The 11th Hour, of the 11th Day of the 11th Month Many of today’s common phrases came from the “Great War” or World War 1. Of course, the 11th Hour, of the 11th Day of the 11th Month marked the end of the fighting that had taken place for over 4 years taking the lives of over 16 million which includes 116,708 (this was the total amount Kenneth Reige from all causes, KIA’s, Influenza). While the total number of Americans killed during WW1 is far lower than many of the other countries, just remember our involvement was from April 1917 to November 1918. One of the most common phrases coming from WW1 is in the title itself, and that’s “The 11th Hour.” The phrase itself can be dated back to biblical times, but took off more in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s. There are many common uses of this phrase from book titles to movies to news shows. Another common phrase that came from WW1 is “Over the Top.” The origin of that phrase comes from British Infantry as they would go “Over the Top” of the safety of their trenches to attack the enemy across open ground. An early example of this phrase in print is from a 1916 edition of War Illustrated when some fellows asked their captain when we were going “over the top.” In today’s modern culture “Over the Top” means to excess or to an exaggerated degree. A good use for this would be, to describe a display by saying “That store sure went “Over the Top” to make such a beautiful
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November 2021
Here is a photo of soldiers going ‘Over the Top” of their trenches. display of flowers. Here are a few more common WW1 phrases that are still in use today. Uncle Sam We have all seen this poster of a bearded man dressed in patriotic colors and a top hat on recruitment posters for the military. Here is a picture of Uncle Sam: The first of these posters were British in origin until New Jersey State Museum Director, Mr. Nicholas Ciotola said the most famous poster was an Americanized caricature portrait by James Montgomery Flagg, who painted himself as Uncle Sam. Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: Well, this one is sadly self-explanatory when it comes to war and combat. The Whole Nine Yards: This phrase was used sparingly during the mid 1800’s. It meant expending all the shells in an ammunition belt during WW1.
