Origins of Expressions

  Beware of the Ides of March Watch this on YouTube here - March Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Beware of the Ides of March is a warning that something bad might happen on March 15th.  "Ooh, beware the ides of March!" Origin: So, what are the Ides of March, and why do I need to beware of them? Well, the Ides is an old Roman name for a day used in their calendar system. They used different words to help them divide and arrange their calendars. Months of the Roman calendar were arranged around three named marker days - the Kalends, the Nones, and the Ides - and these were reference points from which the other (unnamed) days were calculated. Kalends (1st day of the month). Nones (the 7th day in March, May, July, and October; the 5th in the other months). Ides (the 15th day in March, May, July, and October; the 13th in the other months). Now we know what the Ides are. Why do we have to 'Beware the Ides of March'? It comes from the historical fa...

  In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb  Watch this on YouTube here - March Video - YouTube Video Meaning: In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb is used to describe the weather in March in the northern hemisphere, where it tends to be very harsh and unpleasant at the beginning of the month, then get milder and more palatable toward the end of the month. Origin: The earliest record of “Comes in like a Lion, goes out like a Lamb” was in 1732 by Thomas fuller; in the book about “wise sentences and witty sayings,” he writes about march coming in harsh and wintery but ending warmer and more spring-like. This is how we still use the saying today. Gnomologia: adagies and proverbs; wise sentences and witty sayings, ancient and modern, foreign and British However, it is also said that this could have come about due to the stars, In Like a Leo, Out Like an Aries. The constellation Leo, the lion, rises in the east at the beginning of March, and thus the month “comes in like a lion,” while A...

  March Madness Watch this on YouTube here - March Video - YouTube Video Meaning: March Madness refers to the college basketball tournament that is held in March and lasts till the beginning of April.  “It’s March Madness, baby.” Origin: The history of march madness is a little older than the college basketball tournament. This saying started out a bit different, and not only has it changed its name over time but also it's meaning. March madness was a term used since the early 1900s to refer to “a form of madness or uncharacteristic behavior said to affect people in March.” This expression started due to the crazy spring fever people would get, you know, the feeling of you just want to get out of the house after a long cold winter, but you just can’t yet. That is march madness.  Even before we started to refer to people as having “march madness,” it has been said that it started due to the way hares would act in March. The saying might have started out “as mad as a M...

  To Have a Finger in Every Pie Watch this on YouTube here - Fingers Video - YouTube Video Meaning: To have a finger in every pie means to be involved in many activities, to have  influence  over many different  activities , often in a way that  people  do not  approve  of: “Jee, don’t they have their fingers in everyone’s pies.” Origin: Sometimes it’s said in a positive way to compliment someone who has a variety of skills, interests, and talents, and other times it’s said in a negative way to point out that someone is an opportunist who only cares about what’s in it for them.  In either case, however, the person with a finger in every pie usually has influence over the activities in which they are involved, and generally, it is frowned upon. This phrase dates back to the sixteenth century. William Shakespeare used it in Henry (8) VIII in 1623, where the Duke of Buckingham complains of Cardinal Wolsey, “No man’...

  Don't Lift a Finger Watch this on YouTube here - Fingers Video - YouTube Video Meaning: To  not lift a finger  means to do nothing; to refuse to do something to help; to fail to make even a small effort; to refuse to perform some action or to exert oneself.  “pfhh, I’m not lifting a finger.” Origin: This phrase is always used as a negative, a refusal of help. We would say, ‘she would not lift a finger to help.’ Undoubtedly, if someone will not even move a single finger to be helpful, they are refusing to help at all.  The phrase appears as early as 1650 in a play by Richard Brome, The Queen: it reads: “I will not lift a finger against thee.” Example: Today we still use this phrase to express that we will not help, not even a little; I will not move one finger to help. An example sentence is: “Everybody wants to get in shape while hardly lifting a finger, but You have to put in the work to get results.” Watch this on YouTube here - Fingers Video - YouTube...

  To Work Your Fingers to the Bone Watch this on YouTube here - Fingers Video - YouTube Video Meaning: To work your fingers to the bone means to work excessively hard.  “Boy, I’m working my fingers to the bone today.” Origin: To work to the bone has been around for a long time; this type of saying has been around in writing since the 1400s; it was a great way to express that someone was working so hard that wore themselves out, right down to the bone. Here is a snip-it from a morality play that expresses working hard down to the bone as part of a series called the Macro Plays: “Alasse, goode fadere, þis labor fretyth yow to þe bone.” (Translation: Alas, good father, this labour fretteth you to the bone). Throughout history, there are many writings about people working to the bone, but the idiom came to life when the phrase connected work hard and fingers to the bone was first written, in a 1729 opera, The Beggar’s Wedding, by Charle...

  All in a Nutshell Watch this on YouTube here - Nuts Video - YouTube Video Meaning: All, In a Nutshell, means, in a few words, something that is brief or to the point. Origin: This phrase has not changed as it has moved throughout our history; the saying has kept the same meaning. It started a long time ago as anything that could be written in so few words that it would fit into a nutshell, and of course, since the nutshell is so small, it would have to be brief and to the point. Usage of the phrase , in a nutshell,  was first seen around the year 77 in the work  Natural History  by Pliny the Elder: “Cicero hath recorded that the poem of Homer called the, written on parchment, was enclosed within a nutshell.” In this instance, the phrase within a nutshell was used to illustrate something that literally happened. The poem was translated into English in 1601 by Philemon Holland and is about 700 pages long. So, he wrote really small to fit that whole po...

  Hard Nut to Crack Watch this on YouTube here - Nuts Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Hard Nut to Crack means A person, thing, situation, or problem that is particularly difficult to understand, solve, or deal with.  “That’s a hard nut to crack.” Origin: This expression alludes to hard-shelled nuts like walnuts. Without the help of some outside force like a tool or umm, your foot, the nuts shell can be hard to break with your bare hand. So, we can use this struggle to express other situations that seem tough also. A hard nut to crack was first used by Benjamin Franklin in a letter to his brother about a few colonists in the US who were trying to attain a French Fortress somewhere in Canada in 1745. It reads: “Fortified towns are hard nuts to crack, and your teeth have not been accustomed to it.” Example: Today we still use a hard nut to...

  From Soup to Nuts Watch this on YouTube here - Nuts Video - YouTube Video Meaning: From Soup to Nuts means from beginning to end, start to finish. Origin: From soup to nuts started as a literal meaning, this phrase was meant to be all the successive parts of a meal, from soup at the beginning to nuts and fruits at the end—an example form from The Charleston Daily Courier 1870 reads: “We have lately had the pleasure and privilege, along with a friend, of a dinner, at the Charleston Hotel, as an invited guest. The Bill of Fare, from soup to nuts and fruit..,” We changed the meaning of from soup to nuts from the literal sense of a full meal to anything that explains a process from beginning to end. The earliest occurrence that I have found of the phrase is from  A Flying Shot at the United States , by ‘Fitzgunne’, published in The Dublin University  Magazine , 1852, it reads: “I have heard of a boast being made by a veteran in the art that ...

  Take A Rain Check Watch this on YouTube here - Rain Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Take a Rain Check means refuse an offer politely but imply that it can be taken up later. Or to guarantee that something will not be done right now but will be done later.  “Umm, I’ll take a rain check.” Origin: We first see this phrase being used in 1870s in the USA in reference to baseball games. If it rained heavily enough for a match to be postponed, the ticket holders for the game were given a “rain check,” a type of voucher that allowed them to attend another game. As time went on the term rain check started to be used when stores ran out of advertised items, they often issue  rainchecks  guaranteeing the shopper may return when the item is restocked and buy it for the sale price.  Example: Today the phrase has changed to something that is avoided or procrastinated for later. When you do not want to do something now, but maybe you will do it later. To  take a rain c...

  Don't Rain on My Parade Watch this on YouTube here - Rain Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Don’t Rain on My Parade means to not spoil someone’s fun, to not put a damper on an event.  “Ugg, don’t rain on my parade.” Origin: This idiom was first seen in writing as early as 1912, when a short story called "Sprightly Adventures of Mr. Homesweet Home" was published in the Schenectady Gazette . It is a story about some men on an all-male hunting/camping trip. “Warmbody says he knew dog-gon well, some gosh-blamed leftover-from-the-summer hen [ed. -- woman] would show up to " rain on our parade …" The expression gained popularity again in the 1960s when the song “D on’t rain on my parade” was performed in the stage musical,  Funny Girl . Example: Today we still use the phrase don’t rain on my parade to say we do not mean to bring down the mood or ruin an event. An example sentence is: “I don’t mean to  rain on your parade , but our Hawaii vacation will have to...

  Come Rain or Shine Watch this on YouTube here - Rain Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Come Rain or Shine means No matter what the circumstances, “Whatever the weather”, -  “I’ll be there Rain or Shine.” Origin: This phrase started out a long time ago when the weather was an important factor in events. This phrase was first recorded in 1699, where it refers to the weather, as well as other uncertainties, and always implies that an activity will be carried out, no matter what the weather brings, it was first seen by   in his work,  Astro-meteorologica, or Aphorisms And Large Significant Discourses on the Natures and Influences of Celestial Bodies : it read: “In the meanwhile we are told our Aspect brings a Settlement as to what happens, Rain, Or Shine, for many days; but they leave the poor Disciple to determine the number himself.”  At the beginning of the 1700s we see People started to use the phrase to express the certainty that acti...

  Big Brother is Watching Watch this on YouTube here - Family Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Big Brother is Watching means that someone is watching you, usually the government; they are watching everything you do. Spying on you.  “Be careful; big brother is watching.” Origin: The term Big Brother is watching you started as a scare tactic used in George Orwell's novel "1984." Published in 1949. The book goes over an oppressive government of the future, as Orwell imagined it, made up of a figure called Big Brother. Big Brother is the government spy service, and big brother is used to intimidate the citizens. "Big Brother is watching" was a line of propaganda, the idea being that you have to do what the government wants because, if you don't, they will KNOW. Everybody is being spied on. Example: Today we still use the term Big Brother is watching. In today’s world, the practical application of Big Brother is watching you is in the form of Mobile Phones, digit...

  Mother's Boy Watch this on YouTube here - Family Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Mother’s Boy means a usually polite or timid boy or man who is extremely or excessively close to and attentive to his mother; also is called a mama’s boy or a mummy’s boy based on what country you are from. Origin: Mother's boy is a slang term for a man seen as having an unhealthy dependence on his  mother  at an age at which he is expected to be self-reliant. This sexist expression has survived despite its harsh tone. The first written record of Mothers boy was    "It ain't nothin' but conceit... that makes them mother's boys.” Another similar saying is “Daddy’s Girl,” when a girl acts like and shadows the father. Example: Today we still used mother’s boy or one of the variations to express that a boy is too dependent on his mother. An example sentence is: Jessica dumped Tom because he was such a...

  Like Father, Like Son Watch this on YouTube here - Family Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Like Father, Like Son means that someone resembles their parents in some way, either in appearance or because of their behavior. Origin: It is common for similarities to exist between children and their parents. not just in terms of how they look, but also in the way they behave. One reason this is because children inherit genes and traits from their parents, these create similar looks between parent and child. However, there’s another factor at play. As a child grows up, they are influenced by what they see their parents do and say. So, a parent’s words and actions can affect them too. The end result is that once a child reaches adulthood, the way they look and act may be similar to their parents, “like father, like son!” There has been a long history of comparing children to their parents throughout history.  This ancient proverb has been in many languages, in slightly variations since...

  Shrinking Violet Watch this on YouTube here - Flower Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Shrinking Violet means A shy or modest person. Origin: This phrase is kind of funny, it is not a girl named violet that shrinks down in size, but instead a flower that discreetly recoils due to being shy. The Viola family of flowers includes violets and pansies, which are colorful socializers that seem just the opposite of shy. However, the phrase 'shrinking violet' was coined in the UK, The native English violet (also known as the wood violet) is,  a reclusive and understated flower. The first written record was from The Indicator in 1820 , where the poet Leigh Hunt drew attention to the modest wood violet: There was the buttercup, struggling from a white to a dirty yellow; and a faint-coloured poppy; and here and there by the thorny underwood a shrinking violet. This poem was talking about the flower and not a person, we have to move a bit more into the future to see the first account ...

  Bed of Roses W atch this on YouTube here - Flower Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Bed of Roses means a pleasant or easy situation. Origin: A bed of roses was first used in the late 1500s and talked about real flowers. A bed made of flower petals. The first written record was found in Christopher Marlowe's  The Passionate Shepherd To His Love , in 1599 it reads: “…And I will make thee beds of roses And a thousand fragrant posies, A cap of flowers, and a kirtle Embroidered all with leaves of myrtle…” The phrase has since come to be used figuratively to refer to any easy and pleasant situation. This phrase really took off again in modern culture in 1999 when the American Movie “American Beauty” used the image of a bed of roses in a literal sense, showing a beautiful girl in a bed of roses. Since then, the term bed of roses can be seen all around, from bath kits to the naming of sheets.  Example: Today we still use the phrase Bed of Roses but not to express a pleas...

  Gild The Lily Watch this on YouTube here - Flower Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Gild the Lily means to apply unnecessary ornament - to over embellish, to cover natural beauty.  Origin: This term has evolved as time has gone on, we have seen it take shape as words get added or removed, and new versions are made. As people remember words in the wrong order and carry a story in their memory, “To Gild, the lily” is a great example of how phrases can change as they travel throughout history. This phrase was started in the time of Shakespeare when he used a similar phrase in King John in 1595: “…To  gild refined gold, to paint the lily , To throw a perfume on the violet…” Shakespeare did not quite use the phrase the way we see it today, but he might have started the saying. As time went on and the phrase changed we see it evolve in the late 1800s to people saying “paint the lily.”  Then a change happened where we mashed both phrases together and started saying the phra...

  Driving Me Nuts Watch this on YouTube here - Driving Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Driving Me Nuts means that you are frustrated or annoyed. “Ugg, You’re driving me nuts!” Origin: Are you wondering how this phrase started? Well, In the mid to late-1800s, the word “nut” was slang to mean a person’s head. Not long after, the word also acquired the meaning of someone who wasn’t acting right in the head; So the phrase started to suggest that you were being bothered so much by someone or something that it was making you go crazy or insane. The word “nuts” is sometimes replaced by the words crazy, bonkers, bananas, insane, or up the wall. However, those are phrases are for different videos. The first written record of driving me nuts was in the newspaper, Indiana Daily Times, printed in 1921 it read. “He threw up his hands and backed away. ‘They drive me nuts,’ he groaned.” Example: Today we still use driving me nuts when something is frustrating us to the point of ...

  Backseat Driver Watch this on YouTube here - Driving Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Backseat Driver means Someone who criticizes from the sidelines.  Origin: This comes from the annoying habit of some people giving unwanted advice to a vehicle driver. It emerged in the USA in the early 20th century, as Driving cars was becoming widespread. Before the phrase took on its figurative 'unwanted adviser' meaning it had been used as a literal reference to people who drove vehicles from the back seat. someone being called a 'back-seat driver' refers to that literal usage was first seen in the Daily Kennebec Journal, 1914 it reads: "When New York pitcher Vernon Gomez retires as a smokeballer he wants to become a smoke eater. Here he gets a tryout as a back-seat driver on a hook and ladder truck at St. Petersburg..." The figurative and derogatory meaning of 'back-seat driver' is unmistakable in this article from the Oklahoma City Star ,  August 1914: ...