Strike Palms

The striking of palms is a ritual that takes place after an agreement to signify that the pact is sealed.

 

The Inside Thrust

That’s About the Shape of the Tooth

The phrase ‘that’s about the shape of the tooth’ means ‘that’s correct’ or ‘that’s the most likely scenario’. It is derived from the story about a Muvari herder whose flocks of beshi were beset by a spotted hyena. She fought them off but was bit by a hyena with crooked teeth. Muvari hunters tracked down the den of the spotted hyenas and destroyed them. Wondering if they had indeed destroyed the den of the same hyenas who had attacked the flocks, they matched the crooked teeth of one of the slain hyenas to the bite on the shepherd and confirmed they had destroyed the correct den.

 

The Hobranx Foot

The hobranx has a very large foot. To put ‘the hobranx foot’ upon someone is to indicate that they were severely reprimanded, punished, halted or stopped.