4 ms·

Really wondering about the origin of that phrase. The literal translation is "ass of bag"?

• bombcar 4y ago
  Fun fact: Tolkien hated English "borrowing" words from other languages that we had already - so he named his hero Bilbo Baggins (bag ends) of Bag End - where Bag End literally is the English for cul-de-sac (end of bag).
• C4stor 4y ago
  Since a bag ("sac") has no exit hole ("cul"), and so a "cul-de-sac" is a (I guess 2nd degree ?) way of saying "way with no exit".
  • jaclaz 4y ago
    If you translate (instead of ass) cul as "bottom", it is more like the "bottom of a sack" (i.e. no-exit), if your interpretation was correct, it would be a no-cul-de-sac.
  • pessimizer 4y ago
    Or "way with one exit, and it's behind you."