Quote:
Originally Posted by vil  Dear teacher,
I have read the following passage in an article in IHT:
" Answering a question about supposed U.S. intentions to gain control over Russia's huge, resource-rich interior, Putin said: "I know that such ideas are brewing in the heads of some politicians. I think it is a sort of political eroticism which maybe gives someone pleasure but will hardly lead anywhere, and the best example of that is Iraq."
What do you think about the expression in bold? The meaning is comprehensible for me, but I couldn't see the relationship between "brew" , "boil", "cook", "soak","intention", "fiction", "a cock and bull story","beer", "beverage", "produce", "imbue" without using many different dictionary.
Could you explain to me the expression as : brew = make muddy, trouble, muddle people minds, cut, plot, plan, brew mischief, a plot is brewing, a storm is brewing, when the ground meaning of brew is only "prepare by brewing and sit or let sit in boiling water so as to extract the flavor"? I know very well that the brewing is the production of malt beverage as beer or ale from malt and hops by grinding and boiling and fermenting the result with yeast. I wonder why this word "brewing" was putted into Putin's mouth. Does this is a hint that the Russian like to drink. Maybe this is a common phrase?
V. |
You say that you understand "brewing" of beer and you show this in your description of the process. It is a long process, isn't it? You can brew tea also by placing tea leaves in a teapot, adding hot water and waiting sevreal minutes for the flavour of the tea to enter the hot water.
Well in English there are several food processes that are used describe human actions, stewing is another one.
When someone has an idea,
brewing in their head, it is not a complete idea at first. They may think about it for a long time, changing it, thinking more until it becomes something they might talk about. So they talk about it to perhaps get someone's opinion and they think about it further. Finally after all this thought they may take action.
A storm
brewing could start as a few clouds that you observe on the horizon. A little later they appear to be larger and darker. Perhaps a cold wind comes from the direction of the cloud. It is not a storm yet, but it won't be long before it is one.
So.....when
Putin said: "I know that such ideas are brewing in the heads of some politicians."
He is commenting one unspoken ideas that he perceives as occurring in some politicians mind. From the context of the rest of the paragraph, he doesn't think those thoughts are wise and can lead to trouble for everyone.
Somewhat like watching that storm forming in the distance.