liška podšitá
Czech
FWOTD – 10 February 2016
Etymology
From liška (“fox”) + podšitý (“lined”). In the past animal fur used to be sometimes sown inside coats. At the same time there was a prejudice that some animal characteristics can be transferred to people by touching them. People wearing coats lined with fox fur were expected to have acquired characteristics like cunningness or slyness.[1][2] Compare Polish tchórzem podszyty.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈlɪʃka ˈpotʃɪtaː/
Phrase
- (idiomatic) fox, (a cunning person, a person sly as a fox)
- 1931, Karel Čapek, “Velká pohádka doktorská”, in Devatero pohádek:
- „A jejej,“ řekl doktor, který byl filuta, liška podšitá, lišák drbaný, kostelník pálený, kos vykutálený a šibal mazaný, neboť měl za ušima i za lubem, […]
- (please add an English translation of this quote)
-
Related terms
- liškou podšitý
- čertem podšitý
References
- "šíti" in Václav Machek, Etymologický slovník jazyka českého, second edition, Academia, 1968
- Michal Novotný (2003-05-21). "Liška". Český rozhlas Regina. Retrieved 2015-06-11.
This article is issued from
Wiktionary.
The text is licensed under Creative
Commons - Attribution - Sharealike.
Additional terms may apply for the media files.