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Itasan Posted 20 years ago
Vocabulary

saliva on the eyebrow

Suppose ItakunInTokyo answered my question.
Somebody thinks it's not true, then this person says
"saliva on the eyebrow" in Japanese.
It was believed in ancient Japan that you can avoid
being bewitched by a fox or badger if you put saliva
on your eyebrow. So, that gesture means, "Be careful
not to be cheated. It's incredible."
Is there any such gesture or saying in English?

Thank you.
  

Top answer

I have always heard the expression "Don't take any wooden nickels". I'm sure that other Americans have as well. I'm sure the Brits have an equivalent expression.

— Ron In Ohio

  • I have always heard the expression "Don't take any wooden nickels".
  • I'm sure that other Americans have as well.
  • I'm sure the Brits have an equivalent expression.
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6 Answers
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I have always heard the expression "Don't take any wooden nickels". I'm sure that other Americans have as well. I'm sure the Brits have an equivalent expression.
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I see. It's very interesting. Thank you.
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Hi,

There's always the standard saying, 'Take something with a pinch of salt'.

Best wishes, Clive
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There's the very old standard: caveat emptor.
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Oh, that's interesting too. "The risk is on the buyer (the person
who listens to the story)", right?
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ItasanOh, that's interesting too. "The risk is on the buyer (the person
who listens to the story)", right?
That's the gist of it, yes. In English, it's typically translated as "let the buyer beware," but I'm not sure how close that is to the original Latin meaning.
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