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Common Sayings That Most People Have No Idea About the Origin
Posted on 10/25/15 at 2:15 pm
Posted on 10/25/15 at 2:15 pm
Just heard on an NFL broadcast.
Whirling Dervish. I knew where the term originated, but I don't think most people do.
This is a whirling dervish.
Whirling Dervishes is the nickname of Malawis (a Sufi order) they get their nickname from the ritualistic dance of the Sama. It's very beautiful if you ever get a chance to see a performance.
Got any others?
Whirling Dervish. I knew where the term originated, but I don't think most people do.
This is a whirling dervish.
Whirling Dervishes is the nickname of Malawis (a Sufi order) they get their nickname from the ritualistic dance of the Sama. It's very beautiful if you ever get a chance to see a performance.
Got any others?
25
Posted on 10/25/15 at 2:17 pm to PurpleandGold Motown
The whole nine yards.
Posted on 10/25/15 at 2:18 pm to PurpleandGold Motown
quote:
Common Sayings
quote:
Whirling Dervish
No.
Posted on 10/25/15 at 2:18 pm to PurpleandGold Motown
The angry pirate
The dirty Sanchez
Cleveland steamer
The dirty Sanchez
Cleveland steamer
Posted on 10/25/15 at 2:18 pm to PurpleandGold Motown
Wet your whistle.
quote:
Most references relate to a custom quite a few hundred years ago when drinking mugs had whistles that one would blow to indicate you needed a refill.
Some say the whistle was attached to the handle and became wet after the drink had been poured, hence to wet your whistle.
Other sources say the whistle was part of the mug, built into either the rim or handle.
Posted on 10/25/15 at 2:27 pm to upgrayedd
Nice one.
And what's the origin of the Whole Nine Yards?
I know Rule of Thumb...but just because of Boondock Saints.
And what's the origin of the Whole Nine Yards?
I know Rule of Thumb...but just because of Boondock Saints.
Posted on 10/25/15 at 2:28 pm to PurpleandGold Motown
Hood winked
quote:
hoodwinked To be deceived. It actually derives from the practice of placing a hood over the head of a falcon in the Middle Ages when engaged in the sport of falconry. This was done in order to trick the falcon into believing it was nighttime, thus calming the bird down so that one could recover the prey from the bird's talons.
This post was edited on 10/25/15 at 2:36 pm
Posted on 10/25/15 at 2:30 pm to PurpleandGold Motown
quote:
And what's the origin of the Whole Nine Yards?
WWII fighter planes carried .50 cal ammo in their machine guns. Stretched out from end to end, the linked ammo was about 9 yds long. So, the phrase meant give the enemy everything in the arsenal.
Posted on 10/25/15 at 2:38 pm to upgrayedd
quote:
Most references relate to a custom quite a few hundred years ago when drinking mugs had whistles that one would blow to indicate you needed a refill.
Why did they ever get rid of this
Posted on 10/25/15 at 2:40 pm to PurpleandGold Motown
Rule of thumb.
quote:
The 'rule of thumb' has been said to derive from the belief that English law allowed a man to beat his wife with a stick so long as it is was no thicker than his thumb
This post was edited on 10/25/15 at 2:47 pm
Posted on 10/25/15 at 2:41 pm to PurpleandGold Motown
Three sheets to the wind:
"sheets aren't sails, as landlubbers might expect, but ropes (or occasionally, chains). These are fixed to the lower corners of sails, to hold them in place. If three sheets are loose and blowing about in the wind then the sails will flap and the boat will lurch about like a drunken sailor."
LINK
Just one of many nautical expressions.
Some more:
As the Crow Flies -
When lost or unsure of their position in coastal waters, ships would release a caged crow. The crow would fly straight towards the nearest land
To Know the Ropes - obvious
Footloose -
The bottom portion of a sail is called the foot. If it is not secured, it is footloose and it dances randomly in the wind.
Pipe Down -
Means stop talking and be quiet. The Pipe Down was the last signal from the Bosun's pipe each day which meant "lights out" and "silence".
Skyscraper -
A small triangular sail set above the skysail in order to maximize effect in a light wind.
The Bitter End -
The end of an anchor cable is fastened to the bitts at the ship's bow. If all of the anchor cable has been payed out you have come to the bitter end.
Slush Fund -
A slushy slurry of fat was obtained by boiling or scraping the empty salted meat storage barrels. This stuff called "slush" was often sold ashore by the ship's cook for the benefit of himself or the crew. The money so derived became known as a slush fund.
A Square Meal -
In good weather, crews' mess was a warm meal served on square wooden platters.
Let the Cat Out of the Bag -
In the Royal Navy the punishment prescribed for most serious crimes was flogging. This was administered by the Bosun's Mate using a whip called a cat o' nine tails. The "cat" was kept in a leather or baize bag. It was considered bad news indeed when the cat was let out of the bag.
Fly-by-Night -
A large sail used only for sailing downwind and requiring rather little attention.
Scuttlebutt -
A butt was a barrel. Scuttle meant to chop a hole in something. The scuttlebutt was a water barrel with a hole cut into it so that sailors could reach in and dip out drinking water. The scuttlebutt was the place where the ship's gossip was exchanged.
LINK
Plenty more at this link.
"sheets aren't sails, as landlubbers might expect, but ropes (or occasionally, chains). These are fixed to the lower corners of sails, to hold them in place. If three sheets are loose and blowing about in the wind then the sails will flap and the boat will lurch about like a drunken sailor."
LINK
Just one of many nautical expressions.
Some more:
As the Crow Flies -
When lost or unsure of their position in coastal waters, ships would release a caged crow. The crow would fly straight towards the nearest land
To Know the Ropes - obvious
Footloose -
The bottom portion of a sail is called the foot. If it is not secured, it is footloose and it dances randomly in the wind.
Pipe Down -
Means stop talking and be quiet. The Pipe Down was the last signal from the Bosun's pipe each day which meant "lights out" and "silence".
Skyscraper -
A small triangular sail set above the skysail in order to maximize effect in a light wind.
The Bitter End -
The end of an anchor cable is fastened to the bitts at the ship's bow. If all of the anchor cable has been payed out you have come to the bitter end.
Slush Fund -
A slushy slurry of fat was obtained by boiling or scraping the empty salted meat storage barrels. This stuff called "slush" was often sold ashore by the ship's cook for the benefit of himself or the crew. The money so derived became known as a slush fund.
A Square Meal -
In good weather, crews' mess was a warm meal served on square wooden platters.
Let the Cat Out of the Bag -
In the Royal Navy the punishment prescribed for most serious crimes was flogging. This was administered by the Bosun's Mate using a whip called a cat o' nine tails. The "cat" was kept in a leather or baize bag. It was considered bad news indeed when the cat was let out of the bag.
Fly-by-Night -
A large sail used only for sailing downwind and requiring rather little attention.
Scuttlebutt -
A butt was a barrel. Scuttle meant to chop a hole in something. The scuttlebutt was a water barrel with a hole cut into it so that sailors could reach in and dip out drinking water. The scuttlebutt was the place where the ship's gossip was exchanged.
LINK
Plenty more at this link.
Posted on 10/25/15 at 2:48 pm to Real Pirate
Rusty Trombone
Posted on 10/25/15 at 2:51 pm to PurpleandGold Motown
Alabama Hot Pocket
Posted on 10/25/15 at 2:52 pm to Mullet Flap
Balls to the wall.
It derives from aviation. The ‘balls’ sat on top of the levers controlling the throttle and fuel mixtures. Pushing them forward toward the front wall of the cockpit made the plane go faster.
It derives from aviation. The ‘balls’ sat on top of the levers controlling the throttle and fuel mixtures. Pushing them forward toward the front wall of the cockpit made the plane go faster.
Posted on 10/25/15 at 2:54 pm to PurpleandGold Motown
Beyond the pale
LINK
Touch down
To score a try in rugby, the player has to touch the ball down in the try zone. Americans then took the word and applied it to their sport.
quote:
This 'pale' is the noun meaning 'a stake or pointed piece of wood', a meaning now virtually obsolete except as used in this phrase, but still in use in the associated words 'paling' (as in paling fence) and 'impale' (as in Dracula movies).
The paling fence is significant as the term 'pale' came to mean the area enclosed by such a fence and later just figuratively 'the area that is enclosed and safe'. So to be 'beyond the pale' was to be outside the area accepted as 'home'.
LINK
Touch down
To score a try in rugby, the player has to touch the ball down in the try zone. Americans then took the word and applied it to their sport.
This post was edited on 10/25/15 at 2:57 pm
Posted on 10/25/15 at 2:57 pm to TN Bhoy
quote:Mostl famously used with regard to Dublin and the rest of Ireland.
Beyond the pale
The English colonialists didn't want much to do with the wilds of Ireland.
Posted on 10/25/15 at 3:25 pm to Tigris
quote:
Three sheets to the wind:
"sheets aren't sails, as landlubbers might expect, but ropes (or occasionally, chains). These are fixed to the lower corners of sails, to hold them in place. If three sheets are loose and blowing about in the wind then the sails will flap and the boat will lurch about like a drunken sailor."
LINK
Just one of many nautical expressions.
Some more:
As the Crow Flies -
When lost or unsure of their position in coastal waters, ships would release a caged crow. The crow would fly straight towards the nearest land
To Know the Ropes - obvious
Footloose -
The bottom portion of a sail is called the foot. If it is not secured, it is footloose and it dances randomly in the wind.
Pipe Down -
Means stop talking and be quiet. The Pipe Down was the last signal from the Bosun's pipe each day which meant "lights out" and "silence".
Skyscraper -
A small triangular sail set above the skysail in order to maximize effect in a light wind.
The Bitter End -
The end of an anchor cable is fastened to the bitts at the ship's bow. If all of the anchor cable has been payed out you have come to the bitter end.
Slush Fund -
A slushy slurry of fat was obtained by boiling or scraping the empty salted meat storage barrels. This stuff called "slush" was often sold ashore by the ship's cook for the benefit of himself or the crew. The money so derived became known as a slush fund.
A Square Meal -
In good weather, crews' mess was a warm meal served on square wooden platters.
Let the Cat Out of the Bag -
In the Royal Navy the punishment prescribed for most serious crimes was flogging. This was administered by the Bosun's Mate using a whip called a cat o' nine tails. The "cat" was kept in a leather or baize bag. It was considered bad news indeed when the cat was let out of the bag.
Fly-by-Night -
A large sail used only for sailing downwind and requiring rather little attention.
Scuttlebutt -
A butt was a barrel. Scuttle meant to chop a hole in something. The scuttlebutt was a water barrel with a hole cut into it so that sailors could reach in and dip out drinking water. The scuttlebutt was the place where the ship's gossip was exchanged.
LINK
Plenty more at this link.
Posted on 10/25/15 at 4:00 pm to PurpleandGold Motown
Drinking the kool-aid
The phrase derives from the November 1978 Jonestown deaths,[1][2][3] in which over 900 members of the Peoples Temple, who were followers of Jim Jones, committed suicide by drinking a mixture of a powdered soft drink flavoring agent laced with cyanide.[4][5] Although the powder used in the incident included Flavor Aid, it was commonly referred to as Kool-Aid due to the latter's status as a genericized trademark.
The phrase derives from the November 1978 Jonestown deaths,[1][2][3] in which over 900 members of the Peoples Temple, who were followers of Jim Jones, committed suicide by drinking a mixture of a powdered soft drink flavoring agent laced with cyanide.[4][5] Although the powder used in the incident included Flavor Aid, it was commonly referred to as Kool-Aid due to the latter's status as a genericized trademark.
This post was edited on 10/25/15 at 4:01 pm
Posted on 10/25/15 at 4:35 pm to PurpleandGold Motown
quote:
Whirling Dervish
That's a common saying? How about poop?
Posted on 10/25/15 at 4:40 pm to PurpleandGold Motown
"Up, Guards, and at them again!" The Duke of Wellington ordering the Foot Guards to attack at Waterloo. Thus the phrase, "Up and at 'em."
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