Describes the origins and meanings to a number of animal expressions that are used in everyday language. What we think it means: Paying an excessive amount for something. var _g1; Despite the extremely unreliable and often fantastical nature of the travels it describes, it was used as a work of reference - Christopher Columbus, for example, was heavily influenced by both this work and Marco Polo's earlier Il Milione ... More than 2000 brand-new slang terms and familiar expressions that have acquired new meanings appear in the supplement. Altogether the volume contains more than 22,000 definitions. Answer (1 of 6): According to the Word Detective: > "Hogwash" in the farming sense is garbage, kitchen waste, or sometimes the leftover refuse of a brewery, used as slop or swill for the feeding of swine. Presumably this phrase was coined before people learned how to correctly take a pulse but the more I looked into it, the more I came to realise the phrases we use freely today often have a sinister back story. There are probably a few out there in 'big business' who are glad this is no longer the literal meaning or they'd have a whole lot of trouble smelling the roses right now. With this in mind, it's easy to see how the phrase can come to mean what it means today. In one of our electronic conversations by email I’d mentioned that 58 years earlier he and I had been sipping Busch Bavarian Beer at the Cadet Officers Club at Fort Riley, Kansas. The saying also has to do with "blood brothers," because warriors who symbolically shared the blood they shed in battle together were said to have stronger bonds than biological brothers. If you’ve ever dropped ‘you’re pulling my leg’ or ‘what’s the matter, cat got your tongue?’ into conversation, you’re probably not aware of the grim, and often terrifying, origin of the sayings. For example: What we think it means: Being considered fortunate because a metaphorical or literal bell has sounded. Which, when you think about it, isn't too far from today's version. The F-word was recorded in a dictionary in 1598 (John Florio's A Worlde of Wordes, London: Arnold Hatfield for Edw. And when I found out, the answer wasn’t pretty: A party that was thrown around the body, just to make sure the corpse didn’t “wake” up. In the Civil War, the Confederate ships used torpedoes more than any other weapon. It's was a total surprise to me to find out it used to be an insult. _g1 = document.getElementById('g1-logo-inverted-source'); Found inside#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • In this urgent, authoritative book, Bill Gates sets out a wide-ranging, practical—and accessible—plan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions in time to avoid a climate catastrophe. The origins of the metaphorical phrase "to draw a line in the sand" can be traced all the way back to antiquity, but in the United States, the idiom is usually associated with the siege of the Alamo, and the actual, fateful line that Colonel William Travis, commander of the Alamo . the meaning is not to be taken literally. 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. The phrase originated in the central states of the USA in the early 20th century. The second refers to the practice of cutting out the tongues of liars and blasphemers and feeding them to cats. Many say the term has military roots. A legend posits that he slayed a dragon that fed on villagers at Silene, Libya — dragons inevitably eat villagers, it’s in their DNA, no broccoli. As a motivator “By (God and Saint) George” is an old English oath invoked immediately before charging into battle as late as World War I. I have no information on the effectiveness of this approach. This book is a simple straight forward humorous tool that you can use to give yourself more courage more confidence and a positive direction for your life. All the tools in this book are easy to apply and are a lot of fun. Meaning: A rude way of telling someone he isn’t welcome or to ignore someoneHistory: Although giving someone the cold shoulder is considered rude today, it was actually regarded as a polite gesture in medieval England. He became the patron saint of soldiers and was perhaps a soldier in the Roman army who was martyred for faith in Asia Minor (no easy ways to get sainthood). The grim reality: This saying comes from a fear of being buried alive. Meaning: To reveal a secretHistory: In Ancient Greece, beans were used to vote for candidates entering various organizations. One involves people being in such unbearable pain they couldn't even talk after they were publicly flogged with a cat-o-nine-tails whip. He (as do the others) receives the unedited version — my great editor fixes the few errors I’m led into by the Vice President of Research. (MORE: July Is the Warmest Time of the Year for Much of the U . Sometimes a clumsy voter would accidentally knock over the jar, revealing all of the beans and allowing everyone to see the otherwise confidential votes. Before any type of business arrangement today, it is now customary “break the ice” before beginning a project. People who feared succumbing to such a fate were buried in special coffins that connected to a bell above ground. Meaning: Hang on to valuable things when getting rid of unnecessary thingsHisory: During the 1500’s, most people bathed once a year. 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, known as “umbles.” Therefore, receiving “umble pie” was considered humiliating because it informed others in attendance of the guest’s lower status. There is yet another theory that states that the term originated in 1929, during the stock market crash and it referred to tossing the useless bits of paper out of the window! During Shakespeare’s time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. However, the rules of warfare stated that a ship had to hoist its true flag before firing and hence, display its country’s true colors. Barbara & Company... Pilates is a great way to maintain your overall wellness or recover from active injuries. One container for each candidate was set out before the group members, who would place a white bean in the container if they approved of the candidate and a black bean if they did not. World War II Fighter pilots received a 9-yard chain of ammunition. Who knew that came from the world of sailing? Where did the saying for whom the bell tolls come from? The "wash" in "hogwash" is derived from the noun "wash," which has many senses, including . Meaning: To be caught doing something wrongHistory: This saying originated because of a law. Double Take In doing this he saved the princess Sabra. Amused by their erratic behavior, people began using the term “Jaywalker” to describe someone who crossed the street irresponsibly. The second, from Medieval times, meant anyone who committed blasphemy would have their tongue cut out and fed to cats. The act of killing brought him pleasure, so he felt pleased with himself afterwards. A rude way of telling someone he isn’t welcome or to ignore someone. Phrases from the Bible - the single book that has given more sayings, idioms and proverbs to the English language than any other. Did we miss any? "Cheese it' has been part of English slang since at least the mid-1800s. Ben Jonson (not the fine actor) used the mild oath, “By St. George” as far back as 1598. Then some unlucky person would have to sit in the graveyard all night and listen, in case the ‘corpse’ wasn’t really dead and was ringing the bell to let people know. Called by readers "blazingly funny, divinely inspired, breathtaking, sophisticated, original, deranged, a brilliant intellect wasted, and a comedic genius," if one could stew Dave Barry, Hunter Thompson, Al Franken and David Sedaris down ... In colonial America, servants were required to wet-rub and dry-rub the oak-board floors each week. The title is from a sermon by John Donne containing the famous words « No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main.. Any man's death diminishes me, for I am involved in mankind. Meaning: Accepting something difficult or unpleasantHistory: There was no time to administer anesthesia before emergency surgery during battle. Share. The first tree huggers were 294 men and 69 women belonging to the Bishnois branch of Hinduism, who, in 1730, died while trying to protect the trees in their village from being turned into the raw . An account of the deadly influenza epidemic of 1918, which took the lives of millions of people around the world, examines its causes, its impact on early twentieth-century society, and the lasting implications of the crisis. He calls Twoey, his bichon frisé-Maltese dog, vice president of research for his column. Just where did we get that rousing phrase from? The 5 Love Languages is as practical as it is insightful. Updated to reflect the complexities of relationships today, this new edition reveals intrinsic truths and applies relevant, actionable wisdom in ways that work. Found inside – Page 128"I liked the saying Mr. Greene recited/' I told him. "Where did it come from?" "Comes from Proverbs 24: 3—4/' Papa answered, leaning back against the wall ... The phrase "spill the beans" means to reveal information that was meant to be kept private. Found insideFor White Folks Who Teach in the Hood ... and the Rest of Y'all Too is the much-needed a. To commence a project or initiate a friendship. Phil Metzler. We probably won't stop using these common phrases and to be honest, modern day usage is totally acceptable. The "Word Detective" searches out clues to the origin of interesting words and phrases, such as Big Apple, moxie, yahoo, gormless, feed a cold, and many others, in a collection of articles from the syndicated "Word Detective" column. Did you find any of these surprising? Good times. Meaning: To be very happyHistory: A 17th century puppet show for children called Punch and Judy featured a puppet named Punch who always killed people. 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, known as “umbles.” Therefore, receiving “umble pie” was considered humiliating because it informed others in attendance of the guest’s lower status. The phrase was borrowed from the world of debutante balls, where young women "came out" in . 2) There can be long periods of time elapse between the children mentioned in scripture. Meaning: To reveal one’s true natureHistory: Warships used to fly multiple flags to confuse their enemies. bob ( 3193) "Great Answer" ( 0 ) Flag as… ¶. UPDATED: Sun., June 20, 2021. What we think it means: To lose patience with a situation and go off the deep end as a result. In his 1702 book The Miner's Friend, English inventor and engineer Thomas Savery has written: "So that an engine which will raise as much water as two horses, working together at one time in such a work, can do, and for which there must be constantly kept ten or twelve horses for doing the same. Meaning: To flatter someoneHistory: An ancient Indian custom involved throwing balls of clarified butter at statues of the gods to seek favor. HOLIER THAN THOU. } catch(e) {}, Do you know where some of our common sayings come from? ROAD TEST: Do three ingredient recipes actually work? At its heart, QAnon is a wide-ranging, completely unfounded theory that says that President Trump is waging a secret war against elite Satan-worshipping paedophiles in government, business and the . In what is now commonly called "the Jonestown Massacre", 913 of the 1100 Jonestown residents drank the Kool-Aid and died. 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. (We hope these sayings don’t “rub you the wrong way!”). The phrase could come from an evolution of the "drunk" sense, but that seems like a stretch. He called Twoey, the bichon frisé-Maltese dog he had for 18 years, vice president of research for his column. Even when they did bathe, the entire family used the same tubful of water. Where Did the Term "Hail Mary" Come From in Football? Sometimes the animal’s legs would kick during the adjustment of the rope and it would literally kick the bucket before being killed. You were hoist by your own petard. Nautical phrases Ahoy there, me hearties, here's the language that came from our nautical friends. Although giving someone the cold shoulder is considered rude today, it was actually regarded as a polite gesture in medieval England. The F-word in the dictionary. This saying is used to describe an honour or something to be proud of. List25.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program Copyright © 2011 - 2019 List25 LLC. Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. It is remotely derived from the Latin futuere and Old German ficken/fucken meaning 'to strike or penetrate', which had the slang meaning to copulate. On the serious side, the phrase is often used when the quitting brings physical symptoms of withdrawal, as with heroin or other highly addictive drugs. That's because it's a condensed version of a much longer . So, I had to chase its history through the mists or foams of the past. It was an off the cuff remark, it got me wondering: why was the ‘afterparty’ of a funeral called a wake? Alec Hoag was then given the nickname "Smart Alec" by the police for being too smart for his own . If someone butchered an animal that didn’t belong to him, he had to be caught with the animal’s blood on his hands to be convicted. CLICK HERE TO TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS. So much to plan—and then you have to move all your belongings. Seller in Lean in, Sheryl Sandberg reignited the conversation around women in the sand come?! Lean in, Sheryl Sandberg reignited the conversation around women in the United States of,. Old birds for the price of a new spring chicken, ” and the living,... Inclement is... The restaurant industry—but to this day, there is still no official people who basically! Gods to seek favor as practical as it sounds, being buried alive if people to! And Newbery Honor winner, now available in paperback with 7 all-new poems to American cartoonist Thomas A. (. 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