Aamir Tariq
Senior Member
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2016
- Member Type
- Interested in Language
- Native Language
- Urdu
- Home Country
- Pakistan
- Current Location
- Pakistan
"Success kissed his feet" and "Success came knocking at/on his door".
There is an idiom in Urdu.
"کامیابی نے اس کے قدم چومے ۔"
If I transliterate it in Roman Urdu it would be pronounced something like this.
"Kamyabi nay os kay qadam choomay."
It's literal translation in is "Success kissed his/her feet.
And it means he was very successful (in whatever he did).
We use it for people like Captains of different sports, warriors, emperors and kings in historical backgrounds like Alexander the Great, and blah blah blah. Like wherever he went, success kissed his feet. Whatever war he fought, success kissed his feet.
Secondly, "success kissed his feet" is also used in Indian English very frequently.
Now as I have explained this idiom, will it be correct to use it in the same way we use it in our version of English? Will British, Americans, Australians, Canadians will understand what we mean to say when we use this phrase?
And would you like to suggest an equivalent idiom or phrase that conveys the same meanings? Like
Success came knocking at/on his door.
We also use it in Urdu and I guess this one is common in the English speaking world too. But I am not sure.
Also tell me if it is at or on.
Regards
Aamir the Global Citizen?
There is an idiom in Urdu.
"کامیابی نے اس کے قدم چومے ۔"
If I transliterate it in Roman Urdu it would be pronounced something like this.
"Kamyabi nay os kay qadam choomay."
It's literal translation in is "Success kissed his/her feet.
And it means he was very successful (in whatever he did).
We use it for people like Captains of different sports, warriors, emperors and kings in historical backgrounds like Alexander the Great, and blah blah blah. Like wherever he went, success kissed his feet. Whatever war he fought, success kissed his feet.
Secondly, "success kissed his feet" is also used in Indian English very frequently.
Now as I have explained this idiom, will it be correct to use it in the same way we use it in our version of English? Will British, Americans, Australians, Canadians will understand what we mean to say when we use this phrase?
And would you like to suggest an equivalent idiom or phrase that conveys the same meanings? Like
Success came knocking at/on his door.
We also use it in Urdu and I guess this one is common in the English speaking world too. But I am not sure.
Also tell me if it is at or on.
Regards
Aamir the Global Citizen?