The more we learn about beards and all forms of facial hair, the more we discover that the words beard and hair have been engraved in our vocabulary way before our ancestors learned the English language.
Here are a few phrases that the Anglo-Saxons and those that have come after have created using these two words.
- Hair today, gone tomorrow:
If you think that you are the only person who worries about hair loss, then this should comfort you. There is a whole phrase dedicated to making people experiencing this loss feel better. It is basically the ‘c’est la vie’ of beards.
It is also used by the organizations that use donated hair to make wigs for cancer patients at no cost!
- Let your hair down:
This phrase has been used for years as a way to convince someone to let loose and have fun. This is especially used in reference to an uptight person who does not like to go with the flow.
However, it has been said that just like blondes, bearded men have more fun so we don’t think anyone from the beard gang will be hearing this anytime soon.
- Beard the lion in his den:
This phrase means that a one should confront someone on their own turf.
This was mostly used in the olden days where duals were a common occurrence. Anyone that wanted to challenge the other would go to their home/territory. Today, this term can also be expressed as, ‘
pulling up on someone’.
- Get out of my hair:
This is basically used when someone is getting on your last nerve. It expresses the fact that you may be feeling that the person is too close in terms of your personal space and you would like them to give you some distance. A similar phrase is, ‘get off my back.’
- Hair of the dog that bit you:
The expression the hair of the dog, for an alcoholic drink taken to cure a hangover, is a shortening of 'ahair of the dog that bit you'. It comes from an old belief that someone bitten by a rabid dog could be cured of rabies by taking a potion containing some of the dog's hair.
We don’t know about you, but we’re definitely going to drop these phrases in passing conversation. Beard talk is the best talk.Mandevu’s got you through your phrasing!Words: Ciku Kimani
