Do you know where some of our common sayings
come from? From "kicking the bucket" to "rule of thumb," you might not believe where some
of these everyday sayings came from! I'm Mike with List25 and in today's list, we're going
to explore 25 Truly Shocking Origins of Common Phrases. (I hope these sayings don't rub you
the wrong way!) 25. Bite the Bullet Meaning: Accepting something difficult or
unpleasant History: There was no time to administer anesthesia
before emergency surgery during battle. The surgeon made patients bite down on a bullet
in an attempt to distract them from the pain. 24.
Blood is Thicker than Water Meaning: Family comes before everything else
History: In ancient Middle Eastern culture, blood rituals between men symbolized bonds
that were far greater than those of family. 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. 23.
Break the Ice Meaning: To commence a project or initiate
a friendship History: Before the days of trains or cars,
port cities that thrived on trade suffered during the winter because frozen rivers prevented
commercial ships from entering the city. Small ships known as “icebreakers†would
rescue the icebound ships by breaking the ice and creating a path for them to follow.
Before any type of business arrangement today, it is now customary “break the iceâ€
before beginning a project. 22.
Butter Someone Up Meaning: To flatter someone
History: An ancient Indian custom involved throwing balls of clarified butter at statues
of the gods to seek favor. 21.
Cat Got Your Tongue? Meaning: Something said when a person is at
a loss for words History: There are two possible sources for
this common short saying. The first refers to the cat-o’-nine-tails – a
whip used by the English Navy for flogging. The whip caused so much pain that the victims
were left speechless. The second refers to the practice of cutting out the tongues of
liars and blasphemers and feeding them to cats. 20.
Caught Red-Handed Meaning: To be caught doing something wrong
History: This saying originated because of a law. 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. Being caught with freshly cut meat did not make the person guilty. 19.
Don’t Throw the Baby Out with the Bathwater Meaning: Hang on to valuable things when getting
rid of unnecessary things Hisory: During the 1500's, most people bathed
once a year. Even when they did bathe, the entire family used the same tubful of water.
The man of the house bathed first, followed by other males, then females, and finally
the babies. 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. 18.
Eat Humble Pie Meaning: Making an apology and suffering humiliation
along with it History: During the Middle Ages, the lord
of a manor would hold a feast after hunting. 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. 17.
Give the Cold Shoulder Meaning: A rude way of telling someone he
isn’t welcome or to ignore someone History: Although giving someone the cold
shoulder is considered rude today, it was actually regarded as a polite gesture in medieval
England. 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. 16.
Go Cold Turkey Meaning: To quit something abruptly
History: People believed that during withdrawal, the skin of drug addicts became translucent,
hard to the touch, and covered with goose bumps – like the skin of a plucked
turkey. 15.
Go the Whole 9 Yards Meaning: To try one’s best
History: World War II Fighter pilots received a 9-yard chain of ammunition. Therefore, when
a pilot used all of his ammunition on one target, he gave it “the whole 9 yards.†14.
Jaywalker Meaning: One who crosses the street in a reckless
or illegal manner History: Jay birds that traveled outside of
the forest into urban areas often became confused and unaware of the potential dangers in the
city – like traffic. Amused by their erratic behavior, people began using the term
“Jaywalker†to describe someone who crossed the street irresponsibly. 13.
Kick the Bucket Meaning: To die
History: When a cow was killed at a slaughterhouse, a bucket was placed under it while it was
positioned on a pulley. Sometimes the animal’s legs would kick during the adjustment of the
rope and it would literally kick the bucket before being killed. 12.
Let Your Hair Down Meaning: To relax or be at ease
History: Parisian nobles risked condemnation from their peers if they appeared in public
without an elaborate hairdo. Some of the more intricate styles required hours of work, so
of course it was a relaxing ritual for these aristocrats to come home at the end of a long
day and let their hair down. 11.
More Than You Can Shake a Stick At Meaning: Having more of something than you
need History: Farmers controlled their sheep by
shaking their staffs to indicate where the animals should go. When farmers had more sheep
than they could control, it was said they had “more than you can shake a stick
at.†10.
No Spring Chicken Meaning: Someone who is past his prime
History: New England chicken farmers generally sold chickens in the spring, so the chickens
born in the springtime yielded better earnings than the chickens that survived the winter.
Sometimes, farmers tried to sell old birds for the price of a new spring chicken. Clever
buyers complained that the fowl was “no spring chicken,†and the term came to
represent anyone past their prime. 9.
Pleased as Punch Meaning: To be very happy
History: A 17th century puppet show for children called Punch and Judy featured a puppet named
Punch who always killed people. The act of killing brought him pleasure, so he felt pleased
with himself afterwards. 8.
Rub the Wrong Way Meaning: To irritate, bother, or annoy someone
History: In colonial America, servants were required to wet-rub and dry-rub the oak-board
floors each week. Doing it against the grain caused streaks to form, making the wood look
awful and irritating the homeowner. 7.
Rule of Thumb Meaning: A common, ubiquitous benchmark
History: Legend has it that 17th century English Judge Sir Francis Buller ruled it was permissible
for a husband to beat his wife with a stick, given that the stick was no wider than his
thumb. 6.
Run Amok Meaning: Go crazy
History: This short saying comes from the Malaysian word amoq, which describes the behavior
of tribesmen who, under the influence of opium, became wild, rampaging mobs that attacked
anybody in their path. 5.
Saved by the Bell Meaning: Rescued from an unwanted situation
History: As scary as it sounds, being buried alive was once a common occurrence. People
who feared succumbing to such a fate were buried in special coffins that connected to
a bell above ground. At night, guards listened for any bells in case they had to dig up a
living person and save them “by the bell.†4.
Show Your True Colors Meaning: To reveal one’s true nature
History: Warships used to fly multiple flags to confuse their enemies. 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. 3.
Sleep Tight Meaning: Sleep well
History: During Shakespeare’s time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes.
In order to make the bed firmer, one had to pull the ropes to tighten the mattress. 2.
Spill the Beans Meaning: To reveal a secret
History: In Ancient Greece, beans were used to vote for candidates entering various organizations.
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. Sometimes a clumsy voter would accidentally knock over the jar, revealing all of the beans
and allowing everyone to see the otherwise confidential votes. 1.
Waking Up on the Wrong Side of the Bed Meaning: Waking up in a bad mood
History: The left side of the body or anything having to do with the left was often associated
with something sinister. To ward off evil, innkeepers made sure the left side of the
bed was pushed against a wall so guests had no other option but to get up on the right
side of the bed. So, what's your favorite common phrase? Let
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