Izzat Mitti Mein Milana

# 92

March 24, 2021

Today’s Hindi idiom (मुहावरा) is:

इज्ज़त मिट्टी में मिलाना

Soiled Reputation

(Transliteration: Izzat mitti mein milana.)

Literal translation: To commix honor in soil.

Figurative meaning: To spoil one’s reputation.

Usage in a sample sentence:
जॉन का बहुत सम्मान था, लेकिन उसके पीने की आदत ने उसकी सारी इज्ज़त मिट्टी में मिला दी।

Transliteration:  John ka bahut samman tha, lekin usske peenae ki aadat ne usski saari izzat mitti mein mila di.

Translation: John was highly respected, but due to his drinking habits, all his honor (got commixed in the soil) was destroyed.

Origins of the idiom: When something falls down on the ground and is contaminated with the soil, we immediately dispose of it saying that it is spoilt. Soil and mud are considered dirty and therefore we avoid them and try to keep our bodies and clothes from getting soiled. So, when someone does something by which his reputation or honor is spoiled, we use this idiom to remind us of how his actions have had the same effect as if he had dumped his honor in the mud. Another version of this idiom is also commonly used, with the first word replaced with “Naam” (name). You can see Gabbar Singh using this idiom in this famous scene (t = 1.45).