I have a problem translating a particular idiom to an other language (Arabic if this is relevant). The idiom is as in the title: "People of that age [middle aged people in their 40's] become little more than children. You drag the horizon of youth along with you, like the reverse of walking to the end of the rainbow."
Every reference I found on the internet is about a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Whereas I can remember two other versions of it. The first being that a child reaching the end of the rainbow either turns them into the opposite sex or makes them an adult. Obviously the latter is the version intended by the author.
My question is: Are there any geographical or cultural distribution for these differences? Like American children believe that the rainbow will make them adults and the British children will find a pot of gold?
I asked this question on ELU and was told to ask it here. (i.e.: Don't send me back there)