Proverb of the day: Like a lump in the throat

Ahram Online , Thursday 14 May 2015

Like a lump in the throat

oqla
Photo: Mai Shaheen

 زى العقلة ف الزور

Zayy el oqlah fil zor

Translation: Like a lump in the throat

 

Meaning: The proverb, still in use, refers to an obstacle that unexpectedly blocks one’s path. The saying is charged with emotion, and used in situations that have become impossible due to the opposition from a, usually known, party. A father opposing a particular suitor, for example, can be considered “a lump in the throat”. 

Source: Egyptian Proverbs, (Al-Ahram Center for Translation and Publishing, 1986) by Ahmed Taymour Pasha,

Translated by: Nabil Shawkat

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