Origins of Common Phrases and Sayings

 

 

Common phrases and idioms have become ingrained in our daily speech, often without much thought about their curious origins. However, many of these sayings have intriguing historical roots that offer a glimpse into past cultural and societal norms. Join us as we embark on a captivating journey to uncover the stories behind 25 familiar expressions, revealing their unexpected and sometimes startling beginnings.

 

"Bite the Bullet"

Meaning: To endure a difficult or unpleasant situation with courage and resilience.

Origin: During the era of battlefront surgeries, when anesthesia was a luxury, wounded soldiers were given a bullet to bite down on. This gruesome practice aimed to provide a distraction from the excruciating pain of having injuries treated without proper pain relief. The phrase "bite the bullet" emerged as a metaphor for steeling oneself against adversity.

 

"Blood is Thicker than Water"

Meaning: Familial bonds and obligations take precedence over other relationships.

Origin: Contrary to the common interpretation, this phrase does not originate from the notion of family ties being more potent than others. Its roots can be traced back to ancient Middle Eastern cultures, where blood covenants formed between warriors were considered more profound and sacred than simple familial connections. The original saying, "The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb," emphasizes the depth of bonds forged through shared sacrifice and struggle.

 

"Break the Ice"

Meaning: To initiate a conversation or relationship, overcoming initial awkwardness or tension.

Origin: In the days before modern transportation, the frozen rivers and waterways posed significant challenges for trade and commerce during winter. Small vessels known as "icebreakers" would carve paths through the ice, allowing larger ships to navigate and resume their commercial activities safely. This arduous process of breaking through the icy barriers inspired the metaphorical usage of "breaking the ice" to describe overcoming initial barriers or discomfort in social situations.

Butter Someone Up

Meaning: To flatter someone. History: An ancient Indian custom involved throwing balls of clarified butter at statues of the gods to seek favor.

Cat Got Your Tongue?

Meaning: Something said when a person is at a loss for words. History: There are two possible sources for this common short saying. The first refers to the cat- nine-tails a whip used by the English Navy for flogging. The whip caused so much pain that the victims were left speechless. The second refers to cutting out the tongues of liars and blasphemers and feeding them to cats.

Caught Red-Handed

Meaning: To be caught doing something wrong History: This saying originated because of a law. If someone butchered an animal that did not belongs to him, he had to be caught with the animal’s blood on his hands to be convicted. Being caught with freshly cut meat did not make the person guilty.

Do not Throw the Baby Out with the Bathwater.

 Meaning: Hang on to valuable things when removing unnecessary things. History: During the 1500s, most people bathed once a year. Even when they did bathe, the entire family used the same tubful of water. The man of the house bathed first, followed by other males, then females, and finally the babies. You can imagine how thick and cloudy the water became by that time, so the infants’ mothers had to take care not to throw them out with the Bathwater when they emptied the tub.

Eat Humble Pie

Meaning: Making an apology and suffering humiliation.

History: During the Middle Ages, the manor lord held feasts after hunting. He would receive the finest cut of meat at the feast, but those of a lower standing were served a pie filled with the entrails and innards.

Give the Cold Shoulder

Meaning: A rude way of telling someone he isn’t welcome or to ignore someone.

History: Although giving someone the cold shoulder is considered rude today, it was considered a polite gesture in medieval England. After a feast, the host would let his guests know it was time to leave by giving them a cold piece of meat from the shoulder of beef, mutton, or pork.

Go Cold Turkey

Meaning: To quit something abruptly.

History: People believed that during withdrawal, the skin of drug addicts became translucent, hard to the touch, and covered with goose bumps like the skin of a plucked turkey.

Go the Whole 9 Yards

Meaning: To try one best

History: World War II Fighter pilots received a 9-yard chain of ammunition. Therefore, when a pilot used all his ammunition on one target, he gave it 9 yards.

Jaywalker

Meaning: One who crosses the street recklessly or illegally.

History: Jay birds that travel outside of the forest into urban areas often become confused and unaware of the potential dangers in the city like traffic. Amused by their erratic behavior, people began using the term a Jaywalker to describe someone who crossed the street irresponsibly.

 Kick the Bucket

Meaning: To die

History: When a cow was killed at a slaughterhouse, a bucket was placed under it while it was positioned on a pulley. Sometimes, the animal legs would kick during the adjustment of the rope, and it would kick the bucket before being killed.

Let Your Hair Down

 Meaning: Relax or be at ease.

History: Parisian nobles risked condemnation from their peers if they appeared in public without an elaborate hairdo. Some more intricate styles required hours of work, so it was a relaxing ritual for these aristocrats to come home after a long day and let their hair down.

 More Than You Can Shake a Stick At

Meaning: Having more of something than you need.

History: Farmers controlled their sheep by shaking their staffs to indicate where the animals should go. When farmers had more sheep than they could control, they had more than you can shake a stick at

No Spring Chicken

Meaning: Someone past his prime.

History: New England chicken farmers generally sold chickens in the spring, so the chickens born in the springtime yielded better earnings than those that survived the winter. Sometimes, farmers try to sell old birds for the price of a new spring chicken. Clever buyers complained that the fowl was no spring chicken, and the term came to represent anyone past their prime.

Pleased as Punch

Meaning: To be very happy.

History: A 17th-century puppet show for children called Punch and Judy featured a puppet named Punch who always killed people. The killing pleased him, so he felt pleased with himself afterwards.

Rub the Wrong Way

Meaning: To irritate, bother, or annoy someone.

History: In colonial America, servants were required to wet-rub and dry-rub the oak-board floors each week. Doing it against the grain caused streaks to form, making the wood look awful and irritating the homeowner.

Rule of Thumb

Meaning: A common, ubiquitous benchmark

History: Legend has it that 17th century English Judge Sir Francis Buller ruled it was permissible for a husband to beat his wife with a stick, given that the stick was no wider than his thumb.

Run Amok

Meaning: Go Crazy

History: This short saying comes from the Malaysian word amok, which describes the behavior of tribe members who, under the influence of opium, became wild, rampaging mobs that attacked anybody in their path.

Saved by the Bell

Meaning: Rescued from an unwanted situation.

History: As scary as it sounds, being buried alive was once a common occurrence. People who feared succumbing to such a fate were buried in special coffins that connected to a bell above ground. At night, guards listened for bells in case they had to dig up a living person and save them by the bell.

Show Your True Colors

Meaning: To reveal one true nature.

History: Warships used to fly multiple flags to confuse their enemies. However, the rules of warfare stated that a ship had to hoist its true flag before firing, displaying its country's true colors.

Sleep Tight

Meaning: Sleep well.

History: During Shakespeare time, ropes secured mattresses on bed frames. One had to pull the ropes to tighten the mattress and make the bed firmer.

Spill the Beans

Meaning: To reveal a secret

History: In Ancient Greece, beans were used to vote for candidates entering various organizations. One container for each candidate was set out before the group members, who would place a white bean in the container if they approved the candidate and a black bean if they did not. Sometimes, a clumsy voter accidentally knocked over the jar, revealing all the beans and allowing everyone to see the otherwise confidential votes.

Waking Up on the Wrong Side of the Bed

Meaning: Waking up in a bad mood.

History: The left side of the body or anything related to the left was often associated with something sinister. To ward off evil, innkeepers made sure the left side of the bed was pushed against a wall so guests had no other option but to get up on the right side. So, what's your favorite common phrase?

 

 

 

 

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