of the time.
“To add insult to injury, you now give your supporters the cold shoulder. You took me in and I have defended you through thick and thin; I am certainly getting cold feet when it comes to voting for you again.
“I don’t want to stir up a hornet’s nest, but I am going to bite the bullet and support another candidate who will not lay an egg every time he speaks or hangs us all out to dry.
“I want a representative who is creative and thinks outside the box. I want one who is transparent and interested in his constituents’ views. I want one who is straight as an arrow. You have put us in a pickle so I am quitting cold turkey. Sir, I think I’ve hit the nail on the head—so I’ll sit down. Thank you!”
The afternoon is flying away. Mentioning food in this column has made the author hungry—I could eat a horse. That’s idiomatically speaking, of course!