¿Cómo se dice "to put hurdles for silkworms" en español? Or for that matter, in English?
If you are puzzled by my question then that makes two of us. 
I already know the answer, (kind of) but...
I was doing some studying and came across the phrase "Pablo y Bernabé se enzarzaron en una acalorada discusión." Now by context I understood that they 'got involved' in a heated dispute, but I wanted to make sure I was getting the full flavor of the meaning of 'enzarzarse'. So I looked it up... and that's exactly where the puzzlement comes into the picture. 
One of the definitions of enzarzar is (no joking) "to put hurdles for silkworms." 
¿Qué?
I can't tell you what a relief it is to have finally learned that. It's been bugging me for months. 
Seriously. What exactly does that mean? Has anyone ever seen a picture of this?
5 Answers
I'd love to see a photo of such 'hurdles'!
I thought that would be an interesting picture, too, Chaparrito. So I stopped what I was doing and went to look.
I have not yet found a picture (I will look again later), but did find this description of the hurdles in a Google digitized book about Shakers and silkworms, (sericulture):
The Silkworms were grown on shelves known as hurdles, which were stacked at irregular intervals on an open framework. A hurdle was composed of a frame about five feet long and two feet wide of thin boards re-enforced with two braces. Tacks were placed into the frame and tow twine was laced around the tack creating a mesh. Dampened and taut mesh was shellacked. A similar hurdle was produced with a strong cotton or tow cloth cover, which was fastened by tacks. This hurdle rested below the meshed one to collect any of the silk worm droppings.
The literal definition is entanglement.This is figurative. The silkworm spends its life eating LOTS of mulberry leaves then spinning a cocoon so it can go it can fulfill its destiny. The cocoon is so neatly spun that the harvester can find the end and unravel it. The last thing a big fat worm would need is to jump a hurdle while spinning its perfectly aligned cocoon.
I have never heard the phrase, but I can tell you I will stick to counting sheep leaping in the fields and not silkworms leaping hurdles to relax my mind before I go to sleep.
I love this! I can see the poor little silkworms trying to crawl over hurdles. Your question intrigued me so much I had to look it up on google. Evidently the wooden trays the silkworms are placed on while they mature and spin the silk are called hurdles. Not quite as interesting as jumping over hurdles, but still very cool.
Enzarzar - To put sticks or twigs in places where silkworms are kept/raised.
Okay, so... There is a verb dedicated to this task? Is this a common enough task that it get's its own verb!
I'd love to see a photo of such 'hurdles'!
It looks like a very poor translation of the word "zarzo" to say the least. The RAE has this to say:
Enzarzar - Poner zarzos en los lugares donde se crían los gusanos de seda
The word zarzo can mean hurdles, but it can also mean sticks or twigs as well.
To put sticks or twigs in places where silkworms are kept/raised.
