“My uncle has been really happy ever since his son Vasu joined the company. Their profits have soared since he took over the Marketing Department.”
“That’s good to know. Sounds to me like Vasu has the Midas touch.”
“Midas touch? Does it mean someone who makes a lot of money?”
“When you say that someone has the Midas touch, what you’re suggesting is that every venture they undertake is successful.”
“And because it’s successful, the person ends up making a lot of money.”
“Exactly! Our company is looking for someone young who has the Midas touch.”
“How about this example? My cousin’s Midas touch has made my uncle’s company famous in Chennai.”
“Sounds good. Let’s hope your cousin doesn’t lose his Midas touch anytime soon.”
“Tell me, who was Midas? Was he a businessman or something?”
“No, he was a king. He asked Dionysus, a Greek god, to grant him a boon — that whatever he touched should turn to gold.”
“Oh, I know this story. Soon Midas realises that he’s made a big mistake by asking for such a boon because whatever he touches turns to gold. His food turns to gold and even his daughter. But tell me, is there a word for someone who loses money all the time?”
Reverse effect
“You mean someone whose ventures always fail?”
“Yes, that’s right! Someone who ruins everything he touches. Someone who...”
“Many people use the expression ‘reverse Midas touch’. I don’t think any company would ever hire Dilip. He’s well known for his reverse Midas touch.”
“Some businessmen I read about had the reverse Midas touch.”
“Some people refer to this as the ‘Sadim touch’. It’s the name Midas spelt backwards.”
“Luckily Vasu doesn’t have the Sadim touch. He is owning so many factories now...”
“You cannot say that he’s owning something. You have to say, ‘He owns something’.”
“Oh yes, now I remember. It’s like the word ‘have’. You do not say, ‘I’m having a house’. You have to say, ‘I have a house’.”
“Exactly! You always ‘own’ something, not ‘owning something’. Some of my friends own a lot of property on the outskirts of the city.”
“My aunt owns several houses in the city.”
“Do you think she’d be willing to sell one of them? My father is looking for one.”
“Really? I can ask my aunt. But I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you.”
“Hold my breath? Why would I hold my breath? What are you talking about?”
“What Im suggesting is that my aunt is unlikely to sell any of her houses. The expression ‘don’t hold your breath’ is usually used in informal contexts to suggest that something is not likely to happen.”
“And even if it does, it’s going to happen after a very long time. Not immediately.”
“Exactly! And there’s no way you can hold your breath for that long. Here’s an example. The plumber said that he’d be here in half an hour. But if I were you, I wouldn’t hold my breath.”
“We have been promised a big bonus this year. But don’t hold your breath.”
“That’s a good example. The Chief Minister has promised there will be no power and water shortage from next year. But don’t hold your breath.”
“I certainly don’t intend to hold my breath.”
********
I have rather become like King Midas, except that everything turns not into gold, but into a circus. Albert Einstein
The writer teaches at the English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad. upendrankye@gmail.com
