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Edwardjohn
Guest
What does the phrase “Swimming/swam the Tiber” mean?
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Tantum_ergo
Guest
The Tiber is the river that runs through Rome. Somehow back in the 19th century a kind of gliss was created whereby the old phrase of Caesar casting the die and crossing the RUBICON river was morphed into the idea that a person, by ‘casting the die’ and converting to the Catholic faith, was crossing the TIBER river, and then that morphed to 'Swimming the Tiber". . .IOW, becoming a Catholic.
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Rolltide
Guest
“Swimming the Tiber” is a metaphor. The Tiber River is the major river that passes through Rome, Italy. If you literally swam the Tiber, you’d end up inside of Rome and very near the Vatican. So, to “swim the Tiber” symbolically means to convert to Catholicism from another denomination, religion, or atheism.
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presidentjlh
Guest
In addition to what everyone else has said, you wouldn’t want to swim the Tiber literally.
Unless you enjoy swimming in sewage and pollution.
Unless you enjoy swimming in sewage and pollution.
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Apryl
Guest
I am glad you posted this. There will (hopefully) be a lot of people on these boards who will state they have swam the Tiber.
When I first saw it, I emailed the person with the notation and they explained it for me.
(I just hope that you realize that you are not the only one with the ‘What the…?’ look on your face!)
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Edwardjohn
Guest
I’ve read it as signatures and wondered why people were bragging about it. Seems it would be like bragging having swam the Chicago river…YUCK!I am glad you posted this. There will (hopefully) be a lot of people on these boards who will state they have swam the Tiber.
When I first saw it, I emailed the person with the notation and they explained it for me.
(I just hope that you realize that you are not the only one with the ‘What the…?’ look on your face!)
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