There are some words and phrases that, because I was a precocious reader as a child, I understood out of context but didn’t truly comprehend. One that comes to mind is: “bleeding like a stuck pig.”
I don’t know where I first read or heard this phrase, but for the longest time I had a mental image of a piglet that was stuck trying to get under a fence. I didn’t quite understand where the bleeding came in. Was the fence sharp? Maybe it was made of barbed wire? Who puts a barbed-wire fence around a pig sty?
Only years later did I stop and think, Maybe not “stuck” as in, you know, stuck. Maybe “stuck” as in “stabbed”? Stuck with a knife?
Then I wondered for a while why anyone would stab a pig. To butcher it?
And finally: Maybe “pig” in the derogatory sense? Like slang for a police officer?
Well, it made more sense than an actual pig stuck under a fence anyway.
I still don’t know if that’s actually what that phrase is referring to, and maybe it doesn’t matter. I know what it means in use, if not its extrapolation. (And sure, I could look it up, but where’s the fun in that?)
Okay, I have eight paperback copies of The K-Pro to give away. To enter to receive one, simply tell me in the comments about a word or phrase you misunderstood and how you came to learn the truth. Please keep it clean. I don’t mind hearing how you learned about a sexual innuendo so long as you don’t get graphic about it. If more than eight people comment, I’ll use a randomizer to select winners. Entries accepted through 10:00 p.m. PST, Monday 19 February. I look forward to hearing your stories!