Is it cow down or kowtow?

You can tow a cow to water, but you can’t make it drink. But the word that means bowing worshipfully before someone comes from the Chinese words for knocking one’s head on the ground, and is spelled kowtow.

Where did the phrase kowtow come from?

(In the late 18th century, some Western nations resisted performing the ritual, which acknowledged the Chinese emperor as the “son of heaven.”) The word kowtow derives from Chinese “koutou,” formed by combining the verb “kou” (“to knock”) with the noun “tou” (“head”).

What is Cowtailing?

noun. a coarse wool of poor quality.

What does it mean to Cowtail to someone?

On the other hand cow tailing means sucking it up to please someone else and has little to do about respect. I see cow tail as a perfectly good idiom to describe following someone around and heeding to their every wish . . . just as the tail of a cow follows the cow every where the cow goes.

What is the origin of the phrase kowtow?

What does cow toed mean?

kow·towed, kow·tow·ing, kow·tows. 1. To kneel and touch the forehead to the ground in expression of deep respect, worship, or submission, as formerly done in China. 2. To show servile deference.

How do you use kowtow?

To the emperor, the “kowtow” is performed by kneeling three times, each act accompanied by touching the ground with the forehead. And yet he did not move—he made no movement save to kowtow for mercy with his head.

What is the origin of the word kowtow?

Word Origin and History for kowtow. n. also kow-tow, 1804, from Chinese k’o-t’ou custom of touching the ground with the forehead to show respect or submission, literally “knock the head,” from k’o “knock, bump” + t’ou “head.”. The verb in the figurative sense of “act in an obsequious manner” is from 1826.

Why is the word ‘kowtow’ considered a bad word in China?

However, the act was regarded with disdain by foreigners visiting China: European emissaries in the late 18th and the 19th centuries often refused to kowtow to the emperor. Unsurprisingly, the word acquired a negative connotation in English.

When did kowtowing become a custom?

The practice dates back much further than the 19th century and is known to have been a custom by the time of the Qin dynasty (221-206BC), performed before the emperor in imperial protocol. The most solemn ceremonies would require subjects to undertake the grand kowtow – kneeling from a standing position three times, each time kowtowing thrice.

What does the kowtow symbolize in Asian culture?

In East Asian culture, the kowtow is the highest sign of reverence. It was widely used to show reverence for one’s elders, superiors, and especially the Emperor, as well as for religious and cultural objects of worship. In modern times, usage of the kowtow has become reduced.