Inspirational journeys
Follow the stories of academics and their research expeditions
Bats
Sarah: Hey Tom, did you know that bats have an interesting linguistic role in the English language?
Tom: Really? How so?
Sarah: Well, for starters, they're not just scary animals for many. In the plural form, "bats" becomes a synonym for the adjective 'crazy.' So, for example, "Are you bats?" means "Are you crazy?"
Tom: Oh, I see. That's interesting.
Sarah: It gets even more interesting. If you change its form and make it an adjective, "batty" means the same thing. Like when you say, "You are driving me batty."
Tom: Ah, got it. So it's like saying, "You're driving me crazy."
Sarah: Exactly! But here's where it gets yucky. If you put the bat in the cave, it leads to a very unpleasant meaning.
Tom: What do you mean?
Sarah: Well, imagine saying, "He is the kid with the bat in the cave over there." It means he's the kid with snot hanging from his nose.
Tom: Eww, that's gross!
Sarah: And if you combine the word 'bat' with the word 'shit,' you get the same meaning as 'bullshit.'
Tom: Really? Like when you say, "Honestly, I think this is all batshit."
Sarah: Yep, exactly like that.
Tom: Wow, I never realised bats had such an interesting linguistic role in English.
Sarah: Yeah, it's pretty fascinating. Anyway, I guess we should get back to business and stop all this batshit talk. ????????????
Tom: Haha, yeah, let's focus on what we need to do.
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Bats English language Linguistic role Synonyms Crazy Batty Idioms Expressions Language usage Slang Vocabulary Informal language Conversation Humor Bat in the cave Gross expressions Bullshit Colloquialisms Cultural references0 Comments
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