sucking the wheel
December 12, 2014 10:35 AM Subscribe
The excellent Copenhagenize blog presents a short glossary of idioms, in Danish and a few other languages, that are semantically derived from cycling terminology.
Da's alleen voor Duitsers.
posted by MartinWisse at 10:50 AM on December 12, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by MartinWisse at 10:50 AM on December 12, 2014 [3 favorites]
Ah, once upon a time a comedian ran for Danish parliament promising "tailwind" or "medvind" for all cyclists. He got in.
posted by kariebookish at 11:00 AM on December 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by kariebookish at 11:00 AM on December 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
These are great!
posted by resurrexit at 11:14 AM on December 12, 2014
posted by resurrexit at 11:14 AM on December 12, 2014
Nice collection, though I have never heard the last Danish one (“Keep your chain tight”) in the wild.
posted by bouvin at 11:40 AM on December 12, 2014
posted by bouvin at 11:40 AM on December 12, 2014
Give cancer the back wheel!
Attack HIV on the descent and bridge over to the lead group!
Take time off Ebola on the final climb and pick up the KOM points!
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 12:00 PM on December 12, 2014
Attack HIV on the descent and bridge over to the lead group!
Take time off Ebola on the final climb and pick up the KOM points!
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 12:00 PM on December 12, 2014
Ah, once upon a time a comedian ran for Danish parliament promising "tailwind" or "medvind" for all cyclists. He got in.
Other policies included being in favour of sex, and cycle tires are so narrow, why are cycle lanes so wide? He ran for his own party, sammenslutningen af bevidst arbejdsky elementer - the party for intentionally work shy elements of society.
posted by Dysk at 1:37 PM on December 12, 2014 [2 favorites]
Other policies included being in favour of sex, and cycle tires are so narrow, why are cycle lanes so wide? He ran for his own party, sammenslutningen af bevidst arbejdsky elementer - the party for intentionally work shy elements of society.
posted by Dysk at 1:37 PM on December 12, 2014 [2 favorites]
In the days of the "penny-farthing" bicycle, the sport selected for tall riders even more than basketball selects for height. The longer the leg, the larger the front wheel, and the more ground the rider covered with each revolution. The fastest cyclist in the club was the "big wheel."
When you tried to stop one of these bikes quickly, you went over the bars and "took a header."
Mountain biking has inspired a lot of colloquial expressions. "Face-plant" is obvious. "OTB" means over the bars. Bicycle gearing is calculated in "gear inches." When you have to get off and walk on a steep hill, it's called the "24-inch gear," because it's two feet.
posted by Repack Rider at 5:02 PM on December 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
When you tried to stop one of these bikes quickly, you went over the bars and "took a header."
Mountain biking has inspired a lot of colloquial expressions. "Face-plant" is obvious. "OTB" means over the bars. Bicycle gearing is calculated in "gear inches." When you have to get off and walk on a steep hill, it's called the "24-inch gear," because it's two feet.
posted by Repack Rider at 5:02 PM on December 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
OTB also means off the back, when you're unable to keep up with the group in a race.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 5:53 PM on December 12, 2014
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 5:53 PM on December 12, 2014
More accurately, very easy things in English are said to be 'as easy as falling off a bike' rather than staying on one.
posted by glasseyes at 10:50 AM on December 13, 2014
posted by glasseyes at 10:50 AM on December 13, 2014
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posted by humboldt32 at 10:42 AM on December 12, 2014 [1 favorite]