"Latet anguis in herba" ~ A Snake in the Grass

My Ophelia is a very clever cat and enjoys reading on the steamer chair on the front porch every afternoon.  Last week, she seemed perplexed and asked me a question about an expression she had read:

"Mistress Elizabeth, in the mystery story I am reading it said the suspect was as cool as a cucumber and I have no idea what that means."

"Oh, that is an idiomatic phrase or expression.  It means the suspect was not agitated, he appeared calm when he was questioned", I answered.  Then I went on to give other examples of idioms and idiomatic expressions such as out to lunch, up a creek, live and let live and to take down an enemy.

"But it doesn't make sense, Mistress, what is an idiom?

"An idiom is a phrase whose meaning cannot be determined by the literal definition of the phrase itself, but refers instead to a figurative meaning that is known only through common use. In linguistics, idioms are widely assumed to be figures of speech that contradict the principle of compositionality; however, this has shown to be a subject of debate.  Just remember an idiom is a word or phrase that means something different to what the words imply if interpreted literally.  I know this is a very difficult concept for you Ophelia....but in order for you to understand the English you read in books, you must have a clear understanding of idiomatic expressions as a figure of speech otherwise you won't understand what you are reading."

"But Mistress, this is just so confusing.  Can you give me some examples", queried Ophelia in a perplexed meow.

"Now let me see, oh yes....there are many idioms that deal with food.  In a nutshell really means concisely; or to eat humble pie you accept shame.  Then there's the expression use your noodle which really means to think."

OK, Mistress I think I get it now.  The other day I was reading about a character who was a snake in the grass but he really wasn't a snake, he was a man.  So what does that mean?"

"Oh, Ophelia, a snake in the grass is someone who is unfaithful or untrustworthy, a deceitful kind of person.  It was used long ago in 37 BC by the great Roman poet Virgil.  In his Eclogues (3.93), he used the phrase Latet anguis in herba, literally meaning "A snake lurks in the grass" and figuratively meaning a hidden danger looms."

"Enough of this Roman stuff...I don't want to learn Latin, Mistress.  I get the point...if I come upon an expression that just doesn't make sense literally, I'll ask ya' and we'll leave it at that."

The other morning I was really quite busy.  I had gotten up at 5, did a little Gathering and then ran off to the grocery store to buy the ingredients I needed to make a fruit salad. Though I don't cook, come hell or high water I was going to bring something I made from scratch to my first Coffee Klatsch.   A fellow kindergarten teacher had invited myself as well as some other teachers to her new digs at 9:30.  I was racing against the clock.  After cutting first the cantaloupe and then the watermelon, I went out to the porch for some fresh air.  That's when I noticed Ophelia crouched down in the grass beside the second garden.  She was sitting like a stone statue...not moving at all.

"Ophelia, what is it?  Why are you sitting so quietly looking down?"

"There's a snake in the grass, Mistress Elizabeth, "and I'm very curious as to how he moves.

Being a doubting Thomas having never seen a snake in my yard, I laughed and told her not to tell me a cock and bull story.  But she insisted and so I told her smugly not to bite off more then she could chew.  "Don't you know Ophelia, curiosity killed the cat."

"That's just an idiom, Mistress Elizabeth.  You know a leopard can't change his spots.  I think this snake in the grass would make a great lunch"

Let sleeping dogs lie, Ophelia, in these dog days of summer you don't want to count your chickens before they hatch.  With that last idiom, I went in the house.  Imagine, a snake in my grass.  No way.   But I was down to the wire if I was going to get this fruit salad done in time for the coffee hour.  I started cutting the strawberries, but then I started thinking about Ophelia.  Was there a real snake in the grass or is she just pulling my leg?

I went back out on the porch and then down the stairs to where Ophelia was standing as quiet as a mouse.

Hold your horses, it was a snake in the grass.

"In your face" Mistress Elizabeth" Ophelia meowed!

Between you and me and the cat's whiskers, there really was a snake in the grass.

With that, I went into the house to finish my fruit salad....I had my first Coffee Klatsch to go to and I didn't want to be late.