AboutTed Nesbitt Expertise I have an interest in the meanings of words and phrases, as well as how and when they became part of the English language. I enjoy
researching idioms, colloquialisms, dialects, and obscurities of
all kinds. I prefer short questions on a particular subject, and
I will not accept lengthy research projects or term papers. NOTE: ALLEXPERTS CLAIMS THAT I TRANSLATE FROM ENGLISH TO LATIN AND FROM LATIN TO ENGLISH. I DO NOT. ALLEXPERTS REFUSES TO DELETE THE LATIN-TO-ENGLISH SERVICE -- ONE THAT I DO NOT PROVIDE.
TRUST ME ON THIS: ALLEXPERTS IS WRONG. I DO NOT TRANSLATE FROM ENGLISH TO LANGUAGE. LOOK FOR A LANGUAGE EXPERT INSTEAD. ETYMOLOGY AND TRANSLATING SERVICES ARE ENTIRELY DIFFERENT. ALLEXPERTS SHOULD KNOW THAT. ALLEXPERTS DOES NOT KNOW THAT. I HAVE TRIED FOR MANY YEARS TO GET THEM TO CHANGE. THEY WILL NOT. SORRY, BUT I DO NOT TRANSLATE FROM ENGLISH TO LATIN.
Experience I am the bibliographic instruction and reference librarian at a public
college. My master's thesis concerns William Faulkner's tragic novels. I formerly taught advanced placement English at two schools in the Philadelphia area.
I have been a member of the grammar and writing section of Allexperts
for more than a year.
Education/Credentials Masters degrees in English, philosophy, and library science.
Question HI MY NAME IS KEYONNA AND TODAY IN LANGUAGE ARTS CLASS WE WHERE HAVING A BIG DISCUSSION OVER WHAT THE PHRASE THERES A LION IN YOUR STOMACH MEAN. SOME THOUGHT IT MEANT THAT YOU WERE REALLY HUNGRY AND YOUR STOMACH WAS GROWLING WHILE HE THINKS IT MEANS YOUR REALLY MOTIVATED AND YOUR GOING PLACES SO GET OUT THE WAY PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THIS MEANS I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO NOW.......THANKS FOR YOUR TIME
Answer Dear Keyonna:
It means that you are really "motivated and going places."
One definition I found relates it to the Jewish word "chutpah," which means "having extreme confidence in yourself," almost to the point of being overly "gutsy" -- taking on challenges that are really beyond your ability to meet or accept.
Another version of the phrase is "to kick the sleeping lion in its stomach," which means that you are SO SURE of yourself, you are not afraid to awaken and anger a ferocious animal.
