# Is "to carry the chalice" (carry on a tradition) an actual phrase? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 5, 2021, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-to-carry-the-chalice-carry-on-a-tradition-an-actual-phrase/929691 "2021-01-05T06:50:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2021, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-to-carry-the-chalice-carry-on-a-tradition-an-actual-phrase/929691/1 "2021-01-05T06:50:20Z")
I heard the phrase 'to carry the chalice" (meaning to carry on a tradition? carry. a burden?) before. I am familiar with “to carry the poisoned chalice”. Is 'to carry the chalice" even a proper phrase? If so might it derive from a tradition of priests receiving their own chalice from family members? > **[Communion Chalices for Sale Online | Gold & Sterling Silver Church...](https://www.stempers.com/C/6474/Chalices)** > > Shop Communion Chalices and vessels online for your Catholic and Christian church services. Chalices, cups and paten vessels are made in brass, crystal, stainless steel, sterling silver or gold plated designs. T. H. Stemper has best selection of... " It’s traditional for new Roman Catholic priests to receive their own chalice from family members. If you know someone who is finishing up their year of seminary training, considering giving them a [portable travel chalice set](https://www.stempers.com/P/9489/TravelChalicewminipaten)." ---
**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2021, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-to-carry-the-chalice-carry-on-a-tradition-an-actual-phrase/929691/2 "2021-01-05T06:51:04Z")
I couldn’t find the phrase in use online. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2021, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-to-carry-the-chalice-carry-on-a-tradition-an-actual-phrase/929691/3 "2021-01-05T07:05:51Z")
Maybe it’s a variant on “cup-bearer,” implying a devoted servant? > **[Cup-bearer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cup-bearer)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > A cup-bearer was historically an officer of high rank in royal courts, whose duty was to pour and serve the drinks at the royal table. On account of the constant fear of plots and intrigues (such as poisoning), a person must have been regarded as thoroughly trustworthy to hold the position. He would guard against poison in the king's cup, and was sometimes required to swallow some of the drink before serving it.\[citation needed\] His confidential r... ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2021, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-to-carry-the-chalice-carry-on-a-tradition-an-actual-phrase/929691/4 "2021-01-05T09:46:02Z")
I think you might be on sounder ground with “bear a (golden/silver) chalice” which has application in several religions. ---
**Author:** ![eburacum\_45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum_45/32/3385_2.png) [@eburacum\_45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum_45)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2021, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-to-carry-the-chalice-carry-on-a-tradition-an-actual-phrase/929691/5 "2021-01-05T10:24:11Z")
I’ve found few ngrams for ‘carry the poisoned chalice’, or ‘carry a poisoned chalice’, so I doubt that either phrase is in common use. > **[Google Books Ngram Viewer](https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=carry%2Bthe%2Bpoisoned%2Bchalice%2Ccarry%2Ba%2Bpoisoned%2Bchalice&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=26&smoothing=3&direct_url=)** > > Google Books Ngram Viewer There are ngrams for ‘carry the chalice’ and ‘carry a chalice’, so the phrases exist in the wild. What they mean is another matter. If you are talking about carrying on a tradition, ‘carrying the baton’ or ‘carrying the torch’ are much more commonplace phrases. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2021, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-to-carry-the-chalice-carry-on-a-tradition-an-actual-phrase/929691/6 "2021-01-05T12:30:37Z")
The chalice from the palace holds the brew that is true. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2021, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-to-carry-the-chalice-carry-on-a-tradition-an-actual-phrase/929691/7 "2021-01-05T15:55:33Z")
There is a biblical passage in Mark 14:36 and Matthew 26:39 that has Jesus, shortly before the arrest that will ultimately lead to his crucifixion, sense his upcoming suffering and pray to God to take this cup away from him (meaning to spare him the suffering after all). In some languages (e.g. my native German) this has led to a common saying whereby you want a chalice to pass by you (_der Kelch geht an mir vorüber_ in German, based on the German translation of that biblical phrase), meaning you’re able to evade something bad that was meant to happen to you. I have never heard that phrase in English, but maybe your source uses it in such a fashion. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2021, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-to-carry-the-chalice-carry-on-a-tradition-an-actual-phrase/929691/8 "2021-01-05T19:09:49Z")
I’ve heard it in Unitarian-Universalist discussions. UU symbol is a lit chalice. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2021, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-to-carry-the-chalice-carry-on-a-tradition-an-actual-phrase/929691/9 "2021-01-06T00:08:03Z")
> [@Schnitte](#): > > The chalice from the palace holds the brew that is true. They broke the chalice from the palace, and replaced it with a flagon with a dragon. The vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true. ---
**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2021, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-to-carry-the-chalice-carry-on-a-tradition-an-actual-phrase/929691/10 "2021-01-06T04:56:42Z")
> [@Schnitte](#): > > take this cup away from him (meaning to spare him the suffering after all) I think you’re on to something with that biblical reference of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. It makes sense in the sense of passing the burden on to someone else. "My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me . Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. … " ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2021, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-to-carry-the-chalice-carry-on-a-tradition-an-actual-phrase/929691/11 "2021-01-06T14:35:25Z")
I have seen the phrase “pass the chalice” used to mean to pass on a burden, obligation, or responsibility, but I think this thread is the first time I’ve ever come across the phrase “carry the chalice”. I’ve also seen the phrase “poisoned chalice”, but I don’t think I’ve ever come across the phrase “_carry_ a poisoned chalice”. ---
**Author:** ![TimothyNewsome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ba0ec/32.png) [@TimothyNewsome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimothyNewsome)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2021, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-to-carry-the-chalice-carry-on-a-tradition-an-actual-phrase/929691/12 "2021-01-06T14:50:02Z")
I think that the similar-meaning phrase “Carry The Torch” is much more common in modern usage.