A turn of phrases

Last week in the yoga class, one of the instructors said, "Half knowledge is devil's workshop". This morning, an RJ on the state-owned FM station was singing paens to the benefits of a good night's sleep. She concluded by saying, "A good night's sleep is worth its weight in gold". I imagine her waking up in the morning and telling the husband, (can't be the boyfriend, the station is state-owned), "You are such a heavy sleeper, not light like me".

Two weeks ago, we sat around waiting for a meeting to begin, listening to a conversation between an ex-cricketer and a junior official of a cricket association. The junior official made a veiled comment to which the ex-cricketer replied, "सरळ बोला की... असं नथीतून काय बोलताय? In English, "Talk straight... why are you speaking through the nose ring?"

In ‘Arrow of God’, an English novel by Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe, a character uses a phrase from the Ibo language, “Sit down, Obika, you must expect foreigners to talk through the nose.” Top left corner: Traditional Maharashtrian nose ring. Photographer: Unknown.