Weird Expressions and Their Origins
"Kick the
bucket"
Definition: To die.
Origin: This quaint little idiom comes to us from an old-school suicide technique.
A man would tie a noose around his neck, securing the other end to a tree branch
or an overhead beam while he propped himself up on a bucket. When he wanted
to bid adieu to the world, he would kick the bucket out from beneath himself,
sending him to his maker.
"Hold your
horses"
Definition: To exercise patience.
Origin: This phrase is believed to have originated in America during the 19th
century and was uttered to keep everyone in line at the beginning of a coach
race. Other horse-related idioms include "throwing your weight around"and
"keeping up the pace."
"An ax
to grind"
Definition: To possess a selfish or ulterior motive.
Origin: According to myth, when Benjamin Franklin was just a young man, he was
approached by a stranger who stopped to admire the family grindstone. The stranger
expressed great interest in the otherwise commonplace device and asked Franklin
to show him how it worked by sharpening one of his axes for him. Once the ax
was sharp, the stranger walked off laughing merrily at his ingenious ploy. Since
then, anyone with a hidden motive has been said to have "an ax to grind."
"Cock and
bull story"
Definition: A tall tale intended to deceive.
Origin: This colorful phrase is believed to be derived from the name of an old
English inn where travelers would engage in the telling of remarkable -- but
ultimately unbelievable -- stories.
"Cut to
the chase"
Definition: To attend to the matter at hand.
Origin: This cinematic idiom originated in Hollywood in the 1920s and refers
to the process of cutting from a dramatic scene to an action scene.
"Graveyard
shift"
Definition: An early-morning work shift that typically runs from midnight
until 8 a.m.
Origin: While most doctors these days have little difficulty differentiating
between a patient who is alive and one who has "kicked the bucket,"
it wasn't so cut and dry in the 16th century. Back then, people were routinely
buried when they were actually just in a coma or, in some cases, napping on
the back porch (such as in the case of a woman with a sleep disorder who was
buried alive twice). To prevent this travesty from happening, members of the
"deceased's" family would often perform an all-night vigil at the
graveyard, watching the casket for any signs of life. These late-night sessions
came to be known alternately as "graveyard shifts."
"Your
name is mud"
Definition: To be held in disregard.
Origin: After fatally wounding President Lincoln, actor John Wilkes Booth went
to a man named Dr. Samuel Mudd to receive treatment for his broken leg. Dr.
Mudd was only too happy to comply, having no idea who Booth was and knowing
nothing about Lincoln's assassination (this was before CNN). Mudd was paid $25
for his services, but when the story finally broke, he was convicted of conspiracy
and sentenced to life imprisonment.
"Cold turkey"
Definition: Refers to the physical state addicts are in when withdrawing
from drug addition, especially heroin. Their blood is directed to the internal
organs, leaving their skin white and goose bumpy like a Thanksgiving bird ready
to go in the oven.
Origin: The first usage of this phrase is unknown, but it has as many applications
as there are things to be addicted to.
"Going
Dutch"
Definition: To evenly split the cost of a group expense, like a meal.
Origin: The origin of the phrase is unknown, but there is one explanation. In
the 17th century, the Dutch were hated commercial rivals of the British, and
have been a verbal target for them since. Anyone who "went Dutch"
may have been considered a tightwad. Not surprisingly, the Dutch don't seem
to like this phrase.
"Sh*t hits
the fan"
Definition: Refers to the commotion that can occur when a situation that
was previously secret is publicly revealed. Graphically illustrates the distinction
between fecal matter, which is not in itself such a problem, and fecal matter
piling up to the ceiling fan and then being sprayed everywhere.
Origin: Depression-era America, when apparently excrement abounded.
"Put a
sock in it"
Definition: A terse request to be quiet.
Origin: Since early gramophones had no volume control knobs, playing them at
anything less than 11 required putting a sock in the amplification trumpet.
"Son of
a gun"
Definition:
a) As an interjection, it means "gee whiz" or "well I'll be damned."
b) As a name to call someone, it's a euphemism for a phrase that's already pretty
tame: son of a bitch.
Origin: According to the Phrase Finder (www.phrases.shu.ac.uk), the expression
originated on sailing ships, where some women would have sex with sailors between
the cannons. The male progeny of such a dangerous liaison would then be called
a son of a gun.
"For all
intents and purposes"
Definition: It means "realistically speaking; practically; in almost
every way."
Origin: Although its origin is unknown, the phrase used to be " to all
intents and purposes," which is still sometimes heard.
"Big cheese"
Definition: The most important person or the boss.
Origin: The Urdu word for thing is chiz . The British likened its sound to the
word "cheese" and, as cheese is so vital to the Brits that their pound
currency was actually pegged to the price of medium cheddar for almost two centuries,
they modified its meaning to "the main/best thing." The phrase crossed
the Atlantic as "the big cheese" in about 1890.
"Peeping
Tom"
Definition: A peeping Tom is a voyeur.
Origin: It stems from an 11th century English legend in which Tom the tailor
unlawfully peeps at Lady Godiva as she rides on horseback naked through Coventry.
As a result, he was struck blind.
"Beat around
the bush"
Definition: This old phrase means not to get to the point or the truth.
Origin: It comes from hunting, where hunters would carefully beat around bushes
hoping to drive out their prey instead of just going in after it.
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Submitted by Gregory Brown
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