Toad Swallowing.

This apparently should only be attempted by professionals so:

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!

In an attempt to make this clearer to myself I will continue to investigate this fine expression because it obviously has more than one meaning and likely came from different places. Popular usage implies that people several meanings that seem to fall on different ends of the continuum.

Elegantly Urban sums it up as: “To swallow a toad basically means that if there's something you need to do that you're not so keen on doing, get it over and done with at the start of the day so that it's not hanging over you.”

http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2010/05/21/how-britain-can-stop-eating-toads/ describes it as: “Toad swallowing is a delicate art; one must not only get the horrible thing down without gagging, but one must also smile and look imperturbably calm while doing so, as if swallowing a live toad were no more challenging or unpleasant than a light canapé. “

Not that I could put a lot of stock in something called the uncyclopedia - but for what it is worth:
http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Cane_Toad#Swallowing –

“ SWALLOWING

A cane toad swallower doing what he loves best.

Another sport that is popular in Queensland and includes cane toads is cane toad swallowing. This game includes any given number of people, whose aim is to swallow as many live cane toads as they possibly can. The person who swallows the most cane toads wins the game. Unfortunately, people can suffer symptoms after competing in cane toad swallowing, which may include vomiting or urinating poison or croaking sounds in the intestines.


According to the Guinness World Records, the person who swallowed the most cane toads is Mr Kane Towedman, who swallowed 248 toads. Soon after finishing, he spewed them all out onto the spectators.


There was also a game based on this one called stingray swallowing, which was banned from being played after the death of Steve Irwin.”

The Art of Toad Swallowing was not much help since the author was dealing with dieting and a diet of toads might be more than the dieter bargained for:
http://bufodieter.wordpress.com/

sarcastic pratchett fan describes toad swallowing… “Toads are poisonous enough to kill you if you eat them - giving rise to the medieval entertainment 'toad swallowing'.” I went down this road since I thought it sounded plausible as the origin of the term but found naught related to medieval entertainment involving ‘toad swallowing’.

Larry G said...
"toad swallowing" is simply a graphic phrase intended to convey the idea that in order for pragmatic solutions to be accepted - both sides must be willing to stop drawing lines in the sand and swallow something they really don't agree with.”

Found this at http://www.mansioningles.com/recursos146.htm -

“TOAD EATER. A poor female relation, and humble companion, or reduced gentlewoman, in a great family, the standing butt, on whom all kinds of practical jokes are played off, and all ill humours vented. This appellation is derived from a mountebank’s servant, on whom all experiments used to be made in public by the doctor, his master; among which was the eating of toads, formerly supposed poisonous. Swallowing toads is here figuratively meant for swallowing or putting up with insults, as disagreeable to a person of feeling as toads to the stomach.”

Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue T 257

“TOAD EATER. A poor female relation, and humble companion, or reduced gentlewoman, in a great family, the standing butt, on whom all kinds of practical jokes are played off, and all ill humours vented. This appellation is derived from a mountebank's servant, on whom all experiments used to be made in public by the doctor, his master; among which was the eating of toads, formerly supposed poisonous.


Swallowing toads is here figuratively meant for swallowing or putting up with insults, as disagreeable to a person of feeling as toads to the stomach.”

Somebody is quoting somebody without giving credit. Obviously this phrase can mean more than swallowing your pride although that was the inferred meaning when I first came across it.


I think I am going to go visit my imaginary friends and swallow a few toads. After all, there are things that are more disagreeable.

© 09.23.2010 steven d philbrick SR+ DakotaDawg