A thing which I find most curious. TBH, I’ve never had that problem for some reason, but to see it in a musician is even still more curious to me, because one would think their having been around the block would count for something. To repeat myself, it’s not seeing the forest for the trees. But that’s why we help them along, isn’t it. 
For me, “A man is medicine” was probably the hardest to intuit (although they were all pretty opaque). “Shaasa is a person” was the most intuitive.
The one about a man moving like water; ergo, he is fast. Granted, water typically does move along at a rapid clip…but I once had a PT instructor who, if he thought someone needed to pick up their pace, would admonish them for “moving like pond-water.” As Nanohedron said, those examples were all rather opaque.
At least the image of pond water for sluggishness is clear. When I hear “He goes like water,” I think first of effortlessness.
In Chinese, one of the worst things you can call someone is a turtle egg. If I have it right, there’s a story of a turtle who was unfaithful to her mate, so calling someone a turtle egg is basically calling them a bastard.
The thing I find bizarre about this is that AFAIK, turtles don’t mate for life (or even more than one season), and neither of the parents has anything to do with raising the little ones. I don’t even know of any species that protect their eggs.
Well, we say “sweat like a pig”. But pigs don’t sweat.
And “happier than a pig in…” erm, slop. But pigs are usually pretty clean animals.
If they have lots of clean straw in a concrete pen, yes. But not if they have a chance for a vigorous mud bath on a hot day.
Curiously, “He goes like water,” was the only one I got without peeking.
Also, Nanohedron; I have on order a 6-keyed flute in mopani. I’ll let you know if it gets mistaken for anything. I doubt anyone will guess clarinet, but it will be interested to see what responses it gets.
The mopane could be mistaken for some kind of rosewood, in which case customs could impound it.
This isn’t a post to ebay, but we have a bottle of aloe lotion, which says on it, “100% pure*”
“contains only aloe vera and other necessary stabilizers.”
The list of ingredients on the back is as long as my arm and includes things like FD&C yellow 22 ( one of, about three artificial dyes in the stuff), PEG 8-12 (polyethylene glycol with 8-12 ethylenes per unit), various alcohols, and a dozen other things that have nothing to do with stabilizing it.
To paraphrase Inigo Montoya, I don’t think (necessary stabilizers) means what you think it means.
Nor, apparently, does “100% Pure”.
O tempora. O mores.
That is good to know. For my reference, is there any real way to prevent that? (The flute is being made by Terry McGee; I suspect he’ll know what precautions are necessary; but it is good for me to know what precautions can be taken.)
Contact Terry and find out. You’ll involve yourself in the process that way.