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 #2 (permalink) Fri May 23, 2008 21:56 pm take not a musket |
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| Where did you find this sentence? Can you give us more context? |
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Jamie (K)
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Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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| #3 (permalink) Fri May 23, 2008 22:04 pm take not a musket |
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I am familiar with "take not a musket to kill a butterfly" but not "a butt", which is an idiom with the same meaning as "break a butterfly on the wheel" or "break a fly on the wheel" or "a sledgehammer to crack a nut".
Haihao |
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Haihao
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| #4 (permalink) Fri May 23, 2008 22:13 pm take not a musket |
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I think Haihao is right. I think the end of the word butterfly was removed somehow.
In modern terms, it basically means, "Don't use a shotgun to kill a butterfly." In other words, don't use enormous destructive power when you only need a little. |
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Jamie (K)
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| #5 (permalink) Sat May 24, 2008 0:59 am take not a musket |
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| Just out of curiosity, on what kind of "wheel" a butterfly or a fly is supposed to be broken? Could anyone shed some light on this for me? |
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Haihao
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| #6 (permalink) Sat May 24, 2008 1:09 am take not a musket |
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| Haihao wrote: |
| Just out of curiosity, on what kind of "wheel" a butterfly or a fly is supposed to be broken? Could anyone shed some light on this for me? |
I didn't understand that part either. |
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Jamie (K)
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| #7 (permalink) Sat May 24, 2008 1:22 am take not a musket |
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| Ever heard of the torture wheel? |
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NinaZara
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| #8 (permalink) Sat May 24, 2008 1:27 am take not a musket |
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In Polish language it does exist "breaking by the wheel" , kind of torture for convicts and criminals the technic developed in Middle Ages.
Could it be connected ? Both things are most probably named very accidental but who knows after all ? Perhaps, it was some special wheel - piece of medieval engineering work the "sophisticated" technology for breaking what ever necessery to break.
Jan |
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 Jan
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| #9 (permalink) Sat May 24, 2008 1:36 am take not a musket |
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| 'torture wheel' is enlightening! |
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Haihao
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| agree to all international aid? | "receiver" vs "recipient" |
