The Idioms of Protest

In honor of the Women’s March, which occurred this weekend, I thought it would be appropriate this week to cover some of the incredible English idioms based around marching and protesting.

Here are some that I found interesting and usable in current speaking and writing.

March to the beat of a different drummer means to do things one own way, often in an unorthodox manner. This could come from marching bands whose members all follow in time and in step to the drum beat. If you are marching to a different beat, then you might be out of step with the others around you. This is often used to express originality of action.

For example, great poets often march to the beat of a different drummer.

Get one’s marching orders mean to be required to do something. This probably comes from the military and idea that soldiers go and do what they’re told by the brass. Thus, they get there marching orders. This might be used when telling somewhat what to do.

For example, Mrs. C gave us our marching orders and told us to get in to the Language Lab to practice the grammar!

A ripple of protest is a quiet or subdued protest. This brings to mind the ripple of the wind on a pond. It’s visible but subtle.

For example, with a ripple of protest, I wear a safety pin to symbolize the inclusive nature of my classroom and my America.

These idioms have the similar meaning, which is to upset, change, or influence an existing situation,

Rock the Boat

Upset the Apple Cart

Challenge Status Quo

while these three similar phrases mean to object loudly to something.

Kick Up a Fuss

Yell Bloody Murder

Make a Stink

To take a stand means to adopt a position usually for or against something.

For example, he took a stand against inequality by attending a protest for equal rights.

To stand up for means to defend something or someone usually against something or someone else.

For example, she stood up for the rights of others by voting for the new law.

How then can all of these distinct idioms be used in context? Usually, they would be sprinkled throughout regular conversation. For example, someone might ask why you are doing a particular action and you might reply, I march to the beat of a different drummer.

Rarely, would they be used in excess as they are in the example that follows. Nonetheless, for fun, let’s consider some of them in the context of what happened this weekend on the Women’s March.

In the United States, personal freedoms allow one to march to the beat of a different drummer if so desired. Sometimes, however, people do come together in unison to challenge the status quo through peaceful protest. One day in January 2017, a legion of individuals, not only in America but around the entire world, decided to rock the boat and kick up a fuss by taking a stand for what they believed was right. They were no longer content with just a ripple of protest about inequality, misogyny, and racism. Hence, they decided to stand up for equal rights for all people regardless of ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. They gave themselves marching orders and set out to upset the apple cart by making their voices heard.

The more language you know,

the more precisely you can express your ideas!

Right to Assemble

Today, I want to take a brief journey into one of the American freedoms we have based on the First Amendment – the right to assemble- and how that freedom has been and is continuing to be expressed in our country.

Before we dive into the actuality of a protest, let’s look at and understand the language of the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights as it applies to this topic.

Right

What does “right” mean here? While I have a sense of this based on my own education, I did an internet search to see what came up. After perusing several different definitions, I think this one at dictionary.law.com sums it up best by defining right as “rights given or reserved to the people by the U.S. Constitution, and in particular the Bill of Rights. To restate, a right is something that a person has which is guaranteed by the laws of the land.

People

This leads us to the very real question, who are the people? One obvious answer is citizens of the country. I don’t that can be argued. But are those the only people who have rights? Well, no. But what rights to non-citizens have? Websites with this information abound, and it can be quite confusing for they quote the law to make their case. The biggest point of contention seems to be whether “illegal” or “undocumented” people are protected under the Bill of Rights. From what I can tell, the general consensus is that every person living in the USA is covered under the Bill of Rights, but I am sure this will repeatedly be tested in the court of law in the upcoming years.

Peaceably

What does peaceably mean? Most of us have a definition of peace, but how does it apply here? We have all see the recent protests where people march in mass, waving signs and shouting. Is that peaceful? We have also seen people blocking freeways. Can that be a peaceful protest? It is the definition of what is peaceful that can cause problems. If the government or city decides it is “not peaceful” than they can break up the assembly as we have seen on TV with pepper spray being sprayed on protesters. I was unable to find a clear, concrete definition of what is and isn’t peaceful and I think this is being debated and played out even today.

Assemble

Assemble is a verb that means to gather, and the noun assembly is the gathering together of something, often people. Technically, a birthday party for your mom is an assembly. An assembly can be in a private home or a public area like a park or sidewalk. The more people involved, the bigger the assembly. In today’s language, we generally use the noun “protest” rather than assembly. Often times, these assemblies are organized into a March, where people gather and walk to a particular place or on a particular route, rather like a parade of protest.

Petition

To petition is a verb that means to ask. When you see the signs in a protest, these could be considered petitions. They are expressing the requests or demands of the people. Here also, we often use the verb “protest” rather than petition. Regarding language usage, one petitions or asks for something but protests or fights against something.

Redress

Redress is a verb that means to remedy or fix something. So if you cut me off in traffic, causing me to have an accident, you might redress the situation by paying for my car repairs. In the case of the First Amendment, it is the government that is being asked to fix a situation.

Grievance

Grievance is if a formal noun that means a wrong or damage that generates complaint or protest. You have a grievance or complaint against something or someone.

Restating the First Amendment in simpler language gives us:

a guarantee that people in the United States can come together in numbers great or small and demand their issues be heard and addressed by the government.

In 2016, the Black Lives Matter movement and protests occurred all over the United States. People of all races are asking the government to end police violence against African Americans. This movement continues today.

On January 21, there was a Women’s March on Washington and other cities around the country. People were protesting for the protection of rights, safety, health, family, and diversity. People were and will continue to protest some of the statements and pomissed policies of the newly elected President Trump.

In the United States, the people have the protected right to express their feelings in public and to stand against situations they feel are wrong. The First Amendment guarantees that right. If you would like more information on what these rights are and the practical application of them, I found this informative Know Your Rights Faq sheet published by the ACLU.

Handling Crisis

Crisis – not a vocabulary word we truly want to understand, but one that can’t be escaped in life. Crisis is a word with a negative connotation. As I thought about this word today, It seemed to me to be a stand-alone word and I could not easily think of an adjective form of the noun. With an internet search, I did find the adjective crisic, meaning related to crisis, but was unable to find a single example of its usage in a sentence. I’ve never used crisic in a sentence either. Clearly, crisis is a noun in a category all by itself.

I have had quite a few crises (the plural form) in the last few years with losing beloved family members, changing jobs, and experiencing health issues. My road has been a bit rough, to say the least.

Lately, though things have evened out into a relatively peaceful path. My job has been going well, my students have been phenomenal, I’ve been creating the new website and finishing the book, everyone I love has been happy and whole…

Until last weekend, then another crisis boulder appeared on my personal road. My precious 17-year old kitty had an episode and had to spend the night in the animal hospital. Luckily, for now, he seems to be recovered though we still don’t know what caused the problems in the first place. He is back home and asleep on the bed where he belongs.

Nonetheless, he is an old man, and will not last forever; no one does. So soon, once again I will be facing a personal loss and crisis.

Most people have their own crisis of some kind or another. Moving to another country can cause many crises. Breaking up with significant others, quitting a job, even failing a class…

These are all crisis making moments. How can we overcome these times of difficulty?

I’ve found three helpful techniques for times of crisis.

1) Stick to your calendar routine as much as policy.

Consistency in times of difficulty can give one a sense of control over events even as other events spiral out of control.

Despite my concerns for my kitty and sadness at possibly having to say good bye forever, I still got up and sat down to work on the computer. Now, I was not able to be creative and work on the new book liked I’d planned, but I did some web site building for my ESL 201 course, which was basically copying things from one calendar to another. It was soothing in its familiarity, and I had a sense of accomplishing something rather than just curling up in a ball to cry.

2) Speak kindly to others.

Other people may be in the same crisis as you; striking out in your stress, anger or grief can make a bad situation even worse.

On the way home from the animal hospital last night, Mr. C was upset as was I. He often copes by zoning out in front of the TV. When he asked me if I wanted to watch our Sunday night show, I almost snapped at him. I almost struck out for his caring more about “Sherlock” than Nyx. However, I took a deep breath and quietly said I would rather not watch TV right now, but needed some time alone. While neither one of us were happy, I didn’t worsen the situation, which is always a plus.

3) Take care of yourself.

This is often the hardest thing to do when stressed in crisis. However, it is essential for if you don’t take care of yourself, then the situation will only worsen.

I forced myself to go to bed that night even though I had no kitty next to my head purring his way to sleep. Sleep is an essential part of a healthy life. I made myself eat breakfast and lunch as I waited for the vet to call with Nyx’s results. Rather working to the point of exhaustion, I took breaks. I stretched. I sewed a few therapy pillows. I listed some favorite songs and read some of a favorite book. Basically, I took care of myself the best I could while waiting.

The road of life twists and turns through the good times and the bad. Life doesn’t stop while we are in crisis. Mr. C still had to go to work. Classes start as normal. Assignments are due. The world turns and turns. The road keeps going. Finding a way to successfully deal with personal crises is needed. I hope you find yours too!

Idioms, Demons, and Angels Oh My….

Music is a fantastic way to become fluent in the rhythm and flow of language, especially those songs with good grammar or interesting idiomatic usage of language.

Which leads me to a new song on the radio by Julia Brennan called “Inner Demons.”

It’s a song for today’s stress and difficulty in life and I found the music to be lovely and Brennan’s voice haunting. Understanding this song does require a bit of idiomatic English knowledge as the lyrics use a clever play on words with the idiom inner demon, meaning an internal struggle within yourself usually fought alone. Here in her song, she is struggling with metaphorical Demons and hopes the Angels fight them to help her overcome her problems.

Here’s a brief excerpt of the song

“Cause Inner demons fight their battles with fire.

Inner demons don’t play by the rules.

They say just push them down, just fight them harder.

Why would you give up on it so soon?

So angels, angels please just keep on fighting.

Angels don’t give up on me today.

The demons they are there; they keep on fighting.

Cause inner demons just wont go away.”

After singing the song for several days around the house, I thought it would make an interesting vocabulary blog entry. So I looked up some idiomatic phrases in use today about demons (also called devils). Also, since we don’t want to focus solely on the hellish aspect of the language, I’ll cover some heavenly idioms about angels as well.

Speed Demon

This is a person who drives really quickly, and even recklessly. It has a slight negative connotation.

For example: Have you ever ridden the Sam? He’s a real speed demon! It makes me nervous!

Face Your Demons

This phrase means to deal with or acknowledge problems or difficulties in your life in order to overcome them. It can be used in an advisory context.

For example: to be a successful public speaker, you really have to face your demons and get over your insecurities.

Speak of the Devil

This is a phrase often said when a person appears who has just been talked about.

For example: if you and I were discussing Mr. C and how he was fixing the dryer this morning and then he walked in the room, I might say, “Well speak of the devil. Look who’s here. It’s Mr. C.”

The Devil Is in the Details

This is one of my personal favorite idioms! This phrase means that the details or minutia of something is often the most difficult or problematic to overcome.

For example: In finishing up my new book, I feel like the editing will never end! But the devil’s in the details, so I keep working at it!

Enough to Make the Angels Weep

This phrase can be used to describe a particularly horrific situation, one that’s almost too bad for words.

For example: the devastation to the Syrian civilian population in Aleppo was enough to make the angels weep.

Guardian Angel

A guardian angel can be a protecting spirit to watch over a person or a place; it’s often used to describe a person who watches over someone.

For example: When I was a struggling student, my grandparents were my guardian angels. They gave me a place to stay and helped me start over in California.

Fools Rush in Where Angels Fear to Tread.

This phrase means foolish people often don’t hesitate to commit actions that wise people would avoid. Saying this about somebody is not a compliment as it has a negative connotation.

For example: I can’t believe Susie is taking 24 units and working part-time. Oh well, fools rush in where angels fear to tread, don’t they?

On the Side of Angels

This phrase means that the person or action is the right or moral thing since it is associated with the deity or an angel. This has a positive connotation.

For example: did you see the Coffee Shop is giving coats away to homeless people? They sure are on the side of angels.

Yes, idioms can be frustrating and confusing and hellish to understand; nonetheless little by little, bit by bit, word by word, mastering English is doable! And it can even be fun! Remember, the devil is in the details!

Class Video Lessons

Primarily, I prefer to use the TED.ED videos because they are professional and the topics are important. Here are some of the short videos I show in class.