"to gore oxen" EN>EN

[Robert Trzaska]

Hi,

The meaning of this idiomatic expression (i.e. "to gore oxen") seems to be
easy but I need someone's confirmation. That is why I do not suggest
anything but provide it within the context. The expression can be found
between ** in the second paragraph:

"The medical establishment has long held that a substance can have a
medicinal effect simply because a patient believes it will. The conventional
wisdom about this placebo effect, which harks back to a paper published in
1955, has been that it works for one patient in three. That's not a bad
ratio, especially for a treatment that has no side effects. Some doctors
have even proposed using the placebo effect as a bona fide medical
treatment. But many doctors are uncomfortable with the easygoing notion that
mere belief can heal the body. Late last month a paper in the journal
Science gave them some ammunition, suggesting that the power of placebo is a
myth.
The study certainly **gores some oxen**. A whole medical industry has sprung
up based on the mind's presumed power over the body. The growing popularity
of alternative medicines and treatments - everything from Chinese herbs to
yoga to acupuncture and faith healing - has been fueled in part by the
medical respectability of the placebo effect."

TIA for explanation.

[Gary Vellenzer]

Post by Robert Trzaska
Hi,
The meaning of this idiomatic expression (i.e. "to gore oxen") seems to be
easy but I need someone's confirmation. That is why I do not suggest
anything but provide it within the context. The expression can be found
"The medical establishment has long held that a substance can have a
medicinal effect simply because a patient believes it will. The conventional
wisdom about this placebo effect, which harks back to a paper published in
1955, has been that it works for one patient in three. That's not a bad
ratio, especially for a treatment that has no side effects. Some doctors
have even proposed using the placebo effect as a bona fide medical
treatment. But many doctors are uncomfortable with the easygoing notion that
mere belief can heal the body. Late last month a paper in the journal
Science gave them some ammunition, suggesting that the power of placebo is a
myth.
The study certainly **gores some oxen**. A whole medical industry has sprung
up based on the mind's presumed power over the body. The growing popularity
of alternative medicines and treatments - everything from Chinese herbs to
yoga to acupuncture and faith healing - has been fueled in part by the
medical respectability of the placebo effect."

The normal procedure is for oxen to gore people. If your ox is gored,
the tables are turned, the man has bitten the dog, the world is turned
upside down, etc.

Gary

[Gary Vellenzer]

Post by Gary Vellenzer

Post by Robert Trzaska
Hi,
The meaning of this idiomatic expression (i.e. "to gore oxen") seems to be
easy but I need someone's confirmation. That is why I do not suggest
anything but provide it within the context. The expression can be found
"The medical establishment has long held that a substance can have a
medicinal effect simply because a patient believes it will. The conventional
wisdom about this placebo effect, which harks back to a paper published in
1955, has been that it works for one patient in three. That's not a bad
ratio, especially for a treatment that has no side effects. Some doctors
have even proposed using the placebo effect as a bona fide medical
treatment. But many doctors are uncomfortable with the easygoing notion that
mere belief can heal the body. Late last month a paper in the journal
Science gave them some ammunition, suggesting that the power of placebo is a
myth.
The study certainly **gores some oxen**. A whole medical industry has sprung
up based on the mind's presumed power over the body. The growing popularity
of alternative medicines and treatments - everything from Chinese herbs to
yoga to acupuncture and faith healing - has been fueled in part by the
medical respectability of the placebo effect."

The normal procedure is for oxen to gore people. If your ox is gored,
the tables are turned, the man has bitten the dog, the world is turned
upside down, etc.

I forgot to add: your sacred cow is skewered.

Gary

[Edward Hennessey]

Gary:

Doesn't this expression mean "damage or afflict one's self-interest"?
Doctors who assumed the placebo effect was a useful tool,
now find that it is invalid and therefore cannot be employed with
accustomed
reliance on its efficacy.

Regards,

Edward Hennessey

Post by Gary Vellenzer

Post by Robert Trzaska
Hi,
The meaning of this idiomatic expression (i.e. "to gore oxen") seems to be
easy but I need someone's confirmation. That is why I do not suggest
anything but provide it within the context. The expression can be found
"The medical establishment has long held that a substance can have a
medicinal effect simply because a patient believes it will. The conventional
wisdom about this placebo effect, which harks back to a paper published in
1955, has been that it works for one patient in three. That's not a bad
ratio, especially for a treatment that has no side effects. Some doctors
have even proposed using the placebo effect as a bona fide medical
treatment. But many doctors are uncomfortable with the easygoing notion that
mere belief can heal the body. Late last month a paper in the journal
Science gave them some ammunition, suggesting that the power of placebo is a
myth.
The study certainly **gores some oxen**. A whole medical industry has sprung
up based on the mind's presumed power over the body. The growing popularity
of alternative medicines and treatments - everything from Chinese herbs to
yoga to acupuncture and faith healing - has been fueled in part by the
medical respectability of the placebo effect."

The normal procedure is for oxen to gore people. If your ox is gored,
the tables are turned, the man has bitten the dog, the world is turned
upside down, etc.
Gary

[Oliver Walter]

Post by Robert Trzaska
Science gave them some ammunition, suggesting that the power of placebo is a
myth.

I don't believe that - the body is indeed strongly influenced by the
mind.

Post by Robert Trzaska
The study certainly **gores some oxen**. A whole medical

industry has sprung

Post by Robert Trzaska
up based on the mind's presumed power over the body. The growing popularity
of alternative medicines and treatments - everything from

Chinese herbs to

Post by Robert Trzaska
yoga to acupuncture and faith healing - has been fueled in part by the
medical respectability of the placebo effect."

The fact that one's bowels "are turned to water" by something that
frightens you is enough evidence that the mind can have strong
physical effects on the body.

Unfortunately, by definition, surely the placebo effect cannot work
unless the patient does not know that the medication is a placebo.
Therefore a placebo cannot be explicitly prescribed.

Oliver

[Gary Vellenzer]

In article <***@lotis.uk.clara.net>, ***@owalter.invert
says...

Post by Robert Trzaska

Post by Robert Trzaska
Science gave them some ammunition, suggesting that the power of

placebo is a

Post by Robert Trzaska
myth.

I don't believe that - the body is indeed strongly influenced by the
mind.

Post by Robert Trzaska
The study certainly **gores some oxen**. A whole medical

industry has sprung

Post by Robert Trzaska
up based on the mind's presumed power over the body. The growing

popularity

Post by Robert Trzaska
of alternative medicines and treatments - everything from

Chinese herbs to

Post by Robert Trzaska
yoga to acupuncture and faith healing - has been fueled in part

by the

Post by Robert Trzaska
medical respectability of the placebo effect."

The fact that one's bowels "are turned to water" by something that
frightens you is enough evidence that the mind can have strong
physical effects on the body.
Unfortunately, by definition, surely the placebo effect cannot work
unless the patient does not know that the medication is a placebo.
Therefore a placebo cannot be explicitly prescribed.

If you are going to remove every word I wrote, then have the courtesy of
removing my credit line also.

Gary

[Albert Gomperts]

Post by Robert Trzaska
The meaning of this idiomatic expression (i.e. "to gore oxen") seems to be
easy but I need someone's confirmation. That is why I do not suggest
anything but provide it within the context. The expression can be found
"The medical establishment has long held that a substance can have a
medicinal effect simply because a patient believes it will. The conventional
wisdom about this placebo effect, which harks back to a paper published in
1955, has been that it works for one patient in three. That's not a bad
ratio, especially for a treatment that has no side effects. Some doctors
have even proposed using the placebo effect as a bona fide medical
treatment. But many doctors are uncomfortable with the easygoing notion that
mere belief can heal the body. Late last month a paper in the journal
Science gave them some ammunition, suggesting that the power of placebo is a
myth.
The study certainly **gores some oxen**. A whole medical industry has sprung
up based on the mind's presumed power over the body. The growing popularity
of alternative medicines and treatments - everything from Chinese herbs to
yoga to acupuncture and faith healing - has been fueled in part by the
medical respectability of the placebo effect."
TIA for explanation.

Gary explains this correctly. To "gore an ox" is NOT a standard expression
but the writer adopts a facetious voice and instead of saying "disposes of
several sacred cows" he says "gores some oxen". Gore is appropriate because
to gore is the action of a bull (successfully) striking with one of his
horns.
Regards
--
Albert Gomperts
Vertaalbureau Van Lokeren

Your language is our business




">

Post by Robert Trzaska
--
Agencja "BERTRO"
POLISH<>ENGLISH TRANSLATION

[Tsu Dho Nimh]

Post by Robert Trzaska
Late last month a paper in the journal
Science gave them some ammunition, suggesting that the power of placebo is a
myth.
The study certainly **gores some oxen**.

Martin Luther observed that most human affairs come down to whose
ox is gored. ... it has the implication of destroying someone
else's property. "Whose ox was gored" means "who lost the most
property or symbolic property" from the actions of another party.

http://www.watchmanmag.com/0604/060402.htm

The gored ox problem is the problem of tolerance. We love to hear
sin condemned from the pulpit, as long as our ox is not being
gored, meaning that our sin is not being condemned. The
employment status of many preachers, including this author, has
changed when we have gored the wrong ox.



Exodus Chapter 21
21:28 If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox
shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the
owner of the ox [shall be] quit.

(all kinds of circumstances for who pays what penalty)

21:35 And if one man's ox hurt another's, that he die; then they
shall sell the live ox, and divide the money of it; and the dead
[ox] also they shall divide.

21:36 Or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in time
past, and his owner hath not kept him in; he shall surely pay ox
for ox; and the dead shall be his own.

(so you

Tsu Dho Nimh