It's Greek to me: Why is the language of 'The Odyssey' shorthand for all that we don’t understand?
About this episode
This episode explores the origins of the phrase 'It's all Greek to me' and its cultural significance across different languages.
1214. This week, we look at why we say, "It's all Greek to me" when we don't understand something. We trace the phrase from medieval monks who couldn't read Greek manuscripts to Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," and look at how other languages, like Czech, German, and Cantonese, express the same idea of incomprehension. The Greek segment was written by Valerie Fridland, a professor of linguistics at the University of Nevada in Reno and author of " Why We Talk Funny: The Real Story Behind Our Accents ." You can find her at valeriefridland.com . A hearty thank-you to our Keepers of the Commas on Patreon . We appreciate your support! Larry Rosenblum Mahala Russell George Wilson Laurel Paul Linda Cox Birna Anna Björnsdóttir 🔗 Join the Grammar Girl Patreon. 🔗 Share your familect recording in Speakpipe or by leaving a voicemail at 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475) 🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses . 🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter . 🔗 Find an edited transcript . 🔗 Get Grammar Girl books . | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network . Audio…
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