20 Of the Most Interesting Sayings, Idioms, and Phrases
Idioms are figures of speech that have become fixed in a language, but they once had a literal meaning. These meanings, or idiom origins, can help us
understand where a phrase originated.Ever wondered why a bird in the hand is worth "two in the bush" and who was it that said (and made it official) "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" (or, an apple a day keeps the doctor at bay,) Some sayings are so commonplace, we say them and have no inkling of where they even came from. But every phrase and saying begins somewhere. We've traced the meanings and some of the stories behind some of the most commonplace sayings, with surprising results.
understand where a phrase originated.Ever wondered why a bird in the hand is worth "two in the bush" and who was it that said (and made it official) "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" (or, an apple a day keeps the doctor at bay,) Some sayings are so commonplace, we say them and have no inkling of where they even came from. But every phrase and saying begins somewhere. We've traced the meanings and some of the stories behind some of the most commonplace sayings, with surprising results.
- Hold a candle to
This phrase originates from when apprentices were expected to hold the candle up so their more experienced colleagues could see what they were doing. The phrase first appeared in print in Sir Edward Dering's The fower cardinal-vertues of a Carmelite fryar, in 1641. - Chow down
'Chow down' was first used by the U.S. military during WWII. 'Chow' which is a Chinese breed of dog, became a western slang for food due to the Chinese's reputation for eating dog meat. - A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
This medieval proverb comes from the sport of falconry, where the 'bird in the hand' (the preying falcon) was worth more than 'two in the bush' - the prey. - Straight from the horse’s mouth
getting information directly from the most reliable source
This is said to come from the 1900s when buyers could determine a horse’s age by examining its teeth. - Off the record
This American phrase was attributed to President Franklin Roosevelt in 1932, who was recorded in The Daily Times-News saying "he was going to talk 'off the record', that it was mighty nice to be able to talk 'off the record' for a change and that he hoped to be able to talk 'off the record' often in the future." - A sight for sore eyes
Jonathan Swift first used this phrase in A complete collection of genteel and ingenious conversation, 1738, with the line "The Sight of you is good for sore Eyes."
Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels - Let the cat out of the bag to mistakenly reveal a secret
In the 1700s, a common street fraud included replacing valuable pigs with less valuable cats and selling them in bags. When a cat was let out of a bag, the jig was up. - A stone's throw
This term for 'a short distance' is a variation of 'a stone's cast', first used in early editions of the Bible. Writer John Arbuthnot revived this saying when it fell out, in The History of John Bull, in 1712. - An apple a day keeps the doctor away
The earliest recording of the phrase in 1866, states "Eat an apple on going to bed, And you'll keep the doctor from earning his bread". In 1913, Elizabeth Wright recorded this phrase "Ait a happle avore gwain to bed, An' you'll make the doctor beg his bread; The popular version states: An apple a day Keeps the doctor away." And also an apple a day keeps the doctor at bay. - Butter someone up -to praise or flatter someone, to gain favor
A religious act in ancient India included throwing butter balls at the statues of gods to seek good fortune favor. - Cool as a cucumber
Cool as a cucumber first appeared in John Gay's Poems, New Song on New Similies, in 1732: "I ... cool as a cucumber could see The rest of womankind." - A baker's dozen
This phrase is believed to originate from medieval times when English bakers gave an extra loaf when selling a dozen to avoid being penalized for selling a short weight. Bakers could be fined, or flogged for selling 'underweight' bread. - Hands down without a lot of effort;
Winning “hands down” referred to 19th-century horseracing, when a jockey could remove his hands from the reins and still win the race due to being so far ahead.- Basket case
This term was used by the US military after WWI, referring to soldiers who had lost arms and legs and had to be carried around (usually in baskets) by others. - Bee in your bonnet
First recorded in Alexander Douglas's Aeneis, in 1513: "Quhat bern be thou in bed with heid full of beis?". It has been said that the bonnet resembled the protective headgear that beekeepers wore. - Beat around the bush
This saying evolved from "beat about the bush", a term used in bird hunting to rouse the prey out of the bushes, and into awaiting nets. There are Grouse hunters that still use beaters today. - Barking up the wrong tree - pursuing a misguided course of action
Refers to hunting, When a dog would bark at the bottom of the wrong tree after the prey in question moved to the next branch. - Bite the bullet: to perform a painful task or endure an unpleasant situation
In the 1800's, patients would bite on a bullet to cope with the pain of having surgery before anesthesia was used. - The ball is in your court is up to you to make the next decision or step
- Best thing since sliced bread -A good invention or innovation. A good idea or plan.
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