From 洗錢 to other form of wash

[technobabel]

Everybody knows that 洗錢 = money laundering
Since through out our lives, we spent consider amount of time and resources making things neat, clean and pure,
let's examine some words related to the concept.

off-shore account

ill-gotten gains

decontamination-

contaminant-

purification-

impurities

cleanse-

purge-

detergent-

bleach

whitewash

detoxification

sanitizer

disinfect

deodorant

stain

protein stain

squeaky clean

clean slate

tainted

tainted witness

tainted love

[Kooper]

A more abstract form of wash -- brainwash

[technobabel]

An even more abstract form of "wash" is baptism, which require certain amount of water, holier the better.
Interestingly enough that isn't necessary the true in the case of "baptism by fire"

The phrase baptism by fire or baptism of fire, known in English since 1822, is a translation of the French phrase baptême du feu and is a reference to a soldier's first experience under fire in battle. It originates from the ecclesiastical Greek baptisma pyros, in which "fire" is used to mean "the grace of the Holy Spirit as imparted through baptism". Later it was used of martyrdom, especially by fire (e.g. Joan of Arc). Today, it has entered the common vernacular to describe anyone doing something "the hard way" for the first time, particularly if training is necessarily insufficient to fully prepare one for the experience (as is the case with battle).

The following article talks about "postmortem baptism" which is a contentious issue of between the Jewish and the Mormons.

http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm? ... e=s2i11826



Nellie:
I'm gonna wash that man right outa my hair,
I'm gonna wash that man right outa my hair,
I'm gonna wash that man right outa my hair,
And send him on his way.

I'm gonna wave that man right outa my arms,

Nellie and Girls:
I'm gonna wave that man right outa my arms,
I'm gonna wave that man right outa my arms,
And send him on his way.

Don't try to patch it up

Girls:
Tear it up, tear it up!

Nellie:
Wash him out, dry him out,

Girls:
Push him out, fly him out,

Nellie:
Cancel him and let him go!

Girls:
Yea, sister!

Nellie:
I'm gonna wash that man right outa my hair,
I'm gonna wash that man right outa my hair,
I'm gonna wash that man right outa my hair,
And send him on his way.

If a man don't understand you,
If you fly on separate beams,
Waste no time, make a change,
Ride that man right off your range.
Rub him out of the roll call
And drum him out of your dreams.

Girls:
Oho! If you laugh at different comics,
If you root for different teams,
Waste no time, weep no more,
Show him what the door is for.
Rub him out of the roll call
And drum him out of your dreams.

Nellie:
You can't light a fire when the woods are wet,

Girls:
No!

Nellie:
You can't make a butterfly strong,

Girls:
Hmm, hmm!

Nellie:
You can't fix an egg when it ain't quite good,

Girls:
And you can't fix a man when he's wrong!

Nellie:
You can't put back a petal when it falls from a flower,
Or sweeten up a fellow when he starts turnin' sour

Girls:
Oh no! Oh no!

Nellie and Girls:
If his eyes get dull and fishy,
When you look for glints and gleams,
Waste no time,
Make a switch,
Drop him in the nearest ditch!
Rub him out of the roll call,
And drum him out of your dreams
Oho! Oho!

Nellie:
I went to wash that man right outa my hair,
I went to wash that man right outa my hair,
I went to wash that man right outa my hair,
And sent him on his way.

Girls:
She went to wash that man right outa my hair,
She went to wash that man right outa my hair,
She went to wash that man right outa my hair,

Nellie and Girls:
And send him on his way!