Can a duck's feathers get wet?

"Water off a duck's back" - English idiom.

ចាក់ទឹកលើក្បាល់ទារ - Khmer language idiom meaning "to pour water on a duck's head"

Both idioms describe the same action - water rolling off a duck, and the duck stays dry.  It is impossible to get a duck's feathers wet. However, the meaning behind each idiom could not be more different.

English version example:  "When someone saying something negative about me, it's like water off a duck's back."  What I mean is that whatever was said has no effect on me at all.  Like the duck's feathers that stay dry despite water all around it, the negative words roll off me as though they were never said.

Khmer version example: "I keep telling my students to throw the litter in the bins, but it's like pouring water on a duck's head!"  What I mean here is that no matter how many times I can tell the students to throw litter in the bin, they ignore me completely and continue to throw litter on the ground.

The imagery is the same in both languages, English and Khmer.  But the meanings are so different.  The Khmer saying is used to describe students who simply cannot and will not learn a lesson.  The English saying refers only to negative talk towards a person.

Lesson for today: different languages often have similar sayings.  But check the meaning and usage of the sayings before you use them.  If not, you may find yourself in an embarrassing situation.  I'd rather be a student than a fool.

Have fun learning!

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