Literally Speaking: A column on language By ROSEMERRY WAHTOLA Right on the nose

This column is dedicated to noses. More importantly, it is dedicated to everyone who ever disliked their own nose. Where would you be without one?

These up-front olfactory appendages -- gateways to our greatest memories and exit-ways for our ugliest diseases -- have more to offer us than just pleasure and pressure. Smelling and blowing are by no means the only nose jobs.

Noses are used in clichés around the world as a means to impart great wisdom. The nose knows.

In English, we have phrases such as "no skin off of one's nose," "cut one's nose off to spite one's face," "pay through the nose," and "put one's nose out of joint."

You see, nose imagery makes for easy visualization -- and it's usually not very pleasant. A skinned nose? A noseless face? Quarters coming out your nostrils? A broken nose? Yuck.

My theory on nose clichés: because we all have noses the wisdom in nose clichés hits right close to home. It's as plain as the nose on one's face.

This "nose knows" hypothesis is supported by equally graphic and visually disturbing clichés in other languages.

Take for instance the Spanish phrase Cerrarle la puerta en las narices, "to slam the door on your nostrils." Yikes! In English, we tone the insult down and slam doors on faces -- a little less impolite.

In France, they noticed that when people are disgruntled they tend to faire in drôle de nez, "make a funny nose." The intent is similar to our phrase, "to pull a long face." But next time you're in a foul mood, check out your reflection in the mirror and you'll see the French hit it right on the nose.

They also have a habit of saying, in a humiliating situation Il vous rit au nez, "He laughs in your nose." And you thought it was bad to have someone laugh in your face!

In Italy, they talk about people who have grudges as those who "have flies on their noses," (Avere las mosca al naso). When you think about the extreme discomfort of a permanent fly on your nose, you can understand how it relates to our expression "to have a chip on your shoulder" -- it's not a good feeling, but damned if you're going to do anything about it.

Now you may think it is mere coincidence that all these languages use nose imagery to convey uncomfortable or unhappy truths. Who knows? Maybe you're right. Then again, maybe you just can't see past the end of your nose.