Slinging.org Forum - The sling in sayings and proverbs (differente languages)

Samuel

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The sling in sayings and proverbs (differente languages)
Nov 20^th, 2018 at 10:13am

First of all I apologize if this topic has been already discussed elsewhere.

I’m curious about the use of the sling in popular sayings/proverbs (or similar) in different languages.

I know two in Spanish:
- “Dar sopas con honda”: I love this one. The translation would be “To give soup(s) with sling (to somebody)” meaning that you are way better than somebody doing something/ That you are a pro in comparison to that person/ That somebody is not match to the other. Apparently the explanation comes from the fact than in old Spanish “sopa de río” = “river soup” was a way to say pebble. Still I like to believe that it comes literally from feeding somebody soup with a sling, glorious image.
I find it very interesting and I think it reflects the difficulty to master the use of the sling and became a pro, and also the power of the sling.

- “La honda del pastor cuanto más larga mejor, la honda del vaquero del codo al dedo”: “The shepherd’s sling the longer the better, the cowboy’s sling from the finger to the elbow”. It shows how different slings and lengths were used not only in war but also for different “civil” purposes as a tool. According to this herding sheep/goats or cows would require different use of the sling.

I recently listened the expression “Two birds, one rock” in English: it strongly suggests the use of the sling.

Hope you have some sayings in your own languages to share with us.

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Kick

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Re: The sling in sayings and proverbs (differente languages)
Reply #1 - Nov 20^th, 2018 at 10:26am

I'm actually English but I know that in Finnish "linko" (sling in Finnish) turns up in a lot of place names and in family names. Timpa, the other Finnish forum member (I think we're the only two forum members in Finland) made a post a little while ago.

I just went and found the post and "little while ago" turned out to be in 2014 Cheesy

http://slinging.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1401140596/10#10

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You are a great guy Kick but also slightly scary at times. - Morphy
"Nothing matters, but it’s perhaps more comfortable to keep calm and not interfere with other people." - H.P. Lovecraft, in a letter to Frank Belknap Long, 7 October, 1923

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Samuel

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Re: The sling in sayings and proverbs (differente languages)
Reply #2 - Nov 20^th, 2018 at 11:38am

Nice! Amazing how many surnames you have from sling.
2014…lol

In Spanish it's almost impossible to know if a word (surname, name of a place, etc.) comes from "sling". That’s because the word "honda" means also "deep/ profound" (adj. feminine) and the old words for sling: “fonda” would mean also “inn”; and “funda”= “sheath/holster”. It’s a total mess.

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Kick

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Re: The sling in sayings and proverbs (differente languages)
Reply #3 - Nov 20^th, 2018 at 12:45pm

Yeah it seems Finnish hasn't changed as much as a lot of other languages. There are still influences and old Finnish is VERY difficult to understand for modern Finnish people (and totally impossile for me Cheesy

) but words themselves it seems haven't often changed meaning so it's easier to trace them back.

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You are a great guy Kick but also slightly scary at times. - Morphy
"Nothing matters, but it’s perhaps more comfortable to keep calm and not interfere with other people." - H.P. Lovecraft, in a letter to Frank Belknap Long, 7 October, 1923

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timpa Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Stones in the horizon Posts: 1515 Finland	Re: The sling in sayings and proverbs (differente languages) Reply #4 - Nov 20^th, 2018 at 6:00pm Yes, that's it. Proverbs about the sling I do not know.
Back to top	I'll never practice; I only slinging. http://www.youtube.com/user/TimpaLinkosling/videos http://linko-sling.jimdo.com/ IP Logged

timpa Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Stones in the horizon Posts: 1515 Finland	Re: The sling in sayings and proverbs (differente languages) Reply #5 - Nov 20^th, 2018 at 6:20pm The Holy Bible, The Book of Proverbs, 26:8 "As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool."
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Mersa Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Druid Posts: 2598 Australia Gender:	Re: The sling in sayings and proverbs (differente languages) Reply #6 - Nov 21^st, 2018 at 2:18am Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me , Arrows and glandes !!!
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Blue Raja

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Re: The sling in sayings and proverbs (differente languages)
Reply #7 - Nov 21^st, 2018 at 4:36pm

Some additional biblical references to slings:

Out of all these people 700 choice men were left-handed; each one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. Judges 20:16

They were equipped with bows, using both the right hand and the left to sling stones and to shoot arrows from the bow; they were Saul's kinsmen from Benjamin. 1 Chronicles 12:2

He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine. 1 Samuel 17:40. And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground. 1 Samuel 17:49

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Shale

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Re: The sling in sayings and proverbs (differente languages)
Reply #8 - Nov 21^st, 2018 at 8:44pm

"Slings and arrows". Originally from Shakespeare's Hamlet:

"Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing, end them"

It can now refer to criticisms or judgments or just to the bad things that happen in one's life, e.g. "He endured the slings and arrows of life in the media spotlight".

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Shale

As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honor to a fool. (Proverbs 26.8)

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Samuel Tiro Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 48 León, Spain Gender:	Re: The sling in sayings and proverbs (differente languages) Reply #9 - Nov 22^nd, 2018 at 6:31am Nice one, Shale. Is it widespread nowadays in English speaking countries???
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Kick Forum Moderation Offline Posts: 4451 Finland	Re: The sling in sayings and proverbs (differente languages) Reply #10 - Nov 22^nd, 2018 at 8:39am I've definitely heard it a number of times. "Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me" I heard a lot as a kid. I never really thought about it but yeah it's definitely slingstones and arrows
Back to top	You are a great guy Kick but also slightly scary at times. - Morphy "Nothing matters, but it’s perhaps more comfortable to keep calm and not interfere with other people." - H.P. Lovecraft, in a letter to Frank Belknap Long, 7 October, 1923 IP Logged

theostravos Tiro Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 29	Re: The sling in sayings and proverbs (differente languages) Reply #11 - Dec 25^th, 2018 at 1:59pm My three cents value words Ἐφυγε σφεντόνα ('Efige Sfentona) He left as fast as thrown by a sling Είσαι σφεντόνα ('Ise sfentona) You are "sling" You are so clever, your mind seems to spin as fast as from the sling Regards
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Re: The sling in sayings and proverbs (differente languages)
Reply #12 - Jan 18^th, 2019 at 9:18am

Le Fronde which means the sling in French is used for the Left party or a public movement; It is based on a castle siege where the poor defenders used slings to sve gun powder, and the kings army lost. Later during the french recolution also the movement was called le fronde. Still nowadays this is in use in France and french speaking countries.

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