A while back, I was reading the sixth book in the Metru Nui story arc, Maze Of Shadows. Early in the book, there’s a passage where Onewa asks Vakama “Who died and made you Mata Nui?” This is perfectly in-character for Onewa-he’s always challenging Vakama’s authority, so he made a play on the real-world phrase “Who died and made you king?”
But it did make me wonder what other kinds of real-life idioms could be translated into Bionicle jargon. Obviously, there are certain statements, such as “Get off on the wrong foot” that would translate seamlessly into Bionicle. But there are others that, I think, could work as figures of speech in the Bionicle universe. For example:
Don’t put the cart before the Ussal crab
Makuta’s advocate
Pakarian strength
Wild Rahi chase
Muaka’s share
You can lead a Rahi to water, but you can’t make him drink
Well, now at least we’ve got all our Mata Nui Fishing Birds in a row.
That being said, let’s all take care not to count our rahi before the viruses go into the energized protodermis, and remember that you can catch more protodites with vuata maca than you can with thornax stew.
After all,
Where there’s smoke, there’s Tahu.
I personally am of the persuasion that using Web of Shadows as a pseudo swear would be far more fitting.
Also, some more idiom ideas:
More bang for your buck — More wallop for your widget
Tough nut to crack — Difficult thornax to boil
Fan the flames — Put Kopaka next to Tahu
You’re no saint — You’re no Matoro
It’s hardly Yates (meaning “it’s hardly the work of * insert famous artist here *”) — It’s hardly Artakha
Well, this is quite the predicament we’ve gotten into — Well, this is quite the nui rama nest we’ve landed in
Wrong end of the stick — Business end of the kanoka launcher
Dead as a doornail — Busy/relevant/needed as Tren Krom (or would Tren Krom be someone whose name they seldom utter due to fear and/or reverence?)
Tickles my funny-bone — Launches my tickle-spinner
And, as a bonus, a nasty one-liner:
“I wouldn’t say you’re old, but when the Great Beings made Helryx, you were the one they modeled the design after.”
Although, technically, speaking, even though turaga may look pretty old and helpless, they’re technically both slightly taller and physically stronger than matoran, in addition to retaining a smidge of elemental power from their toa days and being able to use noble masks, so that expression might, in most cases, be less of an insult and more just a statement of fact.
OH THAT WOULD WORK SO WELL!
And I’m Glad You Liked My Work!
Also I have One More For You Guys For Now,
You’re Not The Brightest Bulb In The Bunch.— You’re Not The Brightest Avohkii In This Toa Team.
Ninety-nine bottles of protodermis on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of protodermis, you take one down, you pass it around, ninety-eight bottles of protodermis on the wall!
