...
Τέλος πάντων, αυτό δεν αναιρεί τη δυνατότητα να αναφερθεί κανείς στην κυριολεξία, όπως ας πούμε κάνει η φωτογραφία που έβαλε ο daeman.
Η φωτογραφία που έβαλε ο daeman είναι, λέει, πραγματική (το «λέει» επειδή η πηγή είναι η
Daily Mail):
This lizard was caught on camera apparently strumming a leaf to its heart's content. The forest dragon lizard was spotted in the unusual pose by professional photographer Aditya Permana in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The 33-year-old caught the comical snap earlier this week and watched the critter for more than an hour before it began practicing its chords.
Ωστόσο, ενώ η φωτογραφία μού άρεσε, δεν μου πολυάρεσε το λογοπαίγνιο που έκαναν στον τίτλο τους (
Is he playing Thin Lizard?) κι αποφάσισα να παίξω με την κυριολεξία της φράσης lounge lizard, όπως διάλεξαν τη μεταφορική της σημασία για το όνομά τους οι Lounge Lizards —η πρώτη λεκτική και ακουστική εικόνα που σχηματίστηκε στο νου μου μόλις είδα τη φωτογραφία. Καλός ο Φιλ Λάινοτ και οι Thin Lizzy, αλλά μπρος στους αδελφούς Λούρι και την παρέα τους...
Πιο ακριβές βέβαια θα ήταν το lounging lizard, έλα όμως που δεν ξέρω μουσικό ή μπάντα με αυτό το όνομα.
Για τη σημασία της φράσης lounge lizard τώρα —την παραδοσιακή τουλάχιστον, γιατί φαίνεται πως έχει επεκταθεί— από τον
Γουίλιαμ Σάφαϊρ:
ON LANGUAGE
By WILLIAM SAFIRE; Couch Potatoes and Lounge Lizards
Published: March 08, 1987
THERE I WAS, LYING on my back, bubble gum wadded in my cheek, a copy of ''Sheena, Queen of the Jungle'' held before my deliciously shocked eyes, ready to yell the fa-vorite comic-book sound, ''Aieeeee!'' as the muscular maiden pounced on some unsuspecting leopard, when my mother appeared at the doorway like a Neil Simon heroine to pronounce the awful imprecation: ''Lounge lizard!''
This meant I was being told to go out and get some fresh air, or get a job, or do something otherwise active and edifying. I did not realize it at the time, but lounge lizard was a phrase coined around 1912 to refer not to the merely lazy but to the stingily lascivious: the person being derogated was a young cheapskate who tried to pet in a girl's parlor without first taking her out and springing for a soda and a movie.
Synonymous phrases were parlor snake and chairwarmer, but the alliteration and z sound in lounge lizard won out, especially with the later, second meaning of one who hangs out in cocktail lounges. Laziness, without the overlay of stinginess, appeared in such words as dillydallier, lotus-eater, goldbrick and, one of my favorite Americanisms, lollygagger. In time, the mental picture of a reptile lying on a rock in the sun superseded the meaning of the penny-pinching lecher.
Για να έχει και μουσική το ποστ —και μάλιστα αργόσχολες σαύρες πάλι, σε εντελώς διαφορετικό κλίμα όμως— οι
Austin Lounge Lizards, μια σατιρική μπάντα μπλούγκρας από το Τέξας (σύμφωνα
με τους ίδιους «the most laughable band in show business»), ενεργή από το 1980.
We've been through some crappy times before
You say the last elections didn't turn out like you planned
you're feeling blue and clueless, you just don't understand
You're sad and soaky, somber, solemn, moping and morose
you're woeful, doleful, weak and weary, semi-comatose
You stare at your computer screen devoid of joy and hope
you're so depressed you can't get dressed, you're noosing up a rope
But just remind yourself when you can't stand it anymore
that we've been through some crappy times before
We've been through some crappy times before
slavery and bribe and knavery and the Civil War
Don't stop caring, stop despairing, get up off the floor
'cause we've been through some crappy times before
Intolerable intolerance has swept across the land
the Gospel thumpin' homophobes have got the upper hand
They're peeping through the windows and they're creeping through the door
but we've been through some crappy times before
We've been through some crappy times before
McCarthyism, Prohibition and the World War
We're up the creek, the boat is leaking, still we'll reach the shore
'cause we've been through some crappy times before
Though we hear reassurances that everything is fine
it's been a while since we heard a canary in this mine
Just when you think it's really bad, it gets a little worse
but keep on looking forward, though we're going in reverse
You shout out that the Emperor's not wearing any clothes
he lies so much that you could hang your laundry from his nose
The fox is in the hen-house and the wolf is at the door
but we've been through some crappy times before
We've been through some crappy times before
indiscretions, floods, depressions, Vietnam and more
The sun has set but don't forget, another day's in store
'cause we've been through some crappy times before
Yes, we've been through some crappy times before
Yes, we've been through some crappy times, crappy times, crappy times