origin of 気にくわない/use of 食う


Does anybody know where the くわない comes from?

> あいつの態度が気にくわない |i don't like his attitude

My dictionary tells me the expression means:

不満である。気にいらない。and the kanji is 食う but I wonder does anyone understand the
etymology?




There are several theories (or guesses, rather) on [this
page](http://questionbox.jp.msn.com/qa480936.html):

  1. 食わない is used in the sense of 噛み合わない, where 噛み合わせ means engaging or meshing of gears _or_ [occlusion](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occlusion_%28dentistry%29). Thus a more metaphorical use of 気が合わない.

  2. 食わない is used in the sense of 口に入る (or 口にくわえる; see def. 10 of [大辞林](http://www.excite.co.jp/dictionary/japanese/?search=%E9%A3%9F%E3%81%86&match=beginswith&itemid=DJR_kuu_-030)). Another metaphorical use.

  3. 食う replaced 召す in the phrase 気に召す, because 召す was once close in meaning to 食べる/食う (cf. 召し上がる).




There are several theories (or guesses, rather) on [this
page](http://questionbox.jp.msn.com/qa480936.html):

  1. 食わない is used in the sense of 噛み合わない, where 噛み合わせ means engaging or meshing of gears _or_ [occlusion](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occlusion_%28dentistry%29). Thus a more metaphorical use of 気が合わない.

  2. 食わない is used in the sense of 口に入る (or 口にくわえる; see def. 10 of [大辞林](http://www.excite.co.jp/dictionary/japanese/?search=%E9%A3%9F%E3%81%86&match=beginswith&itemid=DJR_kuu_-030)). Another metaphorical use.

  3. 食う replaced 召す in the phrase 気に召す, because 召す was once close in meaning to 食べる/食う (cf. 召し上がる).

