Akal Tthikane Lagana

# 71

February 23, 2021

Today’s Hindi idiom (मुहावरा) is:

अक्ल ठिकाने लगाना।

(Transliteration: Akal tthikane lagana.)

Literal translation: To put his wisdom in its place.

Figurative meaning: To set right someone’s thinking. To help someone stop being foolish. To make someone become sensible. To bring someone to their senses.

Akal in place and out of place

Usage in a sample sentence:

वह हमेशा के लिए कैलिफोर्निया से टेक्सास जाने की सोच रहा था, लेकिन हाल ही में आए बर्फीले तूफान ने उसका अक्ल ठिकाने लगा दिया।

(Transliteration:  Woh hamesha ke liye California se Texas jaane ki soch raha tha, lekin haal hi mein aaye barfile toofan ne uska akal tthikane laga diya.)

Translation:  He was contemplating moving from California to Texas for good, but the recent snow storm brought him to his senses.

Origins of the idiom: When someone makes a wrong decision, we usually think that he has “lost his mind.” Or we say he is “out of his mind.” These phrases conjure up images of someone whose mind is not where it should be. The mind is lost. The mind is out of place. So, when he comes back to his senses, we tend to think that his mind has been restored to its proper place. The Hindi word “akal” can also loosely be translated as “mind.” To put the mind in its place is what “Akal tthikane lagana” literally means.

Akl Ka Dushman

December 9, 2020
Today’s Hindi idiom (मुहावरा) is:

अक्ल का दुश्मन
(Transliteration: Akl ka dushman)

Literal translation:
Intellect’s enemy

Figurative meaning:
Idiot. Brainless.

Sample use in a sentence:
मेरे इतने समझाने के बाद भी वोह अक्ल का दुश्मन को एक simple बात नही समझ आया !
(Transliteration: Mere itne samajhane ke baad bhi woh akl ka dushman ko ek simple baat nahi samajh aaya.)
Even after I explained so much, that idiot could not understand one simple thing!