Skip to main content

One-Horse Town

 

One-Horse Town 


Watch this on YouTube here - Numbers Video - YouTube Video


Meaning: 

One-Horse Town means that the place you are talking about is small and insignificant.

"Well, that's a one-horse town."


Origin:

This phrase started out a bit different and has changed over time. In the 1700’s through the end of the 1800s it was just said as “One-Horse,” it was used to explain tasks that could be completed by one horse.

Charles Dickens wrote in his magazine All the Year Round in 1871 that “'One horse' is an agricultural phrase, applied to anything small or insignificant, or to any inconsiderable or contemptible person: as a 'one-horse town,' a 'one- horse bank,' a 'one-horse hotel,' a 'one-horse lawyer', [etc.]”

As time went on the phrase “One-horse Town” stuck and was the one that was used all the time. One of the earliest records of this phrase was in 1857 in Graham’s Illustrated Magazine in a poem ‘The One-Horse Town’, written by A. B. Ufferer, it read:  

 “…In a mean little, green little one-horse town.”


Example:

Today we still use one-horse town the same way to explain that something is small, unimportant, and insignificant. An example sentence is:

“I can't wait to graduate high school and get out of this boring, one-horse town!” 


Watch this on YouTube here - Numbers Video - YouTube Video



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

As Snug as a Bug in a Rug

  As Snug As A Bug In A Rug Watch this on YouTube here - Staying In - YouTube Video Meaning: As snug as a bug in a rug means to be very comfortable and cozy. Example Sentence:   “Aww, look at her cuddled up, as snug as a bug in a rug.” Origin: This phrase has been around for a while. The original writing of it was in 1769, in David Garrick's celebration of Shakespeare Garrick's vagary, or, England run mad; with particulars of the Stratford Jubilee. It reads: "If she has the mopus's, I'll have her, as snug as a bug in a rug."     ( Mopus  being a slang word for "money," naturally.)   As snug as a bug in a rug started out with a much different meaning than it has today. The word “snug” was a nautical term; it was first used as an adjective in the 16th century to describe the trim, neat, compact design of a ship. Shortly after that, snug started to be used as a verb and meant “to lie close" (as in "snugging up/together for warmth or ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Cold Hand, Warm Heart

  Cold Hands, Warm Heart Watch this on YouTube here - Staying In - Youtube Video Meaning: Cold hands, warm heart alludes to people who have cold hands, have kind and loving personalities.   Example Sentence:   Jessica: "I don't like holding hands with Steve. His hands are so cold."   Taylor: "Cold hands, warm heart."     Origin: This phrase has been around since the 1700’s and is said to come from a French phrase Froides mains, chaudes amours, from Dictionnaire des proverbes françois by Georges de Backer in (1710). The phrase has held the same meaning since it has been written. This idiom has been alive for a while and is still used today. The first English text of the phrase cold hands, warm heart was in 1903 by V.S. Lean in 'Collectanea."  " Cold Hands, Warm Heart" The expression does not only exist in English and French but is also known in German as Kalte Hand, Warmez Herz. Today we use it to say just because a person might s...
Post a Comment
Read more

Piece of Cake

  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 ...
Post a Comment
Read more