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Post by dudette2001uk on May 30, 2015 16:35:55 GMT
I'm not sure whether this will catch on or not, but I've always been interested in the origins of words and common phrases, so I wondered whether anyone knows the story behind some interesting words/phrases?
The one that's always stuck with me is the origin of 'beyond the pale'...the pale was an area of Ireland that was under English government, and was therefore deemed to be a civilised area. Other 'uncivilized' areas beyond that were literally beyond the pale...hence the modern idea that if something is beyond the pale it's unruly or uncivilized.
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Post by woodmouse on May 30, 2015 21:02:03 GMT
I'm interested in this too but for the life of me I can't think of one at the moment; 'twas only yesterday I did look one up however, so if any more sidle across my mind I shall pounce and present it to you promptly!
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Post by dudette2001uk on Jun 1, 2015 19:00:37 GMT
As it's so horrible and cold today I thought this was quite apt...
Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey - cannonballs used to be stored aboard ship in piles, on a brass frame or tray called a 'monkey'. In very cold weather the brass would contract, spilling the cannonballs: hence very cold weather is 'cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey'.
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Post by lottie8 on Jun 6, 2015 17:04:32 GMT
Hmmm... We need Shelden to pop in here !
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Post by Lily on Jun 6, 2015 19:12:52 GMT
Four sheets to the wind
Derived from sailing ships. The 'sheet' in the phrase uses the nautical meaning of a rope that controls the trim of sail. If a sheet is loose, the sail flaps and doesn't provide control for the ship. Having several sheets loose ("to the wind") could cause the ship to rock about drunkenly.
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Post by AA on Jun 9, 2015 14:44:58 GMT
"Dropping off to sleep" When horse drawn carriages were the mode of transport those that could not afford the comfort of a seat inside the carriage sat on the top with the luggage and on a long journey could well go to sleep and would then drop off the top of the carriage.. thus the saying of dropping off.
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Post by tasi on Jun 11, 2015 10:58:20 GMT
POSH (probably everyone knows this) It comes from booking your cabin on voyages to and from India, back in the days of the Raj. If you could afford it, and not many could you booked a shady one out and a shady one back. So that was port out starboard home which was shortened on the booking forms to POSH
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Post by AA on Jun 11, 2015 13:35:59 GMT
Cat Got Your Tongue?
A way of asking someone why they are silent. There are several theories to the origins of this phrase.
Some argue that it stems from Middle Eastern punishment techniques when liars’ tongues were ripped out and then fed to the kings’ cats, while others suggest it refers to the cat-o-nine-tails that was used to flog sailors and force them into silence.
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Post by tasi on Jun 12, 2015 7:26:32 GMT
Going for a Burton. Not used much these days. It started in, I think, WW2 when a plane didn't make it back, it was said they had gone for a Burton. Burton beer was very popular at the time
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Post by AA on Jun 13, 2015 19:42:30 GMT
Piss Poor
They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot & then once a day it was taken & Sold to the tannery…….if you had to do this to survive you were “Piss Poor”
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Post by dudette2001uk on Jun 18, 2015 18:49:40 GMT
These are fab! Xx
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Post by AA on Jun 19, 2015 12:02:43 GMT
Bandy around. Meaning: To argue or discuss in a lively fashion. Bandy was a medieval bat-and-ball game similar to hockey. To "bandy" words is to knock them back and forth as one would bandy a ball.
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Post by lily42uk on Jun 25, 2015 16:22:56 GMT
Let sleeping dogs lie. The meaning is supposed to have come from the Bible The Book of Proverbs In the Bible it says : He that passes by, and meddles with strife belonging not to him, is like one that takes a dog by the ears. This was interpreted as let sleeping dogs lie and therefore it has it's origin from the Christian Bible.
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Post by AA on Jun 25, 2015 17:17:38 GMT
To be caught doing something wrong This saying originated because of a law. If someone butchered an animal that didn’t belong to him, he had to be caught with the animal’s blood on his hands to be convicted. Being caught with freshly cut meat did not make the person guilty
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Post by lily42uk on Jun 26, 2015 13:08:55 GMT
A stitch in time saves nine:
Origin and Meaning: The 'stitch in time' is simply the sewing up of a small hole or tear in a piece of material, so saving the need for more stitching at a later date when the hole has become larger. Clearly, the first users of this expression were referring to saving nine stitches.
The proverbial expression was clearly meant as an incentive to the lazy. It's especially gratifying that 'a stitch in time saves nine' is an anagram for 'this is meant as incentive'.
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