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- Rugile
- Cat Got Your Tongue. Meaning: Said to someone who remains silent when they are expected to speak. Origin: There are two stories on how this saying came into being.
- The Walls Have Ears. Meaning: Be careful what you say as people may be eavesdropping. Origin: The face Louvre Palace in France was believed to have a network of listening tubes so that it would be possible to hear everything that was said in different rooms.
- Bury The Hatchet. Meaning: End a quarrel or conflict and become friendly. Origin: During negotiations between Puritans and Native Americans men would bury all of their weapons, making them inaccessible.
- Cold Feet. Meaning: Loss of nerve or confidence. Origin: This idiom originates from a military term, warriors who had frozen feet were not able to rush into battle.
The meanings and origins of thousands of English phrases, sayings, idioms, expressions and proverbs that we use daily.
- Fly off the handle. In the days before mass merchandising, poorly fastened axe heads would fly off while they were in use. The result was dangerous, hence why the phrase is used to describe risky behavior with unpredictable results.
- Steal someone’s thunder. In the early 1700s, English dramatist John Dennis invented a device that imitated the sound of thunder for a play he was working on.
- Chew the fat. Originally a sailor’s term, this phrase refers to the days before refrigeration when ships carried food that wouldn’t spoil. One of them was salted pork skin, which consisted largely of fat.
- White elephant. Legend has it, kings of Siam (now Thailand) used to give actual white elephants to people they wanted to punish. Yes, the elephants were valuable and respected, but that also meant they were expensive to take care of, so the kings hoped the present would drive the recipient into financial ruin.
The meanings and origins of thousands of phrases, sayings, proverbs, idioms and expressions.
- Bite The Bullet
- Break The Ice
- Butter Someone Up
- Cat Got Your tongue?
- Turn A Blind Eye
- Bury The Hatchet
- Caught Red-Handed
- Give The Cold Shoulder
- Let One’S Hair Down
- Pull Someone’S Leg
Meaning:To endure something difficult or unpleasant. Origin: This expression was first recorded in the 1891 novel, in The Light that Failed. It is said to have derived from the practice of having a patient clench a bullet between their teeth as a way to cope with the extreme pain felt during a surgical procedure without anaesthetic. It has also bee...
Meaning:To end conflict or initiate friendship. Origin: This phrase originates from the 1580s, referring to the carving of ice to create passages for ships on trade routes. Oftentimes, the ships would get stuck in the ice during the winter. The receiving country would send small ships to ‘break the ice’in order to make way for the trade ships.
Meaning:To praise or flatter someone excessively. Origin:In ancient India, is was custom to throw butterballs of ghee (clarified butter commonly used in Indian cooking) at the statues of the gods to seek favour and forgiveness. Similarly, a Tibetan tradition dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618–907) involves the creating sculptures from butter for ...
Meaning:When a person is at loss of words. Origin:There are two possible sources for this phrase, both equally morbid, sadly. The first one refers to the use of the whip, cat-o’-nine-tails. Used by the English Navy, victims were left speechless from the pain inflicted upon them after a flogging. The second possible source comes from medieval times....
Meaning:To ignore something. Origin:During the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, the commander of British forces, Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, signalled to Admiral Horatio Nelson to stop attacking a fleet of Danish ships using a system of signal flags. Nelson raised his telescope up to his blind eye and said, “I really do not see the signal” and continued ...
Meaning:To end conflict, and make peace. Origin:This phrase comes from North America during the 1600’s. During peace talks between the Puritans (a group of English Reformed Protestants) and the Native American. After a peace agreement was made the chiefs of tribes buried all their hatchets, knives, clubs, and tomahawks, thus making all weapons inac...
Meaning:To be caught in the act of doing something wrong. Origin:Dating back to Scotland in 1432, this term refers to an old English law that sought the punishment of any person who butchered an animal that wasn’t his own. In order to be convicted, he had to be caught with the animal’s blood still on his hands.
Meaning:Disregarding someone. Origin:This phrase stems from a particular way food was served to an unwanted guest in medieval England. At the time is was customary to serve a hot meal or roast that was fresh out of the oven. So, the act of serving an inferior cut of meat, such as a cold shoulder of mutton to the guest was a direct and subtle way to...
Meaning:To relax or behave in an uninhibited manner. Origin: This phrase was first reference in John Cotgrave’s, The English Treasury of Wit and Language published in 1655. During the 17th century, women were obliged to wear elegant hair-dos that were normally pinned up. It was only during brushing or washing that their hair was let down. The term ...
Meaning:To trick or fool someone. Origin:This phrase stems from a method used by street thieves in 18th and 19th century London. Often working in pairs, one thief, known as a “tripper up,” was tasked with tripping up an unsuspecting victim using a cane, rope or piece of wire. The other thief robs the victim as he lay on the ground. Pulling your leg...
But every phrase, saying or proverb starts somewhere, and thanks to the Phrase Finder, we’ve uncovered the (often disputed) authors, meanings and stories behind some of the most commonplace ...
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The Curious Origins of 16 Common Phrases | Mental Floss. By Arika Okrent | Nov 12, 2021. Before you go bananas, know the theories for where the phrase comes from. / lisegagne (man in ape...
