Phrases we use, but don’t know why
Have you ever paused mid-sentence, using a phrase that everyone understands, yet the literal meaning makes absolutely no sense? Our language is rich with idioms and expressions that we use without a second thought. Weird phrases are woven into the fabric of our daily conversations, adding color and nuance. But what if I told you that many of these common sayings have fascinating, sometimes bizarre, origins that shed a whole new light on their meaning?
“By the Skin of Your Teeth”
This saying means to narrowly escape a disaster or achieve something by the smallest possible margin.
This vivid phrase comes directly from the Bible, specifically from the Book of Job (Job 19:20). After suffering immense loss, Job laments, “My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.” While teeth don’t literally have “skin,” the expression implies an incredibly thin, almost non-existent margin of escape. It paints a picture of being stripped bare, with only the most fragile part remaining.
“Up a Creek Without a Paddle”
In a difficult, inescapable, or dire situation without the means to resolve it. This one is pretty straightforward and almost visual! Imagine being in a canoe or boat, navigating a narrow creek. If you lose your paddle, you’re essentially stranded, unable to propel yourself forward or steer.
The phrase likely originated in North America and became popular in the early 20th century, evoking a sense of helplessness and being stuck. Not all phrases have weird backgrounds, and this one makes perfect sense.
“Bite the Bullet”
Who would bite a bullet? When people say it, they usually mean to face a difficult or unpleasant situation with courage and endurance, often by accepting pain or hardship.
This gritty phrase has a rather literal and painful origin, harking back to a time before modern anesthesia. During battle, or when performing surgery on the fly, wounded soldiers might be given a lead bullet to clench between their teeth to help them endure the pain of a medical procedure. The act of “biting the bullet” was a physical manifestation of bracing oneself for extreme discomfort.
“Spill the Beans”
When someone wants you to keep a secret, they often say don’t spill the beans. The most widely accepted theory for this idiom comes from ancient Greek voting. Citizens would place beans into a jar to cast their vote: a white bean for “yes” and a black bean for “no.”
The results would be secret until all votes were cast and the jar was tipped over to reveal the final tally. To “spill the beans” prematurely would mean to reveal the secret result before the voting was complete.
“Break the Ice”
To initiate a conversation or social interaction, especially to make people who don’t know each other feel more comfortable.
This phrase has a nautical origin. In times past, when ships were the primary mode of transportation and trade, they could get stuck in frozen waters during winter. A receiving country would send smaller, powerful ships ahead to “break the ice” and clear a path for the larger trading vessels. This gesture symbolized a gesture of goodwill and a peaceful welcome.
“To Cost an Arm and a Leg”
Why did people start using arms and legs to refer to something expensive? Not all phrases make sense. It is thought to have a few possible origins, but the most popular one points to the cost of portraits in the 18th and 19th centuries.
A full-body portrait with limbs would cost much more than a simple head-and-shoulders portrait, as the artist had to put in more work. The phrase suggests that the item is so expensive you’d have to sell off your own body parts to afford it.
To Give Someone the “Cold Shoulder”
If you want someone to leave you alone, you may give them… the cold shoulder. But what does that really mean?
This saying comes from a medieval custom. When a guest was overstaying their welcome, the host would serve them a cold piece of meat from the shoulder of a mutton or pork roast. This was a polite, but very clear, signal that the meal was over and it was time for the guest to leave.
It would probably be easier to just ask them to leave, but hey, everyone has their own methods, right? So, the next time you want someone to leave you alone, just give them a cold piece of meat!
“The Last Straw”
When we are down to the last straw, we are about to snap big time. After all, who wants to be without their straw…
This is actually a shortened version of the saying, “The last straw that broke the camel’s back.” But over time, people have started to use the first part of the saying more than the last.
It refers to an old Arab proverb about a camel that is so loaded down with weight that a single straw could break it’s back. This saying is really focusing more on all the “burdens” that led up to the piece of straw being enough to overwhelm the camel. But most people today use the saying as a way to focus on the last act that pushed them over the edge.
“Go the Whole Nine Yards”
It would sound funny to say “he went the whole 7 feet” wouldn’t it? But what on earth did 9 yards come from? The saying means to give something your maximum effort or to complete something to the fullest extent.
The origin of this phrase is heavily debated, but a popular theory comes from World War II. It’s believed that the ammunition belts for the machine guns on some fighter planes were exactly nine yards long. A pilot who used all of their ammunition on a target was said to have “gone the whole nine yards,” meaning they had given it their all.
“A Dime a Dozen”
This is a phrase I have heard a lot growing up. It references how common something is and because of that, it’s low value.
The phrase first appeared in the late 19th century when goods like eggs and nails were sold in bulk at a low price. If you could buy a dozen of something for a mere ten cents (a dime), it was considered cheap and ordinary. Don’t you wish we could still find a dozen of anything at the store for a dime? Well, wishing is free but reality is not, so don’t get your hopes up.
“The Apple of My Eye”
Are you the apple of anyone’s eye? That’s kind of gross if you think about it. It means a person or thing that is cherished above all others. But I don’t want any apples in my eyeball.
But don’t worry, the “apple” in this phrase doesn’t refer to fruit. It’s actually referring, to the pupil of the human eye. The pupil was once believed to be a solid, apple-like object.
As the center of our vision, it was considered the most precious part of the body. The phrase appeared in Old English and was used to describe something held in the highest regard.
“To Turn a Blind Eye”
If your eye was blind, you probably wouldn’t need to turn it… But in this case, people use the saying to explain how someone deliberately ignores something you know is happening.
This expression is famously attributed to British naval hero Admiral Horatio Nelson. During the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, his superior, Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, signaled for Nelson to retreat.
Nelson, however, was determined to continue the attack. He held his telescope to his blind eye and famously remarked, “I have a right to be blind sometimes.” He then gave the order to ignore the signal and push forward to victory.
“Hit the Nail on the Head”
When we pinpoint a specific truth or profound insight about a particular subject or person, we often say we “hit the nail on the head.”
The origins are fairly straightforward and come from the carpentry industry. When a person hammers a nail and hits it perfectly on the head, they do it with a single, precise blow. Missing can be painful at times (when you smack your finger) and hitting it on the edge will cause the nail to bend. But when you hit hard, directly on the head, you can sink a nail much faster.
The phrase was used figuratively to describe a person who gets to the heart of the matter with perfect accuracy.
“Mad as a Hatter”
If someone were completely insane or eccentric, you may call them “mad as a hatter.”
While often associated with the Mad Hatter from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the phrase existed long before Lewis Carroll’s book.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, hat makers would use mercury in the process of making felt. Chronic exposure to the toxic metal caused neurological damage, leading to symptoms like tremors, confusion, and irritability. These behaviors made the hatters appear “mad.”
That’s a big sacrifice for making a hat, but someone had to do it…
“Let the Cat Out of the Bag”
We all know someone who lets the cat out of the bag. This is often done by accident, but the truth is spilled either way.
This is one of the most common phrases and comes from a common con in medieval markets. Unscrupulous merchants would sell what was supposed to be a suckling pig in a bag (a “poke”). The bag was tied shut to prevent the pig from escaping. However, the pig would often be swapped for a cat, which was much less valuable. When a buyer “let the cat out of the bag,” the deceit was exposed. This is also where we get the phrase, “buy a pig in a poke.”