idiom question

[kengr]

I'm sure we've all encountered the phrase "bowing and scraping". But what I'm wondering is what exactly constitutes the "scraping" part.

Anybody know?

Comments

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

When bowing isn't enough, petitioners to some Indian royal courts were expected to prostrate themselves on the floor. Some even required those seeking an audience to belly crawl to the throne.

"Bowing and scraping" is therefore the maximum deference to someone.

I know this because of my Great-Grandfather's service in India.

[farquhar.livejournal.com]

the free dictionary gives us:

scrape, scraping

a deep bow with the foot drawn backwards (indicating excessive humility); "all that bowing and scraping did not impress him"

[farquhar.livejournal.com]

I'd further guess, but haven't found confirmation, that origins are from knee scraping in the form of a bow.

[farquhar.livejournal.com]

one online etymology source suggests:

scrape

c.1303, probably from O.N. skrapa "to scrape, erase," from P.Gmc. *skrapojan (cf. O.E. scrapian "to scrape," Du. schrapen, Ger. schrappen). The noun is attested from c.1440. Meaning "embarrassing or awkward predicament" is recorded from 1709, as OED suggests, "probably from the notion of being 'scraped' in going through a narrow passage."

So my hunch maybe wrong.

[mistresscayenne.livejournal.com]

Gridlore was the most right in the first one of your comments. I might add that "scraping" your forhead on the floor. Most humiliating. :-)

Cayenne

[wouldbemistress.livejournal.com]

Scraping, to me, always refers to the sound.

As the free dictionary reference here suggests, it could be the foot. Could be the forehead. Could be knuckles. Knees. Clothing. And somesuch.

[acelightning.livejournal.com]