“The Nose” in Cultural Literacy

Various body parts are used in different ways in English than they are in Japanese, and one example is the “nose.” Whether it is because the nose sticks out from the face or because animals tend to investigate smells to know whether something is edible or dangerous, we borrow that meaning in the word “nosey” (also spelled “nosy”). Being “nosey” means that someone wants to find out things that do not concern them, especially other people’s private affairs. “Don’t be so nosy! How much I earn is none of your business.” “He’s so nosey! He asked me if I have a boyfriend!”

When we have our “nose to the grindstone” it means that we are continually working very hard. “I’m behind schedule on my project, so I really have my nose to the grindstone.” This comes from the idea that when someone polishes a knife or a jewel with a grindstone, it is hard work and takes time and great concentration.

When you pay more for something than it is really worth, you “pay through the nose” for it. Today we “count heads” and refer to a “head count” when determining how many people are attending a gathering. But when the Danes conquered Ireland over a millennium ago, they took a census by “counting noses,” which meant the same thing: finding out how many people there are. The Danes demanded an exorbitant tax on each “nose,” so it is likely that the idea of paying a lot came from that.

(250 words)