Bill Green Gah You Pulled the Old Pig in the Bed Again Didnt You

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Past Tim Lambert

Below is a list of onetime sayings and where they came from. Yet, sometimes it is incommunicable to say for certain how an old saying originated. Sometimes we tin only requite the nearly likely explanation.

ACHILLES HEEL

In Greek mythology, Thetis dipped her son Achilles in the mythical River Styx. Anyone who was immersed in the river became invulnerable. However, Thetis held Achilles past his heel. Since her manus covered this function of his body the water did not touch on it and so it remained vulnerable. Achilles was somewhen killed when Paris of Troy fired an pointer at him and it hit his heel.

AM I MY BROTHER'S KEEPER?

Like many old sayings in the English language language, this one comes from the Bible. In Genesis, Cain murdered his brother Abel. God asked Cain 'Where is your brother?'. Cain answered 'I don't know. Am I my brother'south keeper?'.

APPLE OF MY EYE

This phrase as well comes from the Bible. In Psalm 17:8 the writer asks God 'go on me as the apple tree of your eye'.

BAKERS DOZEN

A baker'due south dozen ways thirteen. This onetime saying is said to come from the days when bakers were severely punished for blistering underweight loaves. Some added a loaf to a batch of a dozen to exist above suspicion.

BEAT ABOUT THE Bush

When hunting birds some people would beat almost the bush to bulldoze them out into the open. Other people would then catch the birds. 'I won't beat about the bush' came to mean 'I volition go direct to the indicate without any filibuster'.

ON YOUR Beam ENDS

On a ship, the beams are horizontal timbers that stretch across the transport and support the decks. If you are on your beam-ends your ship is leaning at a dangerous bending. In other words, you are in a precarious situation.

BEELINE

In the past, people believed that bees flew in a straight line to their hive. So if you made a beeline for something you went direct for it.

Across THE Pale

Originally a pale was an surface area nether the authorisation of a certain official. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the English king ruled Dublin, and the surrounding area was known as the pale. Anyone 'beyond the pale' was seen as savage and dangerous.

Large WIG

In the 18th century when many men wore wigs, the most important men wore the biggest wigs. Hence today important people are chosen large wigs.

Bite THE BULLET

This old proverb means to grin and bear a painful state of affairs. Information technology comes from the days before anesthetics. A soldier about to undergo an operation was given a bullet to bite.

THE BITER Beingness BITTEN

In the 17th century, a biter was a con man. 'Talk near the biter being bitten' was originally a phrase almost a con human being being browbeaten at his own game.

Bitter Stop

Anchor cable was wrapped around posts called bitts. The last piece of cablevision was called the biting end. If you allow out the cable to the bitter end there was cypher else y'all could do, you had reached the end of your resource.

THE Bullheaded LEADING THE BLIND

In Matthew 15:14 Jesus criticized the Pharisees, the religious authorities of his twenty-four hour period, proverb 'they are blind leaders of the blind'.

BLUE-BLOOD

This ways aloof. For centuries the Arabs occupied Kingdom of spain but they were gradually forced out during the Middle Ages. The upper class in Spain had paler skin than most of the population equally their ancestors had not intermarried with the Arabs. Every bit they had pale skin the 'blue' blood running through their veins was more than visible. (Of course, all blood is red only it sometimes looks blue when running through veins). Then blue-blooded came to mean upper class.

BOBBIES, PEELERS

Both these nicknames for policemen come from Sir Robert Peel who founded the first modern law forcefulness in 1829.

TO BOOT

If yous get something to boot information technology means you get information technology extra. All the same, it has nothing to do with the boots you habiliment on your feet. Information technology is a corruption of the quondam word bot, which meant profit or advantage.

BORN WITH A Silver SPOON IN YOUR Oral fissure

Once when a child was christened it was traditional for the godparents to give a silver spoon as a gift (if they could afford it!). Still, a child built-in in a rich family did not take to wait. He or she had it all from the first. They were 'born with a silver spoon in their oral fissure'.

A BROKEN REED

This phrase is from Isaiah 36: 6. When the Assyrians laid siege to Jerusalem one of them stood exterior the walls and asked if they hoped for help from Egypt. He described Egypt as a 'broken reed'.

CHAP

This discussion is derived from the erstwhile word Chapman which meant a merchant or trader. It, in turn, was derived from ceapman. The old word ceap meant to sell.

CHOCK-A-Cake

When pulleys or blocks on a sailing ship were pulled and then tightly together that they could not be moved any closer together they were said to exist chock-a-block.

COALS TO NEWCASTLE

Before railways were invented goods were often transported past water. Coal was transported past send from Newcastle to London by sea. Information technology was called sea coal. Taking dress-down to Newcastle was obviously a pointless exercise.

COCK A HOOP

This phrase comes from a primitive tap called a spile and shive. A shive was a wooden tube at the bottom of a barrel and a spile was a wooden bung. You removed the shive to allow the liquid flow out and replaced it to stop the menstruation. The spile was sometimes called a cock. If people were extremely happy and wanted to celebrate they took out the cock and put information technology on the hoop on the top of the barrel to let the drink flow out freely. So information technology was cock a hoop. And then cock a hoop came to mean ecstatic.

Erect AND BULL STORY

This phrase was first recorded in the 17th century. Information technology probably comes from an actual story about a cock and a bull that is at present lost.

CLOUD CUCKOO LAND

This phrase comes from a play called The Birds by the Greek dramatist Aristophanes (c.448-385 BC). In the play, the birds decide to build a utopian city called Deject cuckoo land.

COPPER

The former word cop meant to grab or capture so in the 19th century policemen were called coppers because they grabbed or caught criminals.

CROCODILE TEARS

These are insincere displays of grief or sadness. It comes from the old belief that a crocodile wept (insincerely!) if information technology killed and ate a human being.

Cut AND RUN

In an emergency rather than haul up an ballast the sailors would cut the ballast cable and then run with the wind.

WHAT THE DICKENS!

This old saying does not come from the writer Charles Dickens (1812-1870). It is much older than him! It has been around since at to the lowest degree the 16th century. Originally 'Dickens' was another proper noun for the Devil.

DIFFERENT KETTLE OF FISH

In the past a kettle was not necessarily a device to boil water to make a cup of tea. A pot for boiling food (like fish) was also called a kettle. Unfortunately, nobody really knows why we say 'adifferent kettle of fish'.

DON'T LOOK A Gift Equus caballus IN THE Oral fissure

This old saying means don't examine a gift too closely! You can tell a horse's age by looking at its teeth, which is why people 'looked a equus caballus in the mouth'.

DOUBTING THOMAS

This phrase comes from John 20: 24-27. After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples. Still, one of them, named Thomas, was absent-minded. When the others told him that Jesus was live Thomas said he would not believe it until he saw the marks on Jesus' hands and the wound on his side caused by a Roman spear. Jesus appeared again and told Thomas End doubting and believe!

Downwards AT HEEL

If the heels of your shoes were worn downward y'all had a shabby appearance.

DUTCH COURAGE

In the 17th century England and Holland were rivals. They fought wars in 1652-54, 1665-67 and 1672-74. It was said (very unfairly) that the Dutch had to beverage alcohol to build up their backbone. Other insulting phrases are Dutch care for (meaning y'all pay for yourself) and Double Dutch meaning gibberish.

DYED IN THE WOOL

Wool that was dyed before it was woven kept its color better than wool dyed afterwards weaving or 'dyed in the slice'.

EARMARKED

This comes from the days when livestock had their ears marked so their owner could exist hands identified.

Consume Drinkable AND BE MERRY

This old saying is from Ecclesiastes 8:15 'a man has no better thing nether the sun than to consume and to drink and be merry'.

ESCAPED By THE SKIN OF YOUR TEETH

This phrase comes from the Bible, from Chore nineteen:20.

Anxiety OF Clay

If a person nosotros admire has a fatal weakness we say they accept feet of dirt. This phrase comes from the Bible. King Nebuchadnezzar dreamed of a statue. It had a caput of gold, arms, chest of silvery, belly, and thighs of bronze and its legs were of atomic number 26. However, its feet were made of a mixture of iron and clay. A stone hitting the statue's anxiety and the whole statue was broken. Daniel interpreted the dream to be virtually a series of empires, all of which would eventually be destroyed. (Daniel 2:27-44).

FIDDLE WHILE ROME BURNS

At that place is a legend that when Rome burned in 64 AD Emperor Nero played thelyre (not the dabble!). Historians are skeptical nigh the story.

Wink IN THE PAN

Muskets had a priming pan, which was filled with gunpowder. When flint striking steel it ignited the powder in the pan, which in turn ignited the main charge of gunpowder and fired the musket ball. However, sometimes the powder in the pan failed to lite the master charge. In that case, you had a flash in the pan.

Fly IN THE OINTMENT

This onetime maxim comes from the Bible. In Ecclesiastes ten:1 the writer says that dead flies requite perfume a bad odour (in sometime versions of the Bible the word for perfume is translated 'ointment').

Flying COLORS

If a fleet won a articulate victory the ships would sail back to port with their colors proudly flying from their masts.

FREELANCE

In the Middle Ages, freelances were soldiers who fought for anyone who would hire them. They were literally free lances.

FROM THE HORSES ' Mouth

You can tell the age of a horse by examining its teeth. A horse dealer may lie to you just you can ever observe out the truth 'from the horse's mouth'.

Get THE SACK

This comes from the days when workmen carried their tools in sacks. If your employer gave you lot the sack it was fourth dimension to collect your tools and go.

Order THE LILY

This phrase is fromKing John by William Shakespeare. 'To guild refined golden, to paint the lily is wasteful and ridiculous excess'.

GO THE EXTRA MILE

By constabulary, a Roman soldier could force anybody to carry his equipment ane mile. In Matthew five:41 Jesus told his followers 'if somebody forces you lot to go 1 mile get 2 miles with him'.

GO TO POT

Whatever farm fauna that had outlived its usefulness such as a hen that no longer laid eggs would literally go to pot. Information technology was cooked and eaten.

GOLLY, GOSH

In the past information technology wasn't polite to employ the exclamation 'God!' Instead people said Golly! or Gosh! Sometimes they said 'heck' instead of Hell.

GOODBYE

This is a contraction of the words God be with ye (you).

HAT Fob

This comes from cricket. In one case a bowler who took three wickets in successive deliveries was given a new hat by his guild.

HIDING YOUR LIGHT Nether A BUSHEL

A bushel was a container for measuring grain. In Matthew fifteen:fifteen Jesus said 'Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel but on a candlestick'.

HOBSONS Pick

This ways to accept no option at all. In the 16th century and the early on 17th century if you went on a journey you could hire a horse to take you from one town to another and travel using a relay of horses. (That was better than wearing out your own horse on a long journey over very poor roads). In the early on 1600s, Thomas Hobson was a man in Cambridge who hired out horses. However, he would not permit customers choose which equus caballus they wanted to ride. Instead, they had to ride whichever horse was nearest the stable archway. So if you hired a equus caballus from him you lot were given 'Hobson'southward choice'.

HOIST BY YOUR OWN PETARD

A petard was a type of Tudor flop. It was a container of gunpowder with a fuse, which was placed confronting a wooden gate. Sometimes all things did not go to plan and the petard exploded prematurely blowing you lot into the air. You were hoisted past your own petard.

HOLIER THAN THOU

This comes from the Bible, Isaiah 65:v, the Old Testament prophet berates people who say 'stand past thyself, come not nigh me for I am holier than 1000'.

Humble PIE

The expression to consume apprehensive pie was once to swallow umble pie. The umbles were the intestines or less appetizing parts of an creature and servants and other lower-class people ate them. So if a deer was killed the rich ate venison and those of low status ate umble pie. In time information technology became corrupted to swallow humble pie and came to mean to debase yourself or act with humility.

Kicking THE BUCKET

When slaughtering a hog you lot tied its back legs to a wooden beam (in French buquet). As the animal died it kicked the buquet.

KNOW THE ROPES

On a sailing transport, it was essential to know the ropes.

KNUCKLE Under

Once knuckle meant any joint, including the knee. To knuckle nether meant to kneel in submission.

LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER

This is from Isaiah 53:7 'He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter'. Subsequently this poetry was practical to Jesus.

RESTING ON YOUR LAURELS, LOOK TO YOUR Accolade

In the ancient world winning athletes and other heroes and distinguished people were given wreaths of laurel leaves. If you are resting on your laurels you are relying on your past achievements. If you need to look to your award it means y'all accept competition.

A LEOPARD Tin can Non CHANGE HIS SPOTS

This is another old saying from the Bible. This one comes from Jeremiah 13:23 'Can an Ethiopian modify his skin or a leopard his spots?'.

LET THE True cat OUT OF THE BAG

This erstwhile saying is probably derived from the days when people who sold piglets in numberless sometimes put a true cat in the bag instead. If you allow the cat out of the bag yous exposed the trick.

LICK INTO SHAPE

In the Middle Ages, people idea that bear cubs were born shapeless and their mother literally licked them into shape.

LILY-LIVERED

Means cowardly. People in one case believed that your passions came from your liver. If you were lily-livered your liver was white (because it did non comprise whatever blood). So y'all were a coward.

A LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME

This old maxim comes from the Bible. In Ecclesiastes 10:20 the writer warns united states of america not to curse the king or the rich fifty-fifty in private or a 'bird of the air' may report what you say.

LOCK, STOCK AND BARREL

This phrase comes considering guns used to take 3 parts, the lock (the firing machinery), the stock (the wooden butt of the gun) and the barrel.

A LONG SHOT

A long shot is an option with only a pocket-sized gamble of success. In the past guns were just accurate at short range. So a 'long shot' (fired over a long distance) but had a small gamble of hitting its target.

LONG IN THE TOOTH

When a horse grows one-time its gums recede and if you examine its mouth it looks 'long in the tooth'.

MAD Equally A HATTER

This phrase comes from the fact that in the 18th and 19th centuries hat makers treated hats with mercury. Inhaling mercury vapor could cause mental illness.

MAUDLIN

This is a abuse of Magdalene. Mary Magdalene was a follower of Jesus. In paintings, she was frequently shown weeping tears of repentance. So she became associated with sentimentality.

MOOT POINT

This comes from the Saxon give-and-take moot or mote, which meant a meeting to hash out things. A moot signal was one that needed to be discussed or debated.

Smash YOUR COLORS TO THE MAST

In boxing, a ship surrendered by lowering its flag. If yous nailed your colors to the mast y'all had no intention of surrendering. You were totally loyal to your side.

NAMBY-PAMBY

This was originally a nickname for the poet Ambrose Philips (1674-1749) who was known for writing sentimental verse.

NICKNAME

This is a abuse of eke name. The old give-and-take eke meant alternative.

NO REST FOR THE WICKED

This phrase comes from the Bible. In Isaiah 57:21 the prophet says: 'in that location is no peace saith my God to the wicked'.

ON TENTERHOOKS

After it was woven wool was pounded in a mixture of dirt and water to clean and thicken it. This was called fulling. Afterward, the wool was stretched on a frame chosen a tenter to dry. Information technology was hung on tenterhooks. So if yous were very tense, similar stretched fabric, y'all were on tenterhooks.

PANDEMONIUM

This comes from John Milton'southward poem Paradise Lost. In Hell the master city is Pandemonium. In Greek Pandemonium means 'all the devils'.

PASTURES NEW

In 1637 John Milton wrote a verse form called Lycidas, which includes the words 'Tomorrow to fresh forest and pastures new'.

PAY ON THE NAIL

In the Heart Ages 'nails' were flat-topped columns in markets. When a buyer and a seller agreed deal coin was placed on the nail for all to see.

PEARLS Earlier SWINE

In Matthew seven:6 Jesus warned his followers not to requite what is sacred to dogs and not to throw pearls (of wisdom) earlier swine (the ungodly).

PEEPING TOM

According to legend, a homo named Leofric taxed the people of Coventry heavily. His wife, lady Godiva, begged him non to. Leofric said he would terminate the tax if she rode through the streets of Coventry naked. So she did. Peeping Tom is a much later addition to the story. Everybody in Coventry was supposed to stay indoors with his or her shutters closed. However, peeping Tom had a sneaky look at Godiva and was struck bullheaded.

PEPPERCORN Hire

In the Middle Ages and Tudor Times rents were sometimes paid in peppercorns because pepper was then expensive. Peppercorns were really used equally a grade of currency. They were given every bit bribes or equally part of a bride's dowry.

A Squealer IN A POKE

This is something bought without checking it beginning. A poke was a bag. If you bought a sus scrofa in a poke information technology might plow out the 'pig' was really a puppy or a cat. (See Sold A Pup).

Pin Money In the 16th and 17th centuries information technology was common to give your married woman or daughter a pocket-sized corporeality of money for pins and other necessary things.

POT LUCK

In the past, all kinds of food went into a big pot for cooking. If yous saturday down to a meal with a family you ofttimes had to take 'pot luck' and could never be quite sure what you would be served.

THE POWERS THAT Be

This comes from Romans 13:i when Paul says 'the powers that be are ordained of God'.

PRIDE GOES BEFORE A FALL

This old saying comes from the Bible, from Proverbs 16:eighteen 'Pride goes earlier devastation and a haughty spirit before a fall'.

PULL THE WOOL OVER MY EYES

In the 18th century, it was the fashion to wear white, curly wigs. they were nicknamed wool maybe considering they resembled a sheep'south fleece.

PULL OUT ALL THE STOPS

This saying comes from church organs. Pulling out a stop lets air flow through a pipe and make a sound.

RACK AND RUIN

Rack has nothing to do with the torture instrument. It is a modification of 'wrack' which was an alternative way of saying 'wreck'.

READ THE Riot ACT

Following a law of 1715, if a rowdy group of 12 or more people gathered, a magistrate would read an official statement ordering them to disperse. Anyone who did not, after one hour, could be arrested and punished.

RED HERRING

Poachers and other unsavory characters would drag a herring across the ground where they had but walked to throw dogs off their scent. (Herrings were made red by the procedure of curing).

Crimson Tape

This phrase comes from the days when official documents were bound with red tape.

RED Letter DAYS

In the Centre Ages, saint'southward days were marked in red on calendars. People did non piece of work on some saint'due south days or holy days. Our word holiday is derived from holy day.

Band True, Band OF TRUTH

In the past coins were actually made of gold, silver, or other metals. Their value depended on the amount of gilded or silverish they independent. Some people would make apocryphal coins by mixing gold or silver with a cheaper metal. However, you could check if a coin was genuine by dropping information technology. If it was fabricated of the proper metal it would 'ring true' or have the 'ring of truth'.

RUB SALT INTO A WOUND

This is derived from the days when table salt was rubbed into wounds equally an clarified.

RULE OF THUMB

This comes from the days when craftsmen used their thumbs for making crude measurements.

SALT OF THE EARTH

This is some other Biblical phrase. It comes from Matthew five:thirteen when Jesus told his followers 'Yous are the common salt of the Earth'.

SCAPEGOAT

In the One-time Testament (Leviticus 16: seven-10) two goats were selected. 1 was sacrificed. The other was spared simply the High Priest laid his hands on information technology and confessed the sins of his people. The caprine animal was then driven into the wilderness. He was a symbolic 'scapegoat' for the people's sins.

SCOT FREE

This has cypher to do with Scotland. Scot is an old word for payment so if you went scot-free you went without paying.

TO SEE A MAN ABOUT A Canis familiaris

This old saying first appeared in 1866 in a play by Dion Boucicault (1820-1890) chosen the Flight Scud in which a graphic symbol makes the excuse that he is going 'to meet a human being about a canis familiaris' to get away.

SENT TO COVENTRY

The most probable explanation for this quondam saying is that during the English language Civil War Royalists captured in the Midlands were sent to Coventry. They were held prisoner in St Johns Church building and the local people shunned them and refused to speak to them.

Gear up YOUR TEETH ON Edge

This is from Jeremiah 31:30 'Every man that eats the sour grape, his teeth shall be gear up on border'.

SHAMBLES

Originally a shamble was a demote. Butchers used to set up benches to sell meat from. In time the street where meat was sold often became known equally the Shambles. (This street name survives in many towns today). Nevertheless, considering butchers used to throw offal into the street shambles came to mean a mess or something very untidy or disorganized.

SHIBBOLETH

This is a word used past members of a detail group. It identifies people as members of the group. Information technology comes from the One-time Testament Judges 12: 5-7. Two groups of Hebrews, the Gileadites and the Ephraimites fought each other. The Gileadites captured the fords over the River Jordan leading to Ephraim. If a man wanted to cross a ford they made him say 'Shibboleth' (a Hebrew word meaning ear of grain). The Ephraimites could not pronounce the word properly and said'Sibboleth'. If anyone mispronounced the word the Gileadites knew he was an enemy and killed him.

Short SHRIFT

A shrift was a confession fabricated to a priest. Criminals were allowed to make short shrift before they were executed. so if you gave somebody short shrift you gave them a few minutes to confess their sins earlier carrying out the execution.

Testify YOUR TRUE COLORS

Pirate ships would approach their intended victim showing a fake flag to lure them into a false sense of security. When it was besides late for the victim to escape they would bear witness their truthful colors-the jolly roger!

SOLD A PUP

If yous bought a piglet the seller placed information technology in a bag or sack. Sometimes, with his hands out of sight, the seller would sideslip a puppy into the sack. If you lot were swindled in that style you were sold a pup.

SPINNING A YARN

Ropes were fabricated in ports everywhere. The rope makers chatted while they worked. They told each other stories while they were spinning a yarn.

SPICK AND SPAN

Today this means neat and tidy simply originally the saying was spick and spannew. A bridge was a wood shaving. If something was newly built it would take tell-tale wood chips so it was 'span new'. Spick is an old discussion for a nail. New spicks or nails would be shiny. However, words and phrases often change their meanings over centuries and spick and span came to hateful neat and tidy.

SPINSTER

A Spinster is an unmarried woman. Originally a spinster was simply a woman who made her living past spinning wool on a spinning wheel. However, it was so common for unmarried women to support themselves that way that past the 18th century 'spinster' was a synonym for a heart-aged unmarried woman.

SPOIL THE SHIP FOR A HA'PENNY WORTH OF TAR

Originally 'send' was sheep and the saying comes from the practise of covering cuts on sheep with tar.

A Foursquare Meal

There is a popular myth that this saying comes from the fourth dimension when British sailors ate off square plates. In reality, the phrase began California in the mid-19th century and information technology simply meant a good meal for your money, every bit in the phrase 'off-white and square'. Later on the saying made its way to Uk.

Offset FROM SCRATCH

This phrase comes from the days when a line was scratched on the ground for a race. The racers would offset from the scratch.

Directly-LACED

This phrase was originally STRAIT laced. The one-time English word strait meant tight or narrow. In Tudor times buttons were generally for decoration. Laces were used to hold clothes together. If a adult female was STRAIT laced she was prim and proper.

THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW

This comes from Matthew 7:xiv. In the King James Bible published in 1611 Jesus says: 'Strait is the gate and narrow is the mode which leadeth to life'. The old English word strait meant tight or narrow just when it went out of use the phrase changed to 'Directly and narrow'.

STRIKE WHILE THE IRON IS HOT

This phrase comes from the days when blacksmiths lifted atomic number 26 objects from the furnace and hammered it. They could only hammer the object into shape while the iron was hot earlier information technology cooled down.

SWAN SONG

This comes from an erstwhile conventionalities that swans, who are ordinarily silent, burst into beautiful songs when they are dying.

SWASHBUCKLER

A buckle was a kind of small shield. Swash meant the noise caused past striking. Advised men struck their swords against their bucklers every bit they walked effectually town. So they became known as swashbucklers.

SWINGING THE Lead

Onboard ships, a lead weight was fastened to a long rope. A knot was tied every vi feet in the rope. The lead weight was swung and then thrown overboard. When it sank to the seabed you counted the number of knots that disappeared and this told y'all how deep the ocean was. Some sailors felt it was an easy job and 'swinging the lead' came to mean fugitive hard work. In time it came to mean feigning disease to avoid work.

Have SOMEBODY UNDER YOUR WING

In Luke 12:34 Jesus laments that he wished to get together the people of Jerusalem as a hen gathers her chicks nether her wings but Jerusalem was non willing.

TAKEN ABACK

If the wind of a sudden changed management a sailing ship stopped moving forward. It was 'taken aback', which was a chip of a daze for the sailors.

TAWDRY

This is a corruption of St Audrey considering cheap jewelry was sold at St Audrey's fair in Ely, Cambridgeshire.

THORN IN MY SIDE

This comes from the Bible. In ii Corinthians 12:7, Paul states that he was given a 'thorn in my mankind' to preclude him from becoming proud. We are non told what the 'thorn' was, mayhap information technology was some form of affliction.

THROUGH THICK AND THIN

This onetime maxim was in one case 'through a thicket and thin wood'. Information technology meant making your mode through a dense wood and through one where trees grew more thinly.

THROW Down THE GAUNTLET

In the Middle Ages, a gauntlet was the glove in a arrange of armor. Throwing down your gauntlet was a way of challenging somebody to a duel.

Tongue IN CHEEK

In the 18th century sticking your tongue in your cheek was a sign of contempt. It is not clear how speaking with your tongue in your cheek took on its modern meaning.

TOUCH AND Become

This onetime proverb probably comes from ships sailing in shallow waters where they might touch the seabed and then get. If then, they were manifestly in a dangerous and uncertain situation.

TOUCH Woods

In Celtic times people believed that benevolent spirits lived in copse. When in trouble people knocked on the tree and asked the spirits for help.

Accept NO TRUCK WITH

Truck originally meant barter and is derived from the French discussion 'troquer'. Originally if you had no truck with somebody y'all refused to trade with him or her. It came to mean you refused to have anything to practice with them.

True BLUE

This phrase was originally true as Coventry blue equally the dyers in Coventry used a blueish dye that lasted and did not wash out easily. However, the phrase became shortened.

Plow THE OTHER CHEEK

Jesus told his followers not to retaliate confronting violence. In Luke 6:29 he told them that if somebody strikes you on one cheek turn the other cheek to him as well.

Turn OVER A NEW Leaf

This means making a fresh start. It meant a leafage or folio of a book.

TURNED THE CORNER

Ships that had sailed past the Cape of Good Promise or Cape Horn were said to have 'turned the corner'.

Upwards THE POLE

The pole was a mast of a ship. Climbing it was dangerous and, not surprisingly, you had to exist a bit crazy to go upward there willingly. So if you lot were a bit mad you were upward the pole.

WARTS AND ALL

When Oliver Cromwell 1599-1658 had his portrait painted he ordered the creative person non to flatter him. He insisted on being painted 'warts and all'.

WASH MY Easily OF

The Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, refused to be involved in the death of an innocent person (Jesus). So he done his hands in front of the crowd, symbolically disassociating himself from the execution.

WEAR YOUR HEART ON YOUR SLEEVE

In the Middle Ages, knights who fought at tournaments wore a token of their lady on their sleeves. Today if you make your feelings obvious to everybody yous wearable your eye on your sleeve.

WEASEL WORDS

This phrase is said to come from an erstwhile belief that weasels could suck out the inside of an egg leaving its trounce intact.

WEIGH ANCHOR

The 'weigh' is a corruption of the erstwhile word wegan which meant carry or lift.

WENT Westward

Once criminals were hanged at Tyburn – west of London. So if you went west you went to be hanged.

Wide BERTH

A berth is a place where a transport is tied up or anchored. When the anchor was lowered a send would tend to motility about on the anchor cablevision so it was important to give it a broad booth to avert collisions. Today to requite someone a wide berth is to steer clear of them.

WILLY-NILLY

This phrase is believed to exist derived from the former words will-ye, nill-ye (or will-he, nill-he) pregnant whether y'all want to or not (or whether he wants to or not).

WIN Hands DOWN

This onetime saying comes from equus caballus racing. If a jockey was a long way alee of his competitors and sure to win the race he could relax and put his hands down at his sides.

WHEAT FROM THE CHAFF

In the ancient globe, grain was hurled into the air using a tool chosen a winnowing fork. Wind separated the edible role of the grain (wheat) from the lighter, inedible part (chaff). In Matthew three:12 John the Baptist warned that on the judgment day Jesus would separate the wheat from the crust (expert people from evil).

WHIPPING Male child

People once believed that in the 16th century princes had boys who were whipped in their identify every time they were naughty. Historians now think it's a myth, or at least it was unusual but thebelief gave rise to the saying.

WHITE ELEPHANT

In Siam (mod-24-hour interval Thailand) white or pale elephants were very valuable. The king sometimes gave a white elephant to a person he disliked. It might seem similar a wonderful souvenir simply information technology was actually a punishment because information technology cost so much to keep!

A WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING

In Matthew vii:fifteen Jesus warned his followers of false prophets saying they were similar 'wolves in sheep'due south article of clothing' outwardly convincing.

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Source: https://localhistories.org/the-origins-of-some-old-sayings/

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