BEYOND OUR LINGUISTIC HORIZON - TO THE MANNER BORN

I often hear "We don't say that in English" and, in Spanish, "Eso no se dice en español" from the lips of native speakers who, as I have often said, are a language's worst enemies. I have also often paraphrased Ortega's idea that the horizon of our language is not the horizon of language itself. There is always more beyond the limits of our own linguistic knowledge.

The average native speaker is convinced that if he or she has never heard a word or turn of phrase, it simply does not exist.

Take the idiom to the manner born, for example. It may be rendered in Spanish as venir de buena cuna, ser de buena cuna, or ser de alcurnia. Here is a recent example: "Ian Fleming was to the manner born. His grandfather was one of the wealthiest merchant bankers..." (Los Angeles Times, April 4, 2024).

And, just in case a native English speaker still has doubts about its genuineness, here is another citation: "Geoff Cowan was, in many respects, to the manner born." (Politico, January 1, 2024).

Were you, dear reader, to the manner born, or do you belong, like me, to the crowd below the salt?