[tlhIngan Hol] Klingon Word of the Day: to'waQ

[Steven Boozer]

Klingon Word of the Day for Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Klingon word: to'waQ
Part of speech: noun
Definition: ligament, tendon
_______________________________________________

to'waQ meQ vutwI' 
The cook burns the tendon. KGT

to'waQ mIQ vutwI' 
The cook deep-fries the tendon. KGT

(KGT 191):  While tendon or ligament ({to'waQ}) that has been deep-fried is one of the few hot dishes enjoyed by most Klingons, burnt tendon is definitely a culinary gaffe.

In re {to'waQ yIv} "chew ligament" (idiom):

(KGT 119):  This is an idiomatic way of saying "take some time to consider a matter." The origins of the phrase are unknown, but the imagery makes sense, since even with Klingon teeth, to chew ({yIv}) gummy ligament or tendon ({to'waQ}) takes longer than to chew most other types of food. The expression may be used as a command, as in {to'waQ yIyIv!} ("Chew ligament!"--that is, "Take your time thinking about it!") or as a statement, often with the verb suffix {-taH} ("continuous"), implying an ongoing activity, as in {to'waQ vIyIvtaH} ("I'm chewing ligament"--that is, "I'm in the process of taking my time considering the matter"). Though not necessarily derogatory, it is frequently used with negative connotations:  {to'waQ yIyIvQo'; DaH yIwuq!} ("Don't chew ligament; decide now!") or {HoD QaQbe' ghaH; reH to'waQ yIv} ("He/she is not a good captain)." 

In re "chewing gum": 

(Lieven < MO, 3/07/2021; Die Sendung mit der Maus 50th Anniversary):  There is an idiomatic expression {to'waQ yIv} that means to take some time to consider a matter, but its meaning comes from the fact that {to'waQ} takes a relatively long time to chew (before swallowing), compared to other things you might be chewing, like muscle. It does not follow from this that Klingons chew {to'waQ} for pleasure, just because the flavor lingers longer or because it works off nervous energy. Maybe {req} would be better than {to'waQ} since, if you were to chew {req}, you'd probably be doing it just for the purpose of chewing (and whatever pleasure or benefit that may bring in and of itself), unlike {to'waQ}, which you'd be chewing for the purpose of grinding it up so you could finally swallow it.

SEE ALSO:
Hom 		bone (n)
Somraw 	muscle (n)
req  		wax (n)

--
Voragh, Ca'Non Master of the Klingons
    Please contribute relevant vocabulary from recent qep’a’mey 
    or qepHommey. I’ve fallen woefully behind in updating my files.