Talk:swallow

IPA here looks very wrong. I've never heard the word with the /{/ vowel but always with the /Q/ vowel. /ow/ is not an English combination at all, it should be /@U/ or /oU/ depending on dialect and transcriptions system. &mdash; Hippietrail 01:07, 18 Apr 2004 (UTC)

Question
What is to "swallow one's pride"?


 * It means to "suppress your pride", to be humble, and to ask for help or charity or to make an apology even though it is humiliating for you. —Stephen 13:50, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Interestingly
In Chinese, swallow (bird) = 燕 (yàn, Old Chinese *qeːns), whereas to swallow (food) = 嚥 (yàn, Old Chinese *qeːns). 60.240.101.246 08:52, 16 October 2011 (UTC)

Spycraft
A swallow is also a term for a female agent who marries a person of interest. Like sparrow. This definition is missing from both "birds".

RFV discussion: November 2021
rfv-sense: The aperture in a block through which the rope reeves. MooreDoor (talk) 21:25, 19 November 2021 (UTC)


 * There are lots of modern websites, such as, that use the term. Should be easily cited from things such as . This, that and the other (talk) 04:02, 20 November 2021 (UTC)
 * On an unrelated note, OED places this sense under its equivalent of our Etymology 1. I wonder if we should move it. This, that and the other (talk) 04:22, 20 November 2021 (UTC)

cited Kiwima (talk) 04:45, 22 November 2021 (UTC)

RFV-pass Kiwima (talk) 19:57, 29 November 2021 (UTC)