Phrases like 'bring home the bacon' will die out to avoid offending vegans, expert says
Phrases featuring meat such as “bring home the bacon” and “grab the bull by the horns” will die out as people try to avoid offending vegans, a university researcher has said.
Dr Shareena Hamzah, a researcher at Swansea University in the UK, said idioms such as “let the cat out of the bag” and “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” will eventually fade away as awareness of veganism grows.
She predicts they will fall out of usage as healthy eating and awareness of animal cruelty becomes more widespread.
It could mean that animal-free alternatives are used to complete the phrases in the future, such as “feeding a fed horse” instead of “flogging a dead horse”.
Writing on The Conversation academic website, Dr Hamzah said: “If veganism forces us to confront the realities of food’s origins, then this increased awareness will undoubtedly be reflected in our language and literature.
“The increased awareness of vegan issues will filter through consciousness to produce new modes of expression.”
She added: “The image of ‘killing two birds with one stone’ is, if anything, made more powerful by the animal-friendly alternative of ‘feeding two birds with one scone’.”
Following guidance from PETA, Dr Hamzah suggested dumping “taking the bull by the horns” and replacing it with “taking the flower by the thorns”.
In a similar vein, “more than one way to skin a cat” could become “more than one way to peel a potato”.
On its website, PETA said: “While these phrases may seem harmless, they carry meaning and can send mixed signals to students about the relationship between humans and animals and can normalise abuse.
“Teaching students to use animal-friendly language can cultivate positive relationships between all beings.”
