Every child learns the names of the body
parts very early in life, often by song. Later on in life, they learn that
these same words for body parts have meanings as verbs. The latter use is
generally but not always related to the body part itself.
Starting at the top, to head a
project is to run it while to head a ball in European football is to hit
with your head, of course. To be scalped is to lose your head,
literally, while scalping is privately selling tickets at higher price.
Staying in the area, people must face their problems in order to solve
them, i.e., deal with them directly. If someone is eyeing you, you are
being observed while nosing around involves asking questions. Bad mouthing
is making unpleasant references whereas teething is process of babies
growing, well, teeth. While cheeky is not a verb, it is definitely not
polite. For that matter, chin-chin
refers to the sound of glasses clinking (for a toast) and has nothing to do
with the body part. Finally, as long as an argument is limited to jawing,
the police will not intervene as it is all talk.
Descending, necking is what
teenagers do in the back of the car or on a bench seat, i.e., long kisses,
probably because of the various angles the neck takes (Interesting to know
whether and how teenage giraffes do it). To shoulder a load is to bear
it, as any backpacker knows. It is real fun to rib people, to make fun
of them, as long as you know they have a sense of humor, with the other
direction significantly less amusing. To arm people is provide them a
weapon, something more dangerous than what nature provided them. For getting
through crowds, you need to know how to elbow your way through, which
involves using that joint aggressively. Handing something over does
involve that appendix but not necessarily in a friendly way, even sometimes at
gun point. If you are fingered, you should feel identified or insulted,
as applicable. Thumbing is hitching for ride, which is signaled in the United States putting out your thump. Finally, couples need to back each other when dealing
with children by supporting the other's decision.
On to the southern hemisphere, to be hip
(grantedly not a verb) is to be cool and up to date, at least in the language
of the a few generations ago. Once upon a time, when you ran out of gas in a
remote location, you had to leg it to the next gas station, meaning to
walk. Being kneed is very painful because the knee is a very hard joint.
If you have to foot the bill, you pay out of your wallet. Getting your dog to heel on command is a basic part of canine training. Finally, to toe
the line (not tow!) is obey the rules and not go over the line.
Some of these examples are clearly prime
material for Amelia Bedelia while others are child's play, so to speak.