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I don't know how a cow feels when it is being milked, but if a person is being milked it is a very unpleasant experience. This is because "being milked" means someone has selfishly or dishonestly taken as much money or information or something else out someone. This is made clear by the news story in The Nation headlined: "Disabled woman says lover milked her of Bt6m".

The lead paragraph reads:

Police are investigating a complaint from a physically disabled woman, who claims her former husband swindled her out of Bt6 million.

The lover took Bt6 million of her money.

It is also possible to say that someone is milking a situation, place, etc, which means that someone is taking advantage of or is profiting from something without any concern of the effect it will have on others.

She milked the company until the last drop and left all the problems behind.

 

Since it is regarded as something nutritious, the word "milk" often represents something good or wholesome as we sometimes see in the expression "land of milk and honey", which refers to a country where people have the opportunity to earn a lot of money and have good living conditions.

The young couple left for Australia in the belief that the country is the land of milk and honey where they can build up a strong family.

 

In another sense, "the milk of human kindness", which is a noun metaphorically used to explain the good, kind qualities of a person.

The reverend monk Phra Udomprachathorn, who has been devotedly taking care of many AIDS patients and their children, is full of the milk of human kindness.

 

Apart from being nutritious, in the West milk is an everyday food item, which probably inspired the saying "it's no use crying over spilt milk". In other words, once you've spilled milk on the floor, you can't do much about it so it's useless to make a fuss.

I know it is annoying that you've left your mobile phone at home; but it's no use crying over spilt milk.

 

Complete the sentences with the expressions explained:

1. This happy event for the needy children will not happen without the help of Mr Jackson who is full of … .

2..From the accounts of many Burmese migrants, Thailand is the …

3. The informant revealed that some policemen in the area … the suspect of the money he had gained from dealing drugs.

4. I know it sucks that we've missed the bus. But wouldn't it be better if you made the best of this trip instead of …?

5. The country used to be rich in natural resources, but it is poor after the government … her dry.

Answers: 1. the milk of human kindness; 2. land of milk and honey; 3. milked; 4.  crying over spilt milk; 5. milked.

By Parnsap Yomanage