Origins of Expressions

  The Wrong Side of the Tracks Watch this on YouTube here - Trains Video - YouTube Video Meaning: The Wrong Side of the Tracks means that someone comes from the poorer side of town, the part of town where people live who are considered of a lower social class.  “Oh, There from the wrong side of the tracks.” Origin: The Wrong Side of the Tracks has been used since the second half of the 1800s. This idiom derives from the idea that railroads often ran through towns, separating the poorer side of town from the wealthier side; as mentioned by Thorne Smith in the Stray Lamb in 1929, it reads: “In most commuting towns, there are always two sides of which tracks serve as a demarcation. There is the right side and the wrong side. Translated into terms of modern American idealism, this means, the rich side and the side that hopes to be rich.” Example: Today, we still use this phrase to express that someone is from an area that sees hard times and that their life is not easy. An ...

  Riding the Gravy Train  Watch this on YouTube here - Trains Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Riding the Gravy Train means that you are getting Easy money; money obtained with little effort. Origin: Ok, are you thinking this is a train that transports gravy? You know, that delicious sauce that you put over your dinner? Not quite; the word gravy in this phrase was slang for extra money or easy money in the late 1800s. A similar phrase was written by W.C. Handy, which he used in one of his blues songs in 1914, in which he grumbles about “falling off the gravy train” You know, losing that easy cash flow. This phrase started out in the United States, the slang term became modern during the financial boom of the early 1900s. It was first recorded in The Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins by Robert Hendrickson which stated that in the 1920s, railroad men used the expression “ride the gravy train” to mean a run or job with which there was go...

  Go Off the Rails Watch this on YouTube here - Trains Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Go Off the Rails means to behave in an abnormal way, to act in an insane manner or highly unpredictable or illogical manner. Origin: The idiom “go off the rails” has been in use since the mid-1800s when trains were an important part of transportation; this phrase references a train derailment. When a train goes off the tracks, and it falls off its intended path, which could cause a crash or other damage. And just like that, the idiom was born. We use it when we see someone leave their normal behavior path for a bad life path; well, they just went off the rails. For this reason, we generally use this expression to refer to a negative change in a condition. It is said that this phrase might have started in Toronto Canada as a different phrase. "Off your trolly" It is said that the old Queen Street "Trolly stop" was just at the fork in the road where the Provincial Lunatic Asylum used...

  Bite off More Than You Can Chew Watch this on YouTube here - Being Busy Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Bite off More Than You Can Chew means to take on more than one can deal with, to attempt to do something that one is not capable of accomplishing. Origin: The idiom originated in America during the late nineteenth century it is said that it originated when a man offered another man a bite of his plug of chewing tobacco. The warning  don’t bite off more than you can chew  would remind the receiver not to be greedy. The first written record of the phrase bite off more than you can chew was in a book named ‘Western Wilds, and the Men Who Redeem Them’ written by John Hanson Beadle which is originally published in 1877, it reads: "Our folks was all agin the war from the start. I was down as Manchester the day the hauled down the stars an’ stripes, an’ sez I, ‘Men, you’ve bit off more’n you can chaw;’ an’ they laughed at me." Example: We still use this phrase today to ex...

  Too Many Irons in the Fire Watch this on YouTube here - Being Busy Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Too Many Irons in the Fire means to have a lot of activities happening at once. Origin: This phrase describes someone who is attempting to do too many things at once, someone who has divided his time between too many activities so that none of them are done well. It is inefficient and unfocused to have too many irons in the fire. One reference says it has to do with the blacksmith trade. The phrase too many irons in the fire dates back to the mid-1500s.  A skilled blacksmith has "a well-trained apprentice who maintains such control of the bellows and the placement of the irons that each is ready in turn at the anvil and hammer...'Too many irons in the fire' would mark an inefficient smith or one with an unskilled apprentice." Example: Today the phrase still holds some of the same meaning, when we try to do too many things, nothing is done wel...

  To Burn The Candle at Both Ends Watch this on YouTube here - Being Busy Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Burn the Candle at Both Ends means to exhaust someone’s energies or resources by leading a hectic life. to work so hard that you don’t rest.   “Um, I think you are burning the candle at both ends.” Origin: This phrase started life a bit different than what we use it as today. This saying has been around since the 1600s. It was meant to be wasteful, not of our time, but of resources instead. Candles were the only source of light back in the 1600s after the sun went down, so, you burn candles to extend the day. So, to burn a candle at both ends meant that you were wasting resources. Not only would the candle burn up twice as fast but having to hold it horizontal meant the wax would drip off and burn up even faster. The first written record was recorded in French by Randle Cotgrave in A Dictionarie of the French and English Tongues, in 1611, it reads: 'Brusler la chan...

  Walking On Egg Shells Watch this on YouTube here - Eggs Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Walking on Egg Shells means that you have to be careful about your words or actions around another person. To be overly careful around someone to avoid upsetting them, to be careful of your behavior to avoid offending someone. Origin: Walking on eggshells has only been around since the 1800s; walking on eggshells means you are trying not to cut your feet; you must go slow and step softly. One of the first written records was talking about chickens and how they must move about without breaking the eggs in the book The history of the Hen Fever by George Pickering Burnham in 1855, it was meant to be a funny account of the chicken fanny fern it reads: “…She was rather long-legged, and "spindle-shanked," but she moved about skippingly and briskly, as if she were treading upon thin eggshells. Her feet were very delicate and very narrow, and her body was thin and trim…” The next account where it...

  Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Basket Watch this on YouTube here - Eggs Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket means don’t concentrate all efforts into one area or on a single plan.  “Umm. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”  Origin: The theory of this expression is, if you put all your eggs in one basket and you trip and fall, you will break most, if not all, your eggs. So, to spread your eggs out over many baskets gives you a better chance of still having eggs if something bad happens. This phrase has been used to express that theory with many things, especially goods or money. The first time we see it in writing is in Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes in 1615; it reads: “…to withdraw is not to run away, and to stay is no wise action when there’s more reason to fear than to hope; ’tis the part of a wise man to keep himself today for tomorrow, and not venture all his eggs in one basket.” Example: Today we still use this saying as ...

  Bad Egg Watch this on YouTube here - Eggs Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Bad Egg is a disappointing or unpleasant person, someone who fails to meet expectations.  “What a Bad Egg!” Origin: The Term Bad Egg has been around since the 1800s; back in the days before food standards were so high, it was necessary to check that you didn’t crack a bad egg in amongst the other ingredients. Cookbooks advised cracking eggs into a separate bowl to be sure. One bad egg could spoil it all, and the phrase was born; now, it refers to one bad person amongst all the other good ones, can spoil the mood. The phrase bad egg first appeared in print in the novel “Captain Priest” by Samuel A Hammett in 1855; it read: Some birds are said to carry brick-bats under their wings to sharpen their bills, and others, stones in maws to whet their appetites, but the Perfect Bird carries a brick in his hat and a stone in his boot. In the language of his class, the Perfect Bird generally turns out to be ...

  Piece of Cake Watch this on YouTube here - Dessert Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Piece of Cake means A straightforward task that can easily be accomplished. An easy chore, A no-hassle task  “Ahh, piece of cake.” Origin: There is another expression similar to this one that goes ‘as easy as pie.’ -But that's another video - Both sayings have identical meanings—they express ease, but why? It probably doesn’t have to do with the cooking part of these desserts, because baking a cake or pie requires a fair bit of work. First, you have to buy all of the ingredients. Then you have to make it by mixing all the necessary parts together. Then it has to be made up and put in the oven, and you wait for it to cook. Okay, it’s not exactly difficult, but I wouldn’t say it’s easy either. I am not so sure the origin of this idiom comes from the baking of the cake . However, eating the cake once it finishes cooking, now that is a different story that is way ...

  A Smart Cookie Watch this on YouTube here - Dessert Video - YouTube Video Meaning: A Smart Cookie refers to someone who is smart, intelligent, clever, and consistently makes the right decision. When you refer to someone as a smart cookie, they always have good ideas.  “What a smart cookie!” Origin: Ok, are you asking where did this “cookie” reference come from? Because if you are like me, I haven’t seen a cookie take an IQ test. Well, it comes from the 1920s when attractive women were usually referred to as ‘cookies’ because cookies always looked delicious and had a great taste when eaten; hence, it was used as a form of affection and a compliment to women. After a decade or more, the term ‘cookie’ became associated with the adjective ‘smart.’ After a while, people started regarding attractive women who were also intelligent as “smart cookies.” Over time, the idiom became very popular and was no longer related to women alone but all genders, especially children. In Engla...

As Nutty as a Fruit Cake  Watch this on YouTube here - Dessert Video - YouTube Video Meaning: As Nutty as a Fruit Cake means crazy or wacky. Usually used humorously.   “Oh,  you’re as nutty as a fruit cake.” Origin: This phrase has changed over time. Based on different dictionary findings the term “nuts” meaning crazy has been around for a while. In 1846, it was used as - to be off one's nut, which meant to "be insane."   In 1898 the Slang nutty was meant as "crazy". The phrase as nutty as fruitcake, which literally contains nuts as well as fruit, was first recorded in 1935. We put nuts and fruitcake together as a way to express  "HOW" crazy someone is. Are they a little nutty or really nutty, like a fruitcake? Now this might not make sense, it is a FRUIT cake well, the older style of fruit cake is a bit different than what we see today. It was made with dried fruits and lots of nuts, and was typically on the drier side, with no sweet sugary ...

  Sleep Tight Watch this on YouTube here - Sleep Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Sleep Tight means to sleep well, undisturbed. “Sleep tight” Origin: Sleep tight is quite a common phrase it's used in many parts of the English-speaking world. It's common at bedtime in the form of the rhyme "good night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite". The one piece of this phrase that gets a lot of questions is the word tight, there are several theories going around as to the origin of sleep tight. The most common suggestion is that the phrase dates from the days when mattresses were supported by ropes which needed to be pulled tight to provide a well-sprung bed. However, 'Sleep tight' didn't derive from ancient furniture and, in fact, isn't a very old expression at all. The word tight has a meaning of ‘safely’ or ‘soundly . So the phrase sleep tight meant to sleep soundly. The first citation of it that I can find is from 1866. In the diary by Susan Bradford ...

  Sleep Like a Log Watch this on YouTube here - Sleep Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Sleep Like a Log means to sleep very soundly, to sleep well.  Origin: This idiom has been around for a while; however, it was first written in Spanish from what I can find in 1561. It translates to: Juan de Timoneda, "Cancionero llamado Sarao de amor", 1561 De que's en la cama duerme como un leño, bien harto de migas bruxo çahareño [...]. Translated to:  Of what's in bed sleeps like a log, well fed up with crumbs the wicked çahareño [...]. The first written history in English is from 1808 a journal entry written by Matthew Livingston Davis, and Aaron Burr, and published in 1838 The Private Journal of Aaron Burr, During His Residence of Four Years in Europe, it reads: Slept like a log till ten, and then was called. This atmosphere is certainly narcotic. You see all along how enormously I have slept. Example: Today we still use the term sleep like a log to express we just got a re...

  T o Catch Some Z’s  Watch this on YouTube here - Sleep Video - YouTube Video Meaning: To Catch Some Z’s means to get some sleep, you are leaving to go to bed.  “I am going to catch some Z’s, see ya later.” Origin: Z’s (Zzz) are an onomatopoeic representation of snoring. It was commonly used in media where sound effects were not an option, notably in comic books. That's where it got its association with sleeping and snoring. It's unclear why Z’s came to represent snoring. It was first used to represent snoring and sleep in a 1903 comic strip called Katzenjammer Kids. It is speculated that comic book artists were unsure how to represent sleep in their work, so they used the “z” to imitate the sound of loud snoring.is Example: Today we have incorporated the Z into our language as a way to tell people we are going to bed, getting some sleep, catching some Z’s. an example sentence would be: “All I want to d...

  Powder My Nose  Watch this on YouTube here - Noses Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Powder My Nose means a woman wants to visit the bathroom to use the toilet, to reapply makeup, or to have a private conversation with other women.  “Excuse me while I powder my nose.” Origin: OK, so are you asking where did this phrase come from? The powder room was the place in an eighteenth-century home where someone went to refresh the powder on their wig. It was also referred to as a powder closet or wig closet, usually in a  location that was convenient for guests to use without going into the private areas of the home. Even after wigs fell out of fashion, the powder closet was still used as a station to freshen one’s appearance and to powder one's, umm, awkwardly shiny nose. As time went on the powder chair was replaced with chamber pots and washing basins, and later toilets and sinks — the modern form we use today.  The Victorians, known for their genteel verbal...

  Right Under Your Nose Watch this on YouTube here - Noses Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Right Under Your Nose means Right in front of someone; in a place that is easy to find.  Origin: It is common for this expression to appear as  it was right under my nose . It describes something that a person couldn’t find even though it was very close and in an obvious place. It can describe physical objects, or it can describe an idea or realization.  “Oops, it was right under my nose.” It is said this phrase dates back to at least the 1500s, but I could not find any examples of it from that time. The earliest I could find it is from the 1600s. For example, the phrase is seen in The Copie of a Letter sent from The Roaring Boyes in Elizium, from the year 1641: C an you my worthy hosts sit and see those  That make you weare od money in your hose,  Under your nose triumphing?”   We now use the saying as “Right under your nose” The earliest I could find of...

  Keep Your Nose to the Grindstone  Watch this on YouTube here - Noses Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Keep Your Nose to the Grindstone means to apply yourself conscientiously to your work, paying close attention, working hard.  “Keep your nose to the grindstone” Origin: The saying comes from the practice of skilled knife sharpeners when they are sharpening blades and holding the blades edge against the stone,  they are bent over the stone, with their faces near the grindstone. Tool sharpening workshops would have benches where grinders would sit hunched over the grinding stones. They had to pay close attention to their work as a moment too long on the wheel could cause the steel to overheat and be ruined. They literally had their noses to the grindstone.  The first known citation is John Frith's A Mirrour or Glasse to know thyselfe, 1532: "This Text holdeth their noses so hard to the grindstone, that it clean disfigureth their faces." Example: The p...

  Go Bananas Watch this on YouTube here - Fruit Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Go Bananas means to visibly become either excited or angry about something, to become very angry or act crazy, to physically respond to something that others will quickly be able to notice.  “Wow, they are going Bananas!” Origin: Bananas have provided a variety of metaphors and figures of speech over time. Like “Banana oil” use to mean “nonsense” or “lunacy” since the 1920s, to slip and fall after stepping on a banana peel has been a standard comedy image since the early 20th century. “Banana Republic,” well, before it was a clothing store, was a derogatory term for a small country, usually in Central America, producing fruit as its primary export. “Banana” was also early 20th-century theater slang for a member of a comedy act, usually ranked in importance as “top banana,” “second banana,” etc., it was said to be drawn from a routine where several comedians attempt to share a single banana. “Top...

  Comparing apples and oranges   Watch this on YouTube here - Fruit Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Comparing apples and oranges means that one is trying to draw similarities between two things that are not similar, an unfair comparison. Though one may argue that apples and oranges are both fruit, they do not look, taste, feel, or smell the same.  “like apples to oranges.” Origin: The idiom has its roots in an older phrase, comparing apples and oysters, which was seen in Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew in 1592 it reads: “As much as an apple doth an oyster, and all one.”  John Ray repeated that comparison in his 1670 book of proverbs, where he also spoke about comparing oysters to apples. Between the late 1600s and the late 1800s, the oysters were dropped in favor of oranges in the comparison. The expression comparing apples and oranges came into use in the 1800s, though the term's popularity didn’t take off until the latter half of the twentieth ...