A horse bite

[JACEK1]

Hello everybody!

In Poland, people sometimes get funny (ha ha) and strange treatment from their family members.

For intstance, someone approaches you, holds your leg skin fold between the thumb and the remaining fingers and says jokingly to you. Do you know how a horse bites? It is not meant to harm anyone.

Does such a habit take place in your country?

 

[jutfrank]

someone approaches you, holds your leg skin fold between the thumb and the remaining fingers and says jokingly to you. Do you know how a horse bites?

Um ... I can confirm that this is not a habit in the UK.

 

[JACEK1]

I have just found something. What is a horse bite pinch?

A large pinch performed with the entire hand, squeezing everything between thumb and fingers rather than just using the fingertips. Used other than with a figurative or idiomatic meaning: see cow,‎ bite.

 

[J&K Tutoring]

Hello everybody!

In Poland, people sometimes get funny (ha ha) and strange treatment from their family members.

For intstance, someone approaches you, holds your leg skin fold between the thumb and the remaining fingers and says jokingly to you. Do you know how a horse bites? It is not meant to harm anyone.

Does such a habit take place in your country?

Not since elementary school...

 

[JACEK1]

Could I ask you a question about the meaning of "Not since elementary school..."?

 

[teechar]

It means elementary school kids might do it; adults don't.

 

[Amigos4]

Could I ask you a question about the meaning of "Not since elementary school..."?

In the US, pinching someone jokingly is generally considered to be a juvenile act. Therefore, it is more likely to happen in elementary school than in later years.

(Cross-posted with teechar.)

 

[JACEK1]

Please bear with me. The reason I am asking about "not since" is that I have always found the structure hard to understand, especially in inversion.
It seems to me that the meaning is literal (not inversion) and I could say, for example, that a horse bite pinch has not been practised since elementary school (only pupils attending elementary school have practised a horse bite pinch).

Do you agree with my understanding?

 

[teechar]

That's right.

 

[Tarheel]

Only elementary school students do it. And only on each other.

 

[Amigos4]

I have a weird aunt who likes to pinch all of her nieces and nephews! She graduated elementary school 76 years ago!!!! :shock:

 

[Tarheel]

Where does she pinch them?
;-)

 

[Amigos4]

The cheeks seem to be the preferred choice for the assault and battery activities!

 

[Skrej]

In the US, some adults will pinch each other on St. Patrick's Day if the other person isn't wearing something green. Typically, it's a soft, humorous pinch, or maybe just enough to be felt, but not enough to bruise. In theory it's a "punishment" for not wearing green, so a small amount of pain is generally acceptable.

I'm not sure if that tradition exists outside the US or not. It would be interesting to find out if it does.

 

[Rover_KE]

It's not familiar to me (NW England).

 

[Tarheel]

It's new to me.