Timeline for Is there any equivalent for this Persian idiom: "Like a cow with a white forehead"?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
7 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 8, 2017 at 20:24 | comment | added | marcellothearcane | @talrnu 'it requires actual infamy, and not merely being particularly noticeable' - I completely agree. | |
| Aug 8, 2017 at 20:06 | comment | added | talrnu | @marcellothearcane It's an idiom, by definition it's not intended to be taken literally - its meaning comes from usage. Historically it's been used to describe someone who's about to be hurt or killed. It can also be used metaphorically, as Darren suggests, to describe someone as a pariah, and it's possible the prevalence of this metaphor is creeping in as an actual alternate definition of the idiom. I'll concede therefore that it fits, but only barely - it requires actual infamy, and not merely being particularly noticeable. | |
| Aug 8, 2017 at 19:31 | comment | added | marcellothearcane | Literally speaking, it's a man with a mark - that mark could be anything. | |
| Aug 8, 2017 at 19:27 | comment | added | Darren Ringer | @talrnu I'm not entirely sure "marked man" isn't also used to refer to someone who has become infamous among law enforcement or a community in general, ex. "I can't go back there. I'm a marked man!" This would probably imply an outstanding arrest warrant, but it might just mean the person is wanted for questioning or otherwise targeted for surveillance. | |
| Aug 8, 2017 at 16:29 | comment | added | talrnu | +1 for sore thumb and noticeable, though the latter isn't idiomatic. Marked man implies the man so marked is due to be the target of an already-planned attack, it has nothing to do with how noticeable a person is in general. | |
| Aug 7, 2017 at 22:16 | vote | accept | kazhvan | ||
| Aug 7, 2017 at 22:16 | |||||
| Aug 7, 2017 at 18:12 | history | answered | marcellothearcane | CC BY-SA 3.0 |