Like milk and water

Posted by Pamela on May 02, 2006

In Reply to: Like milk and water posted by RRC on May 01, 2006

: : : : : "you two go together like milk and water"...what is meant by this ?

: : : : It means those two don't go together. Try mixing milk and water and you'll see for yourself.

: : : Brian, it's oil and water that don't mix. Milk and water mix just fine - milk is mostly water. (^_^) I've never heard the expression as posted.

: : OK so technically milk and water "mix". I guess my advice to the original poster should have been "try tasting milk and water mixed together".

: : I've never heard the expression, either, but it sure doesn't sound like a compliment to the happy couple.

: If it's just taste, it's pretty easy to think of worse things than watery milk. Like orange juice and milk - not only tastes bad, it's lumpy! ~~>_<~~

I thought it would mean "mix very well" (i.e. the opposite of oil and water - milk and water are not distinguishable when mixed). Brewers, however, has the meaning as "Insipid, without energy or character, baby-pap, feeble stuff." There is no origin listed. I googled the phrase and it occurs in a sacred Buddist text (sorry, I can't quite tell which text its from). The quote is: 'And do you live, O Anuruddhas, in unity and concord, without quarrels, like milk and water (mixed together) 2, and looking at each other with friendly eyes?' The link is www.sacred-texts.com/ bud/sbe17/sbe17109.htm RCC, is it true that people buy and drink OJ and milk? A friend said she saw this on a menu. Pamela