The representation of the back in idiomatic expressions--do idioms value the body?
OBJECTIVE
Whilst investigating the influence of patients' representations on the impact of teaching in the back school, we took an interest in 1) the place of the back in the French idioms referring to the body; and 2) the meaning these idioms convey about the back.


METHODS
The idioms including body part terms were sought on the basis of a compilation of French idioms; it has to be noted that such a compilation, however excellent it may be, can only offer a partial view of lay conversation. Occurrence of body parts and of their connotations were assessed. Idioms were classified as positive, negative or neutral, keeping in mind the difficulties of a strict classification in such a field. Drawings were then performed on the basis of the results of the descriptive analysis.


RESULTS
Globally, idiomatic expressions offer a rather negative picture of the body or at least suggest that the body is prominently used to express negative ideas and emotions. This is particularly striking for the idioms associated with the back.


CONCLUSIONS
The analysis of idioms referring to the body allows us to 'see with our own eyes' another aspect of the representations of the body and the back, as they are conveyed in the French language.
Cedraschi
C
C
Division of Rheumatology, Geneva University Hospital, Switzerland.
Bove
D
D
Perrin
E
E
Vischer
T L
TL
D001415:Back / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D001416:Back Pain / Q000517:prevention & control; D003144:Communication Barriers; D005602:France; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012660:Semantics