like, hit the iron while its hot, you wouldnt even want to touch it while it was hot, let alone physically abuse it
2006-09-22 13:21:42 · 14 answers · asked by Brutal_Yet_Beautiful 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Other - Society & Culture
btw, i'm british, the americans i have seen are stupid, but i'm BRITISH
2006-09-22 13:25:23 · update #1
who's to say they have to make sense, thats why we're british mate
2006-09-23 09:27:10 · answer #1 · answered by chris s 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are sayings or colloquialisms, which mostly date back to some event or activity. The saying you highlight is in fact ""strike while the iron is hot". This is from the days when there were plenty of forges and blacksmiths so it was important to have the the metal red hot to do the work. Now it means "don't delay, do it whille you have the chance."
2006-09-23 03:54:44 · answer #2 · answered by coolbythepool23# 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
lol, good point!
But don't you think thats what makes our culture so interesting, all those little things that don't seem to make sence, but have fasinating origins when you look them up? My favourite is "the rule of thumb" which seems to have about 10 origins ranging from beer making to thumping people! Maybe the iron one is something to do with blacksmiths needing to shape the metal while it is hot and flexible? Not sure!
2006-09-22 20:28:40 · answer #3 · answered by Gypsophila 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Think outside the box and you'll understand. Also some phrases come from a bygone age when life and words had different meanings. Foreign phrases don't make sense to many English speakers.
2006-09-22 20:25:02 · answer #4 · answered by filmwatcher59 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They were designed for the proletariat when education wasn't free for all. Therefore they made a lot of sense then.
Now you have to be an erudite Britisher to understand them!
Sorts out the immigrants from the natives as well!
2006-09-23 02:31:29 · answer #5 · answered by Christine H 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a blacksmith's phrase. They hammer the piece of iron while it is hot. If they waited until it was cold it wouldn't change shape. But feel free to try if you prefer it that way.
2006-09-22 20:25:02 · answer #6 · answered by Simon K 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think that phrase come from when Iron was heated up and the forger was going to hit it with his hammer to make it into something.. eg A horse shoe or a shield..
2006-09-22 20:24:46 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
because there 2 type's of the the English langue American English and the Queen's English "British"
2006-09-22 20:50:05 · answer #8 · answered by I'm crazy 4 God 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's "Strike the iron while it's hot" and it refers to shaping iron, which is understandably more difficult when it is cold.
dumbo.
2006-09-22 20:24:56 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
it's strike whilst the iron is hot and it's to do with branding cows, putting a mark on them with a hot iron you cant do it when its cold...
2006-09-22 20:24:32 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋