40 Idioms Emily Karam 4/1/20
194os
THE WHOLE 9 Y A R D S
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Everything possible or available.
One explanation comes from World War II where pilots would have a 9 yard chain of ammunition. When firing all the ammunition on one target, they would use the whole 9 yards. Another origin comes from ordering suits in which the proper suite would take 9 yards of material.
1910s
RIDING SHOT G U N
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Riding in the front passenger’s seat of the car. 2nd in command, responsible for aux and GPS. First appearing in Wild West novels and movies, it described the person sitting next to the driver with a shotgun. They would protect the stagecoach from attackers and robbers.
H A Y
HIT THE 1900s
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Go to bed.
Mattresses were sacks filled with straw or hay. The first spoken record was from the U.S. sports scene at the Oakland Tribune of 1903, “Sam Berger the Olympic heavyweight… was sleepy and he announced that he was going to hit the hay.”
1890s
SLEEP TIGHT
DEFINITION ORIGIN
To sleep well and undisturbed.
Mattresses were supported by ropes. Sleeping tight would indicate that the ropes were pulled tight, thus making a well sprung bed.
1880s
HANDS
DOWN
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Easily and decisively; without question.
Hands down comes from horse racing. Jockeys needed to tightly grip the reins in order for the horse to run, but if they got way ahead of everyone else, they could let their hands down. When you win hands down, you win easily.
1860s
PULL OUT ALL THE S O S T P
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Making a very grand effort to achieve something.
Pipe organs are arranged into rows with knobs called stops. The organist pushes the knob in stopping the sound and pulls out the stops to increase the volume. Pulling out all the stops allows the organist to squeeze the maximum volume out.
1860s
S A
V ED BY THE BELL
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Rescued by the timely intervention of something or someone else.
Being buried alive was once a common occurrence. People who were afraid of being buried alive had a special coffin with a bell connected above ground. Night-guards would listen for any bells to see if they had to dig up a living person and save them. This phrase later became boxing slang as a losing boxer could signal the bell to end the round and thus be saved.
1860s
AN APPLE A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Eating nutritious food makes you healthier so you will not have to go to the doctor. The earliest record of the phrase from an old Pemrokeshire proverb states, “Eat an apple on going to bed, And you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread.” The concept is quite old with even the Ancient Romans and Anglo Saxons knowing about the healthful properties of apples.
1830s
IN THE LIMELIGHT
DEFINITION ORIGIN
At the center of public attention.
An intense white light effect, or limelight was used in theaters to illuminate the stage. Actors who were the center of attention on stage were said to be in the limelight.
1810s
GIVE THE COLD DER L U O H S
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Intentionally ignore or treat in an unfriendly way.
House guests would be treated to a dinner. Welcomed guests would receive a hot meal while unwelcome guests who overstayed their visit would receive cold meat from the shoulder of beef or pork. Repetitively serving this would indicate that you should leave. A cold meal would quicken their leave home.
1800s
BARKING UP THE TREE BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Pursuing a mistaken thought or course of action.
This phrase relates to hunting dogs and how they would chase prey up a tree. Sometimes, though the prey had left, the dog would continue to bark up the wrong tree.
1800s
BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN YOUR MOUTH
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Born into a wealthy and privileged family.
There has been an old tradition in many countries in which god parents would gift a silver spoon to a christened child. Not everyone could afford this luxury so those who did were considered wealthy and spoiled.
1780s
BITE THE BULLET
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Confronting a painful situation that one has been putting off or hesitating over. A soldier bit a bullet in order to not cry out while being flogged. The phrase is more commonly associated with the Civil War Era in which soldiers would clench a medical bullet in their teeth while undergoing extreme surgical procedures without anesthesia.
S O RE EYES FOR A SIGHT
1730s
DEFINITION ORIGIN
A way of saying you are pleased to see someone or that they are very attractive. First used by Jonathan Swift in A complete collection of genteel and ingenious conversation saying, “The Sight of you is good for sore Eyes.”
1730s
COOL AS A CUCUMBER
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Untroubled by heat or exertion, calm and relaxed, in control of your emotions. First recorded in John Gay’s poem New Song on New Similes, “I … cool as a cucumber could see The rest of Womankind.”
1730s
BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Relationships and loyalties amongst family is most important.
The phrase blood is thicker than water dates back to Allan Ramsay’s Collected Scots Proverbs which state, “Blude’s thicker than water.” Another origin completely opposes the meaning referring to blood brothers during battle. “Blood brothers” were said to have stronger bonds than biological brothers.
1710s
STEAL ONE’S THUNDER THUNDER
DEFINITION ORIGIN
To use someone’s ideas or inventions to your own advantage gaining praise. Unsuccessful play-write John Dennis invented a new method for creating the sound of thunder for his play Appius and Virginia. After is play failed, someone copied his thunder machine for the play Macbeth without crediting him. His response was recorded in W.S Walsh’s Literary Curiosities, 1893, “Damn them! They will not let my play run, but they steal my thunder.”
1700s
A LO N SHOT
G
DEFINITION ORIGIN
A venture involving great risk but promising a great reward if successful. As guns were only accurate at short range, a long shot had a smaller chance of hitting the target.
1700s
T O E THE LINE
DEFINITION ORIGIN
To conform to a rule or standard.
A popular origin comes from the Royal Navy where barefoot seamen would line up for inspection on the seams of the wooden deck planks, their toes on the line.
1700s
SHOWING YOUR TRUE COLORS
DEFINITION ORIGIN
To reveal one’s real character or personality especially when it is unpleasant. Ships going into battle had to show their colors; the flag of their country. Many would approach their opponent with a false flag to lure them into safety. However, warfare rules dictate the ship must show its true colors before firing thus ships would then reveal their true colors and attack.
1700s
SON OF A GUN
DEFINITION ORIGIN
An affectionate way of referring to someone.
The most common origin has to do with certain divisions of the British Navy which allowed sailor’s wives on voyages. If a woman gave birth on ship it should take place between the cannons on the ship’s gun deck because it was the most secluded place. The child would be called a son of a gun.
SCRATCH
START FROM 1700s
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Begin from the beginning, start without any preparation or advantage. In the sporting world the “scratch� was the starting line that was scratched on to the ground. The racers would start from scratch.
THMB RULE OF
U
1680s
DEFINITION ORIGIN
A broadly accurate guide based on experience rather than scientific measurement. The earliest record is from a sermon printed in Heaven Upon Earth. English puritan James Durham states, “many profest Christians are like to foolish builders, who build by guess and by rule of thumb, and not by Square and Rule.� Later the phrase was associated with a harsh ruling in 1782 by Judge Sir Francis Buller that allowed a man to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb.
BREAK
I THE
C E 1680s
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Doing or saying something to relieve tensions in a new or awkward situation. Commercial ships would often get stuck in frozen rivers during winter so small ships called “icebreakers” would break the ice around them and clear a path.
1630s
TURN
THE TABLES
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Reverse one’s position from that of disadvantage to advantage.
Turn the tables comes from table games like backgammon where the board would be reversed so players play from their opponents previous position. Another theory comes from tables having one finished side and one rough side. The family would eat on the rough side and turn the table to the finished side for when company came over.
1600s
GET THE C
S K
A
DEFINITION ORIGIN
To get fired from your job.
Originating in France, a tradesman who took their tools away in their own bag or sac was being dismissed from employment. The first written record is in french and states, “On luy a donné son sac”. The first English record is from 1825’s The English Spy, “You munna split on me, or I shall get the zack for telling in ye.”
1600s
LET YOUR HAIR D O W N
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Behave freely and enjoy yourself.
Women had to wear their hair up in public; pinned up, in a bun, or in another elaborate style. When home alone, or washing and brushing, they were able to let their hair down and relax.
1600s
HAVE YOUR WORK CUT OUT FOR YOU
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Assuming a difficult task.
The phrase to have your work cut out for you comes from tailoring. When working on a project, all of the fabric pieces are cut out prior to sewing. If you have your work cut out for you, the job will be easier.
1600s
MIND YOUR P’s AND Q’s
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Be on your best behavior and be careful or your language.
Pubs served beer in pints and quarts. If a customer was getting unruly the bartender would say to mind your p’s and q’s. This phrase has many origins including mind you please’s and thankyou’s. Another origin comes from the printing press to remind people to be careful when typesetting the backward facing metal type “p” and “q” because they are easy to confuse.
1600s
WEAR YOUR ON YOUR EART H SLEEVE
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Openly showing your feelings and emotions.
The phase first appears in Shakespeare’s Othello. The phrase became widespread through the tradition of the King’s Court in the middle ages where a knight would joust on horseback. He could choose to joust in order to defend the honor of the woman he loved by tying her “colors” (handkerchief) around the arm of his sleeve.
1580s
TWO PEAS IN A POD
TWO PEAS IN A POD
DEFINITION ORIGIN
So similar as to be nearly indistinguishable.
The first account of the term being used is in John Lyly’s Euphues and his England, “Wherin I am not unlike unto the unkskillfull Painter, who having drawen the Twinnes of Hippocrates, (who wer as lyke as one pease is to an other).”
1580s
IN THE NICK OF TIME
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Just before the last moment when something can be changed.
A nick was a narrow or precise marker, often used to tally games. It was used for the critical moment or exact instant in which something took place. If something was in the nick it was precisely where it should be.
1500s
DON’T THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATH ATER W
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Don’t discard something valuable along with the invaluables.
In Medieval times, there was a shortage in water so the family would use the same bathwater. Going in age order, by the time the baby took a bath the water would be murky. The water was so dark that the baby was in danger of being thrown out with the bathwater.
C A U G H T RED HANDED
1400s
DEFINITION ORIGIN
To be caught in the act of a misdemeanor.
In 15th century Scotland, it was common for thieves to steal and kill other people’s livestock. An old law stated punishment for having blood on your hands. If you were caught with the animal but your hands were clean, you would not be punished.
1380s
THROUGH THICK THICK THICK AND THIN
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Under all circumstances no matter how difficult.
England was predominantly a wooded country of mixed woodlands and grass. If someone was to stay with you through thick and thin they would travel with you through the dense parts of wilderness as well as the sparse patches. The original phrase was, “through thicket and thin wood.�
1100s
BRING HOME THE B A C O N
DEFINITION ORIGIN
To be financially successful, to bring home money to the family.
The legend dates back to the small town of Dunmow in Essex, England. A couple impressed the Prior with their love and devotion so much that he awarded them a flitch, or side of bacon. The tradition then started that a man can bring home bacon if he could honestly say that he had not argued with his wife for a year and a day.
700s
SP
L I L THE BEANS
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Revealing secret information unintentionally.
A popular theory comes from Ancient Greece where voting was done using beans. A white bean would be put in the jar of a candidate they support, and a black bean in the jar of the candidate they oppose. Accidentally the jars would be spilled, revealing classified information.
610s
BUT SOM U TER EONE P
DEFINITION ORIGIN
To praise or flatter excessively.
In Ancient India, people would throw butterballs of ghee (clarified butter used in Indian cooking) at statues of Gods to ask them for a favor. There is also a Tibetan tradition since the Tang Dynasty of creating butter sculptures for New Years. These offerings would bring peace and happiness for the year.
400s
OF MY EYE THE APPLE
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Something or someone cherished among all others.
An old idiom with appearances in the Bible in psalm 17.8, “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings.” It appears in an Old English work in 885 called Gregory’s Pastoral Care and much later in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
70s
TAKE IT WITH A GRAIN OF SALT
DEFINITION ORIGIN
Take something lightly, be skeptical.
Food is tastier and therefore easier to swallow with salt, so when hearing something not entirely true, it is easier to take it with a grain of salt instead of arguing. Philosopher Pliny the Elder translated an ancient cure to poison, writing “to be taken fasting, plus a grain of salt.�