Cross, a word with a great variety of meanings, is also at the head of
an extensive family of words, some of which are listed and defined in this
post.
Cross made its way into English circuitously from the Latin word crux, with stops in Old Irish
and Old Norse. It originally referred to a post with a crossbeam on which
condemned prisoners were hung to be executed. By its association with the
execution of Jesus in such circumstances, it became a symbol of Christianity,
not only as a t-shaped object but also as a series of gestures that
collectively suggest the shape of the cross and are intended to convey an
appeal to Jesus Christ for a blessing.
Capitalized, the word refers to the
specific cross on which the execution took place; in this way, it is also a
metonym for the Christian religion. (A metonym is a figure of speech in which a
detail associated with an entity or an idea represents the entire entity or
idea.) Metaphorically, in the phrase “cross to bear,” the word also suggests a
personal trial, evoking the story that Jesus was forced to drag his cross over
his shoulder to the site of his execution.
Cross also refers to any similarly shaped object or sign or to an x
used as a signature. The word also denotes an act of hybridizing, or
crossbreeding, living things or an animal that is a result of hybridization, as
well as an intersection, a boxing punch, or a diagonal or lateral pass in
soccer or any similar activity, as in a movement onstage during a theatrical
performance. The word also pertains to an opposing or thwarting of an intention
or to a dishonest or fraudulent contest or practice.
Verb and adjectival forms apply to
these definitions as well, and the adjective across means “over,” “through,” or
“on the opposite side of,” as well as “throughout,” and pertains to
intersecting or passing through at an angle. (Across is also an adverb, as in
“Walk across the field.”)
A crusade
was originally a military expedition undertaken to assert political and
religious control over the region of the Middle East associated with early
Christianity; the series of such efforts that occurred during the Middle Ages
is referred to as the Crusades. By extension, a crusade is any enthusiastic
enterprise.
The noun crucifixion, as well as the verb crucify, refers to execution
on a cross; the verb also refers metaphorically to ridiculing, scorning, or
tormenting someone in the public arena.
Cruciform means “cross shaped,” a crucifer is a person who carries a cross
in a religious procession or one of a family of edible plants (and a crozier is
a symbolic shepherd’s crook carried by certain Christian clerics); cruciferous describes a
specimen in the latter category. A cruciverbalist,
meanwhile, is a preparer of crossword puzzles.
Other words stemming from crux include the use of the
Latin term in English to refer to a difficult or unsolved problem or an
essential point or main feature; the resulting adjective crucial means “decisive” or
“significant,” and excruciating
is an adjective meaning “agonizing” or “extreme” and refers usually to pain but
sometimes to psychologically uncomfortable situations or to unpleasant emotions
such as boredom.
As seen in a couple examples above,
cross is also employed as the first element in a compound word. Other examples
include crosswalk
and crosswind; most
of these are treated as closed compounds, but there are exceptions, including cross-eye and cross-stitch. Occasionally,
cross is the second element, as in double-cross.
Crucible appears to be related but is not; it derives from the Latin term crucibulum, referring to an
earthen pot in which metals are melted. That function, and perhaps the
resemblance to words stemming from crux
that begin with the element cruc-, led to the connotation of a test or trial or
a situation in which significant change occurs.
*******
Expressions and Idioms with ‘cross’
Cross as a bear... as angry as a bear
John
gets as cross as a bear when a driver cuts in front of his car
When path’s cross... when
paths or situations meet
When
George and Lorraine crossed paths, they seemed to be always arguing but
eventually they fell in love and got married.
Cross to bear...A difficult responsibility or
burden that someone must handle on their own.
When Nancy's husband passed away,
she was left with quite a cross to bear
having to raise four children on her own.
Across... on the other side.
“Can you tell me where the hospital is?”
“Sure. It is across
the road and two blocks down.”
Across the pond...across the Atlantic ocean
“When are you going ‘across the pond’, Michael?”
“I start at Cambridge on September 7th.”
Cross my heart...promise or swear that what you say is true. The
full expression is “cross my heart and hope to die” (if what I tell you isn’t
true).
Mary said, “I was up in the attic in my
grandmother’s old house and I swear I heard a ghost call my name. It’s true! Cross my heart!”
Cross off... to complete something.
Bill was happy when he finished painting his
bedroom. It was one job he could cross
off his list of chores.
Cross out...to change an answer on an exam.
After thinking about it, Sarah crossed out her answer and chose c) rather than a).
Cross purposes...working against each other.
Ralph and Jose realized that if they did not row
the boat together, they would be working at cross purposes and wouldn’t get anywhere.
Cross
your fingers... hope something will or will not happen.
Betty had never cooked a roast before. She put it
in the oven and crossed her fingers
that she wouldn’t burn their dinner.
Cross your mind... get a sudden thought or come to mind.
She was about to get on the train when the thought crossed her mind that flying would get
her home faster.
Even though he could have stolen the candy, he was
an honest person and the thought never even
crossed
his mind.
Cross that bridge... to think about something later. The full expression
is ‘to cross that bridge (or cross that hurdle) when one gets to it.
I know I will have to decide if I want to be a
doctor like my dad or a journalist like my mom but I’ll cross
that bridge when I get to college.
Cross-eyed...when
a person’s eyes are closer together than most people.
I’ve been staring at the test so long that I am
getting cross-eyed!
Cross someone...to go against someone's wishes or what you promised to do or say.
Marty said he would back up what I said but when the police asked him what happened, he crossed me up and told a completely different story.
Cross-stitch... is a form of sewing and a popular form of
counted-thread embroidery in which X-shaped stitches are used.
My grandmother can sit and cross-stitch all day long. She loves it
and makes beautiful patterns.
Cross the Rubicon... to commit to a plan or course of action. It comes from more than 2000 years ago when Julius
Caesar crossed the
Rubicon River and
became embroiled in civil war in 49 BCE.
Don’t put
something on your resume that isn’t true. That is crossing the Rubicon. If you get hired and they find out, you will
be in big trouble. Employers will be wary of what you say in the future. Don’t
do it!
Cross your ‘t’s... The full expression
is ‘dot
your ‘i’s and cross your ‘t’s. It means to be sure you have done everything
you need to do correctly.
The teacher warned her class to be sure to ‘to dot
their ‘i’s and cross their ‘t’s on
the exam.
Cross with... to be angry or upset with someone or something.
I think mum is a bit cross with me because I forgot to take out the garbage three weeks
in a row.
*******
“I want to teach adults.”
Many
people who would like to teach overseas think they would prefer to teach
adults. However, the reality of the situation is that most people end up
teaching in a regular school and teaching either elementary or secondary
students. They may still teach adults but this is usually evenings and
weekends.
We always
recommend getting a TEFL or TESOL qualification first and then possibly a TEFLA
Certificate later. TEFL and TESOL are broader-based and most schools are
looking for either of these. TEFLA is a great course for teaching adults but it is a completely different course.
Go to our
website and check out what you will learn with each course. This month, each or
our teacher-training courses is being offered at tuition of $300 USD. There are
no other costs.
