The Dark Visitor » Language http://www.thedarkvisitor.com Wed, 08 Jun 2011 03:15:53 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 I KNOW where Baidu got its name…and other unhealthy fears http://www.thedarkvisitor.com/2009/02/i-know-where-baidu-got-its-nameand-other-unhealthy-fears/ http://www.thedarkvisitor.com/2009/02/i-know-where-baidu-got-its-nameand-other-unhealthy-fears/#comments Tue, 17 Feb 2009 02:59:18 +0000 Heike http://www.thedarkvisitor.com/?p=1363 Things that freakin’ haunt you.  Once when I was in Beijing, a teacher asked me about the meaning of the phrase, “dressed to the nines.”  She was using the Madonna soundtrack, “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” to help her class learn English:

Me: Oh, it means to be well dressed.

Her: (Horror!!!) What is the origin of this phrase?

Me: Well…it came from.. history…about…stuff.

Her: If you don’t know answer, that is okay.  I’ll ask someone else.

Me: No, I’m sure that is the meaning…really!

Okay now I know.  Still, a horrible feeling.

I often have this fear of not being able to answer simple questions about things I should know.

So, in the interest of useless knowledge, the origins of the word Baidu.

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