The Universal Language of Freemasonry - ArchiMeD - Johannes ...

Chapter 6 - Peculiarities of Masonic Language 381
se trouve, dans la prolongation d'un fil à plomb. Utilisé dans le symbolisme
maçonnique pour définir les dimensions de la Loge ainsi que celles de
l'Univers." 1230
6.17 Sayings
Masonic sayings are difficult to understand by profanes since they employ
Masonic metaphors and allusions. For example, with reference to the Chair of
King Solomon, which is the symbol of the seat of the Worshipful Master of a
lodge, "to be eligible to the Chair" means to be fit to be Master of a Lodge. 1231
"Passing the Chair" stands for the ceremony of installation, 1232 sometimes
Masons also say "going through the chair." Other peculiar sayings are antiquated
catechetical forms, such as the "how were you then disposed of?" which denotes
"what happened next to you?" There exist also some vulgar sayings, like "father
rode the goat," which means that father was initiated. Then, there are famous
sayings like "to meet upon the level, and part upon the square," which means to
meet in equality and leave in harmony. Most of these sayings can be found in
Section 6.13 on metaphors. For example, when a German Mason says about a
brother, "er ist in den ewigen Osten eingegangen," he means that the brother has
died. Another expression for this case would be, "the column is broken," or "he
was called from labor to refreshment."
6.18 Wordplays
There are several different wordplays which have found their way into
Freemasonry. For example, there are those consisting of initials, sometimes
combined with numbers, that are read as a complete word, such as the "profane"
ones "ICQ" (I seek you), "2U" (to you), "4U" (for you), "CU" (see you), etc. The
bumper sticker below bears the slogan "2B1 ASK1," which means that if you
want to become a Freemason, you have to ask a Mason to introduce you. This
corresponds to the Masonic maxim that the seeker has to knock on the door in
order to be admitted, for Masons are not allowed to go "soul hunting."
1230 Saint-Gall, p. 85.
1231 TRMC, p. 113.
1232 Cf. ibid.