Careful: These are “everyday” phrases, they are meant to be used in casual talking, not in official occasion, such as (for us students) writing or speaking tests.
Find out the unusual stories behind these 15 common expressions
By Amanda Greene Posted September 22, 2010 from WomansDay.com
Has anyone ever told you a “bare-faced lie?” Or have you ever “buttered someone up” before? You probably know exactly what these funny-sounding phrases mean but are clueless about where on earth they came from. That’s why we went to historian Albert Jack, author of Black Sheep and Lame Ducks: The Origins of Even More Phrases We Use Every Day to find out the history behind some of the most commonly used sayings.
“Bottoms up!”
You’ve probably kicked off a round or two with this salute, but do you know the story behind it? According to Jack, it actually has nothing to do with raising the bottom of a glass as you drain yourbeverage. He writes that during the 18th and 19th centuries, English Navy recruiters tried to persuade London pub-goers to join the armed forces by getting them to accept payment in the form of a King’s shilling. Dishonest recruiters would drop a shilling into the pint of a drunken man who wouldn’t notice until he finished his beverage. They would then consider this proof of his agreement to join the Navy and drag him out to sea the very next day. Once drinkers and pubs figured out the scam, they introduced glasses with transparent bases “and customers would be reminded to lift the pint up and check the bottom for illicit shillings before they began drinking.” Photo: iStockphoto
“Bare-faced lie”
If someone has ever told you a bare-faced lie, you know they didn’t make any effort to show guilt or remorse. According to Jack, the phrase refers to the idea that a clean-shaven face could not conceal any lies, unlike a bearded mug, which could hide all manner of deceit. But over time, explains Jack, “the phrase came to describe a person who didn’t care whether or not he was lying and had no real intention of concealing his deception.” Photo: Thinkstock
“More than you can shake a stick at”
Farmers with more sheep than they could control with their wooden staffs are believed to have inspired this phrase, which means you have more of something than you need. But according to Jack, there’s a second possible origin. “After George Washington was once seen waving a ceremonial wooden sword over the British troops he had recently defeated, other American generals began to use the expression to justify themselves when they had not been quite as successful as the great man himself was in battle. ‘We had more men to fight than you could wave a stick at’ was apparently a common excuse for failure on the battlefield.” Photo: Thinkstock
“Run amok” or “run amuck”
A raucous partygoer can be described as going wild or running amok, an expression that derives from “the Malaysian word amoq, which, when literally translated, describes the behavior of tribesmen who, under the influence of opium, became wild, rampaging mobs that attacked anybody in their path,” writes Jack. He reports that the phrase became popular in England during the 17th century, when travelers would try to impress people with their knowledge of foreign cultures. Photo: iStockphoto
“Blood is thicker than water”
Anyone with a tight family bond will tell you blood is thicker than water. But they may be surprised to learn that the saying has little to do with familial ties. Jack explains that in ancient Middle Eastern culture, “blood rituals symbolized bonds that were far greater than those of the family.” That explains “blood brothers”—warriors who symbolically shared the blood they shed in battle together—having a stronger bond than biological brothers. Furthermore, Jack says there is an expression from 3,000 years ago that says: “The blood of the covenant is far stronger than the water of the womb.” Jack suggests that the true meaning of this phrase became muddled by English nobility who wanted to stress the importance of bloodlines. Photo: Thinkstock
“Butter someone up”
It’s easy to assume that the idea behind this phrase—which means to lay flattery on thick—has to do with how smoothly butter spreads onto bread. Not quite. Jack reveals an ancient Indian custom of “throwing butterballs of ghee (clarified butter commonly used in Indian cooking) at the statues of the gods” to seek favor. Additionally, the Tibetan tradition of creating butter sculptures for the New Year “can be traced to the Tang Dynasty and the belief that such offerings would bring peace and happiness for the full lunar year.” Photo: Shutterstock
“Cat got your tongue?”
According to Jack, there are two possible sources of this phrase, which refers to when a normally chatty person is at a loss for words, often for suspicious reasons. The first refers to when victims of the cat-o’-nine-tails––a whip the English Navy used for flogging––were left speechless from the pain inflicted upon them. The second, which is equally morbid, traces back to medieval times, when punishment “for liars and blasphemers [was to] have their tongues cut out and then fed to the cats.” Ancient Egyptian cats were considered to be gods (and would eat just about anything), so giving them the tongue of a liar was “seen as a human offering to the gods.” Photo: Shutterstock
“Have a yen for”
When you really want something, it can be said you have a “yen” for it. But the phrase doesn’t actually refer to Japanese currency—it refers to Chinese opium, which was available in Britain and America in the late 1800s. “The phrase comes from the Chinese word yan, which can be translated to craving,” Jack writes. Photo: iStockphoto
“The writing is on the wall”
The roots of this phrase, which means that something negative is inevitable, trace back to the Bible, explains Jack. In the Book of Daniel, God punishes King Belshazzar for boasting and foreshadows his demise by having the words for “Numbered, Numbered, Weighed, Divided” (which all refer to how he was to be taken down) literally written on the wall. Photo: Thinkstock
“Turn a blind eye”
The 1801 Battle of Copenhagen is at the root of this saying, which means to pretend you don’t know what’s happening, Jack explains. During the battle, Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, commander of the British fleet, attempted to stop Horatio Nelson from launching an attack on the enemy. “When Nelson’s officers pointed out the order, he famously raised a telescope to his blind eye and replied: ‘Order, what order? I see no ships.'” Photo: iStockphoto
“Pass the buck”
Don’t want to take responsibility for something yourself? Just pass the buck, or hand off the duties to someone else. The phrase originated in the American Wild West during poker games, according to Jack. “The most common knife available was known as a buckhorn knife. As all cowboys and ranchers carried them around, one of them would be placed in front of whoever was due to deal the next hand, and in games where the stakes were running too high for a player, he could opt out of his turn at dealing by passing the buckhorn knife on to the next player. But even if he did choose to play, he still avoided the responsibility of setting the bets next time around by passing the buck along.” Photo: Thinkstock
“Give the cold shoulder”
Giving someone the cold shoulder is a rude way of telling the person he or she isn’t welcome, but the origins of this phrase are actually quite polite, explains Jack. After feasts in medieval England, the host would signal to his guests it was time to leave by giving them a slice of cold meat from the shoulder of beef, mutton or pork. “It was regarded as a civilized and polite gesture.” Photo: Shutterstock
“Go cold turkey”
If you want to quit anything, from alcohol or cigarettes to chocolate or soda, without weaning yourself off it, you can say you’re “going cold turkey.” “The original idea was that a person withdrawing from using drugs would find his or her skin turning hard to the touch and translucent to look at, with goose pimples all over—like the skin of a plucked turkey,” writes Jack. It’s also been suggested that the phrase is a comparison between eating a no-prep meal of cold turkey and stopping heavy drug use without preparation. Photo: Shutterstock
“Eat humble pie”
Oddly enough, making an apology and suffering humiliation along with it, as the saying connotes, has little to do with “eating humble pie.” Jack explains that the phrase dates back to the Middle Ages, when, during a post-hunt feast, the lord of the manor would eat the finest cuts of meat. But those of lower standing would be served the entrails and innards, known as “umbles,” baked into a pie. “It was common practice for people to be humiliated by finding themselves seated at the wrong end of the table and served ‘umble pie.'” Photo: Thinkstock
“Blow hot and cold”
Have a friend who constantly changes their opinions? You might say he’s “blowing hot and cold.” Jack informs us that the expression comes from a story in classical mythology in which a traveler is given food and shelter by a kind woodland god. “According to the legend, the woodland god gave the traveler a room for the night and some hot soup. The man blew on his fingers to warm them and then, with the same breath, blew on the soup to cool it. Irritated at the man’s apparent indecision, the woodland god packed him off outside and sent him back on his travels.” Photo: Getty Images
Want to learn more origins of popular sayings? You can purchase Black Sheep and Lame Ducks atAmazon.com or learn more about Albert Jack at AlbertJack.com.
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