Oyster, Clam, Rice, Mango & Rain

I never ceased to be amazed at the many colourful and varied exclamations uttered in any language, the significance of which are extremely clear to those who use them and those who hear them, but the actual words used are sometimes confusing, ambiguous and often have little or nothing to do with the sentiment felt or expressed.

Like 'Ostras!' heard often here in Catalunya but not sure whether it's used in other parts of Spain as well, which means Oysters, and exclaimed to express great surprise, incredulity, amazement, elation, extreme exaltation or great disappoint. Now where is the logic if the same word is used to represent totally opposite state of mind about situations of contrasting extremes?

What's more, what oysters have got to do with anything?? I suppose that's like the expression in English 'No, you don't say!', to mean more or less the same thing in similar situations. Always immediately after somebody has just SAID' something!

Or, another English expression that someone is 'as happy as a clam'. Are clams always happy? How do we know that? They don't smile, laugh or jump about when they are, do they? And, why a clam and not say, a crab? Does it have to be a sea creature?

In Costa Rica people say 'Rice with Mango' to describe a mess, or a mixed up situation, people or things that shouldn't be put together but did by mistake or oversight. Why rice and mango and not for instance potato with banana?

And what about the English who say 'as right as rain'? To mean everything is just fine or right as it should be. Considering most people associate bright and happy state with sunshine and clear skies, why is rain so right? Does one feel healthy and happy only when soaking wet? I feel happiest wallowing in a warm bathtub with scented bubble foams and pretty miserable when caught in the rain.

When one sneezes, people around you would immediately say 'Bless you' in England, 'Jesus' or 'Salud' (Jesus and health, respectively) in Spain, 'Gesunheit' (good health) in Germany. Why only when you sneeze and not when you cough? Or when you hiccup?

My question to all that and hundreds more examply exclamations is: When, How, Why, and by Whom especially these were originated? It's only logical to assume that every one of these expressions must have had some element or reason to be linked with these words chosen, and not others, right? So this Mr. or Mrs. Mysterious suddenly decided to say something irrelevant to someone else's biologically unavoidable action, and everybody else unquestionably decided to follow suit thereon after? Why?

A coffee bar I sometimes frequent is called 'Poke Te Crek' which, in Catalan, means more or less the same as 'You don't say!', 'Really?' or 'You are pulling my leg!'. Literally it means 'I don't (or can't) believe you (it, that.)'. I had asked the proprietor and waiters but, other than a shrug and a smile, never did get a proper answer.

None of all these is important to me, nor to anyone else to be sure. I just can't help being curious. And, by the way, the Spanish don't pull legs; their equivalent to 'You are pulling my leg!' when referring to a practical joke played on somebody is 'pulling hair'!

Tags:sayings,exclamations,why,who

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