Seems like a lot of recent topics have involved idioms lately. Today\u2019s subject falls into that category, too. As we\u2019ve discussed in the past, an idiom is a metaphorical figure of speech, and it is understood that it is not a use of literal language. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anyhow, during one of our 19th hold discussions recently, it was mentioned that one of the group had started his career as a \u201cbean counter.\u201d Everyone knew that he had been an accountant early in his career. The term bean counter has come to (usually) refer to an accountant or someone who focuses on figures, statistics and spreadsheets, rather than the bigger picture. Not only does it simply refer to an accountant, it is usually an insulting term suggesting that the person is obsessed with trivial details. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So how did these people\/professions get this reputation and why beans? During my extensive research, I found an interesting story about how the derogatory nickname may have come about. In the 1920s, the marketing and sales-analysis firm The Nielsen Company (now better known for its television ratings system) was just a fledgling operation. The story goes that founder A.C. Nielsen was so diligent in his analysis that his employees counted the beans one by one at grocery stores they were auditing. Makes for an interesting story, but given that the preferred unit of a crop economy is the bushel, not individual grains, seeds, ears, etc. it\u2019s probably not true.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One plausible explanation for the term is that it\u2019s a translation of a German idiom. The German word Erbsenz\u00e4hler<\/em> was used as early as the 1660s, and translates as \u201cpea counter.\u201d Erbsenz\u00e4hler<\/em> is a term for a nitpicker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The generally accepted explanation is that beans are a cheap commodity, so to count them is a rather silly thing to do. A \u201cbean counter\u201d is one who nitpicks over small things in order to save costs. The term has also come to describe any soulless individual who cares more about the bottom line than quality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So it appears that “bean counter” is just another instance where beans have suffered from negative connotations. The phrase \u201che doesn\u2019t know beans\u201d suggests that someone is clueless, and \u201cit doesn\u2019t amount to a hill of beans,\u201d means that something is meaningless or worthless.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n I feel bad for beans \u2014 they seem to have gotten a bad rap\u2026. maybe that\u2019s the reason they decided to become the fruit that makes you toot. Seems like a lot of recent topics have involved idioms lately. Today\u2019s subject falls into that category, too. As we\u2019ve discussed in the past, an idiom is a metaphorical figure of speech, and it is understood that it is not … Continue reading
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