Do These Sound
Familiar?
We’ve all heard them and used
them. But where did they come from? Here are a few that we found that we
thought you might enjoy!
Ten Gallon Hat - refers to a 'big cowboy hat.'
Measurements have nothing to do with it. The name come from Sombrero
Galon, which
means ‘braided hat’ in Spanish.
Called on the Carpet - when one is
reprimanded by a superior. In the 19th century, carpets were very
expensive, as a result - usually, only the boss’s office was carpeted,.
Then employees were ‘Called on the carpet,’ it meant the boss wanted to
see them- which frequently meant they were in trouble.
One Fell Swoop - means 'all at once.' It has nothing to
do with falling. Fell comes from the old English word ‘fel’ which means
cruel, deadly or ruthless...and is also the root of the word
felon. The expression “one fell swoop; first appeared in Macbeth, when
Shakespeare compares the sudden death of a character to an eagle
swooping
down on some chickens and carrying them off.
Sight for Sore Eyes - refers to a
'welcome sight.' According to ancient superstition, unpleasant sights
could make eyes sore...and pleasant sights made sore eyes feel better.
Have Your Work Cut Out for You - means 'having a
difficult task ahead.' The term refers to a pattern cut from a cloth
that must be then made into a garment. When the easier task of cutting
out the cloth is finished, the more difficult job of sewing the garment
is still left to do. So....
That’s a Load of Bull - meaning 'a
lie or exaggeration.' The origin is not in the cow chips. ‘Boule’ is an
Old French verb meaning ‘to lie.”
My Better Half - referring to a spouse. The Puritan view
of people was that we’re made up of two halves; a body and a soul. The
soul - our spiritual side was considered our better half. In the 16th
century, the English writer Sir Philip Sidney became the first person
to apply the term to the union between married people. By the 18th
century, his use of the expression had become common.
Red-Letter Day - refers to a
'special occasion day.' The old Christian church of the Middle Ages had
feast days, saint days and other holy days, and those special days were
printed on a calendar in red ink. For everything else, black ink was
used.
Clap-Trap - refers to empty speech or nonsense. Claptrap
comes from the theater. It describes any line that the playwright
inserts (often knowing it’s terrible) just to get applause. It’s
literally a trap to catch clap.
If You Can Do It, I’ll Eat My Hat! -
means 'I don’t believe you can do it.' The original word hat in this
expression was ‘hatte’ which is actually an Old English dish of eggs,
veal, dates and salt. Over time the meaning of the phrase evolved into
the
ridiculous proposition it sounds like.
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