Idiom Explanation

[Lyf]

Would you plz explain the phrase " ripples in the pond" for me?

[Tdol]

I've heard it used to mean that something is growing, like ripples moving towards the side of the pond, or that something is causing some controversy.

[Jleandro]

Could anyone tell me what "pass around the table" means?

[Marylin]

Originally Posted by Jleandro

Could anyone tell me what "pass around the table" means?

Pass around the table means exactly what it says...move the food around the table so everyone can help themselves. If there is a bunch of people sitting at a table, you might come up with a bowl of mashed potatoes, yummy turkey with gravy and say: "would you, please, pass that around it table". People dig in and pass the dish around.

[Jleandro]

Originally Posted by Marylin

Pass around the table means exactly what it says...move the food around the table so everyone can help themselves. If there is a bunch of people sitting at a table, you might come up with a bowl of mashed potatoes, yummy turkey with gravy and say: "would you, please, pass that around it table". People dig in and pass the dish around.

Oh, thank you very much for your fast response!
I thought that "pass something around the table" could be an idiomatic expression, because of the following text excerpt I was trying to translate (I'm brazilian).

"One misconception that must be brushed aside at the outset is that there is any necessary connection between part-names and voice-names, whether in Latin or in English. It is true that the names of the part-books of Barnard's 'First Book of Church Music' (1641) do designate the actual voice using them, e.g. contratenor decani primus, but these books were kept in the stalls. In madrigalian part-books, however, which were passed round the table, or in choir-books whose parts had names such as triplex, quintus and altus, the intended voice is not necessarily indicated by the part-name; and furthermore, different items in, for instance, the altus part of a collection may require different voices. "

[xlade]

Er.. i do not know what are madrigalian part-books. But taking them as a noun i think it does mean the passing around of it.

[curlyces]

Well I've also seen it used as an idiom expression to mean to pass an idea around a few people. So we can suggest something and then say 'let's pass it around the table' so lets get some feedback?

[David L.]

A 'madrigal' is a song dating from about the Renaissance period. It has no instrumental accompaniment, and is sung by several people singing different parts (notes), so that together they sing a melody line and the chord.

These parts were not of the kind found in quartets and sextets in opera, where you have the soprano, tenor, baritone and contralto holding forth in parts expressly written for that voice. Hence, the madrigal books would have been able to be passed around the table and anyone sing any of the parts.