Two idoms can't find, please help...

[shinem]

Hello everyone,

I'm translating a book and couldn't find the meaning of two idoms. Please help me to understand the meaning of them. Thank you very much.

1) Everything but wild dogs chasing you over frozen ice floes.

2) Sometime the bread you cast upon the waters washes back with the first wave.

Shinem

 

[shinem]

Hello everyone,

I'm translating a book and couldn't find the meaning of two idoms. Please help me to understand the meaning of them. Thank you very much.

1) Everything but wild dogs chasing you over frozen ice floes.

2) Sometime the bread you cast upon the waters washes back with the first wave.

Shinem

 

[White Hat]

Concerning the 2nd sentence, there is a passage I found on the Internet:

YOU WILL FIND, AS THE BIBLE SAYS, IF YOU KEEP CASTING YOUR BREAD UPON THE WATERS, SOON IT WILL COME BACK TO YOU ON EVERY WAVE. ALL OF A SUDDEN, ONE DAY, YOU WILL LOOK UP AND HERE IT COMES, AGAIN AND AGAIN.

A bit earlier:
WHAT YOU PLANT IS WHAT YOU RECEIVE, WHETHER IT IS GOOD OR BAD.

It seems to me that this might mean 2 things:
1) If you give (help) others, you will get something (a lot) from God. (great concept!)
2) Whatever you do will come back to you.

 

[shinem]

Thank you very much This will help me!

 

[BobK]

1 is not idiomatic. We'll need more context to give you an idea of what it means.

b

 

[shinem]

I see. Then I can summary the context till this conversation. It's a dialog between a man and a woman. Man is at the hospital and had a stroke. So having bad times with his illness and memory. Woman is says to him this:

“Wow! Poor bunny, you really have been raked over the broken glass, haven’t you? Everything but wild dogs chasing you over frozen ice floes.”

I can't find the whole meaning actually. First sentence mean they're (the doctors) forcing you I guess. But second is too complicated for me.

If you can enlighten me I'll be so glad!

Thank you

 

[Ouisch]

The first one isn't an idiom, per se, but it is a reference to a scene in the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. Escaped slave Eliza is fleeing, with her baby in her arms, from the authorities and their bloodhounds (dogs). When she arrives at the Ohio River she is miraculously able to cross it by stepping on the ice floes that are floating by.

So the speaker is somewhat sarcastically comparing the complaining hospital patient to someone in a truly life-or-death situation.

 

[shinem]

Thank you very very much! All my problem is solved by your explanation. This is a very nice reference

 

[shinem]

I have another question too. In this sentence:

'One of the young cleaners, who, I gathered, had encountered Anna while mopping my room, shook his head at me, saying: “I hope I’m never that tired.”'

I couldn't find the 'gathered' meaning. What does it refer to? To the one talking, or to cleaner? I'll be so happy if you can answer me.

Thank you

 

[5jj]

'One of the young cleaners, who, I gathered, had encountered Anna while mopping my room, shook his head at me, saying: “I hope I’m never that tired.”'

I couldn't find the 'gathered' meaning. What does it refer to? .

'I gathered' - I realised, came to understand, probably from something I heard.

In future, please start a fresh thread for a question about a different topic. Thank you.

 

[shinem]

Thank you very much. Ok, I'll take on board what you advice. Thanks

 

[J&K Tutoring]

1. I think it means it feels like everyone is chasing after you- either they want something from you (work or favors or money or ?) or you have done something bad and they want to bring you in for punishment. Either way the 'frozen ice floes' I take to mean that your footing (whether literal or figurative) is not very secure, so you may not be able to 'get away'. Some more context would be needed to confirm that guess.

2. It's a sarcastic take on an old saying derived from a Bible quote: "Cast your bread upon the waters..." You can search that bit to find many versions and explanations of its meaning.

The original encourages everyone to be kind to all and eventually that kindness will come back and you will benefit in ways you cannot foresee. This version says that if you are kind to a stranger, it might just as likely slap you in the face or simply go nowhere at all.

 

[shinem]

Thank you very much for your explanation

 

[Barb_D]

I have merged your two duplicate threads.

Please ask a question only once. Thank you.