liška podšitá
Czech edit
Etymology edit
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 edit
Phrase edit
- (idiomatic) fox (a cunning person, a person sly as a fox)
- Synonyms: chytrák, liška, lišák, podšívka, všemi mastmi mazaný
- 1931, Karel Čapek, “Velká pohádka doktorská”, in Devatero pohádek[1]:
- „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 quotation)
Related terms edit
References edit
- ^ Machek, Václav (1968) “šíti”, in Etymologický slovník jazyka českého [Etymological Dictionary of the Czech Language], 2nd edition, Prague: Academia
- ^ Michal Novotný (2003-05-21). "Liška". Český rozhlas Regina. Retrieved 2015-06-11.