Origins of Expressions

  A Penny for Your Thoughts Watch this on YouTube here - Penny Video - YouTube Video Meaning: A Penny for Your Thoughts means An invitation to a person lost in thought to share his or her preoccupation. “Penny for your thoughts?” Origin: The first known use of it is by Sir Thomas More  (in 1535 it translates to say) in A Treatyce upon the last thynges, circa 1535: In such wise yt not wtoute som note & reproch of suche vagaraunte mind, other folk sodainly say to them: a peny for your thought. (A rough paraphrase of the above is "when people notice that someone appears disengaged and wish them to rejoin the conversation they ask 'a penny for your thoughts'.") This phrase was so well used that it was often shortened to 'a penny for them' or even just 'penny'. Example: Today we still hear the phrase, we say it to someone who is daydreaming, staring off at nothing, who seem preoccupied in their own thoughts. We say a penny for your thoughts to...

  A Penny Saved is A Penny Earned  Watch this on YouTube here - Penny Video - YouTube Video Meaning: A Penny Saved is A Penny Earned means that it is as useful to save money that you already have as it is to earn more. "A penny saved, is a penny earned."   Origin: This phrase has been around for a while and has changed a bit as our language has changed, you might see it as 'penny got' or 'penny gained' instead of 'earned' but, no matter how it is said or spelled it always means the same thing, it is easier to save the money that you have than to go out and make more. The first recorded history is as early as 1633 in George Herbert's  Outlandish Proverbs , it reads: "A penny spar'd is twice got." Benjamin Franklin one of the United States’ founding Fathers reportedly designed the first American penny in 1787. Along with the first U.S. penny’s design, the phrase “a penny saved is a penny earned” has been attributed to Benjamin F...

  A Pretty Penny  Watch this on YouTube here - Penny Video - YouTube Video Meaning: A Pretty Penny means A considerable profit or a large sum of money. “Whoo, that’s gonna cost a pretty penny.” Origin: I know, it sounds like if you have a clean penny, it is worth more than a dirty penny, but not quite. This phrase started out a bit different, being said as 'a fine penny' or 'a fair penny' the expression came into the language in the 1700s. We see it first being used in 1710 in a play by the popular playwright Susanna Centlivre, The Man's Bewitch'd, it reads: “Why here may be a pretty Penny towards, if the Devil don't cross it.” Example: Today we still use the phrase pretty penny to say something costs a lot of money, an example sentence is: “A fancy car like that costs a pretty penny, so I definitely can't afford it!” Watch this on YouTube here - Penny Video - YouTube Video

  Ants in Your Pants  Watch this on YouTube here - Insect Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Ants in Your Pants means to be extremely restless, not able to keep still, uneasy about something. “Looks like you got ants in your pants?”  Origin: This term has been around for a while, probably coming from the word Antsy which means restless and impatient in an American English dictionary in 1838. The phrase To have ants in one's pants means “to be nervous and fidgety" it is from 1934 The Dictionary of Cliches  by James Rogers, where it is said that Hugh S. Johnson, the colorful former Army general was known to say it, and made it popular. Example: Today we still use the saying “you got ants in your pants?” as a way to tell someone that they are being fidgety or restless, and it is noticeable. An example sentence is: “She was very excited to be going to the party that night and had ants in her pants all day.” Watch this on YouTube here - Insect Video - ...

  Fly On the Wall  Watch this on YouTube here - Insect Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Fly On the Wall means to be in a position of being able to freely observe a situation without being noticed.  “Ooh, if I were a fly on the wall.” Origin: So, have you ever seen a conversation happening in a glass room but the doors are closed, and it seems really intense, And you wish you could be in there to hear what is being said? That is what people mean when they say I want to be a fly on the wall. No one even notices the fly or feels that the fly is a threat so they keep talking. This is an American phrase that originated in the 1920s. The first citation of it is from The Oakland Tribune, 1921 it reads: "I'd just love to be a fly on the wall when the Right Man comes along." Today the term fly on the wall has been associated with real-life documentaries called 'fly on the wall documentaries' it is a film-making technique in which events are me...

  Social Butterfly Watch this on YouTube here - Insect Video - YouTube Video Meaning: A Social Butterfly is a person who is social or friendly with everyone, flitting from person to person, the way a butterfly might.   “Well, aren’t they a social butterfly” Origin: This phrase started out much different than how we use it today. The 1837 quote states,  "He has too much goodness of heart to engage in the breaking of social butterflies upon the wheel of ridicule." The quote appears to be making reference to a famous saying by Alexander Pope, "Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel?", found in the 1735 satirical poem,    Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot . Pope's reference to breaking a butterfly on a wheel alludes to the medieval practice of torturing people on a breaking wheel. "Breaking a butterfly on a wheel" would then be equivalent to an action that is so harsh or disproportionate that it becomes absurd. Back in the 1700s  "social butterflie...

  To Hit the Road  Watch this on YouTube here - Traveling Video - YouTube Video Meaning: To Hit the Road means to begin a journey, set out on a trip, to be asked to leave.  “Time to hit the road” Origin: This phrase means to leave, it can be good or bad. The bad way is when someone is telling you to go home or to get out “hit the road” or in the good sense it means that you are about to set out on a trip of some kind “all ready? Let’s hit the road.” The phrase has origins in the 1800s when it meant the pounding of a horse’s hooves hitting the trail, re was first written in W. F. Butler’s book ‘The Wild North Land: being the story of a winter journey, with dogs, across northern North America ‘ in 1873. The phrase meant “to get going,” “let’s hit the trail”, and “start our day.” This phrase took on more of a negative twist to say “get out of here” or “Leave” in the 1960s when Ray Charles sang the hit song “Hit the road, Jack”. Example: Today we still see the phrase Hit ...

  To Catch the Red Eye Watch this on YouTube here - Traveling Video - YouTube Video Meaning: To Catch the Red Eye means to take a late-night flight that arrives early in the morning.   “Ugg I am so tired; I caught the red-eye last night.” Origin: The term red eye has been in our language since the beginning of the 1800s, but it has transformed its meaning over time. It was first meant as "raw and inferior whiskey," it was also used to explain various fish which had red eyes like the rock bass, and we also see it has been used to express a picture that reflects a reddish color off the retina, causing a creepy red-eye in a picture. But as for the idiom “to catch the red-eye,” we generally use it to express a plane flight that leaves late at night and arrives early the next morning, usually a short flight, where getting enough rest is hard.  For example, in the US it would be taking a flight that leaves at 11 pm from California and arriving in New York at 5 am, it is a s...

  Off the Beaten Track  Watch this on YouTube here - Traveling Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Off the Beaten Track or path means Little-known, or in a remote or lesser-known area. away from the frequently traveled routes. unique or uncommon. “Well, this place is off the beaten track.” Origin: The term beaten track alludes to a well-worn path trodden down by many feet, the usual route or method this term was first recorded in 1638. So, when we add the word OFF to the phrase “off the beaten track” we are now talking about an unusual route or destination. We can hear this phrase used as off the beaten track or off the beaten path. In America they use path and in Europe, they like to use track. Example: Today we still hear this phrase being used when we want to do something out of the ordinary, explore places that are not popular, or to be away from the crowds, an example sentence is: “We we...

  Where the Rubber Hits the Road  Watch this on YouTube here - Car Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Where the Rubber Hits the Road means the truth about facts or realities, where theory is put into practice. Origin: This phrase has not been around for long, and it started out with good cars and how well they would work once they were driven. However, the term quickly turned into an idiom. The phrase is also associated with males more than females. It was first written in 1956 in an article in the  Minneapolis Morning Tribune , After Last Night , by Will Jones, it read: “How to Talk like a man in a very dark gray flannel suit  “Let’s get down where the rubber meets the road.”” This phrase is from the jargon of the advertising business—jargon in which  let’s get down (to) where the rubber meets the road  meant  how much is it going to cost? Example: Today we still use the phrase where the rubber hits the road to say, let’s stop talking about things...

  Kick the Tires  Watch this on YouTube here - Car Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Kick the Tires means to check for good quality, to be diligent and check every angle.  “Did you kick the tires?” Origin: This phrase has had a lot of references about where it started, but no one knows for sure. I have heard it was from unethical wagon wheel dealers a long time ago who would sell wheels that had rotten wood on the axles, so any buyer should kick the wagon wheel, It was also said that Kicking tires were a way to vent in the early years of motoring when tires would often go flat and delay your journey, or that the rubber from tires was very thin on cheap cars and kicking it was a way to see if you had a good car, and the other idea of where this phrase started was that derived from Latin, E tira kikium, which means "a kick for good luck." The first written history that I can find was from 1929, in the publication Marketing Used Cars, it reads: "If the dealer or his used car...

  Riding Shot Gun  Watch this on YouTube here - Car Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Riding Shot Gun Means traveling in a vehicle in the front passenger seat.  “Oh, I got shotgun” Origin: This phrase is not that old, and it started out with a bit of a different meaning. Many people think it started out in the wild west with the use of stagecoaches, it is said that the stagecoaches had guards armed with shotguns to protect the drivers from bandits. Whoa, their partner, there is no evidence supporting that, it is all based on hearsay and from old movies, in fact, the earliest reference was from 1919 in the newspaper The Ogden Examiner, in an article titled "Ross Will Again Ride Shotgun on Old Stagecoach" it reads: “A. Y. Ross, famous in railroad circles as a fearless express messenger and who on several occasions battled with bandits on the plains, will probably ride "shotgun" as he did in the past.” Example: Today we use this phrase to say “I want to ride in the fr...

  Like Nailing Jelly to a Tree  Watch this on YouTube here - Tree Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Like Nailing Jelly to a Tree means to deal with a very difficult problem or a problem that cannot be solved. a foolish or worthless attempt at something.  “Ha, that will be like nailing Jelly to a tree.” In America they say "to nail jello to a tree", Jell-O  being a gelatin dessert that comes in fruit flavors. Origin: The origins of both these phrases actually lie in politics. Theodore Roosevelt, in 1915 wrote a letter to William Roscoe Thayer talking about the difficulty he was having negotiating with Columbia regarding the Panama Canal, it said: 'You could no more make an agreement with them than you could nail currant jelly to a wall - and the failure to nail currant jelly to a wall is not due to the nail; it is due to the currant jelly.' Example: Today we do not hear this expression as much, but if you did hear it, it would mean t...

  Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees  Watch this on YouTube here - Tree Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees means money is a limited resource and is not easily acquired, so it shouldn’t be spent in a careless manner. "Money doesn't grow on trees ya' know" Origin: So where does this phrase come from? Well, it is from the idea, that leaves are abundant, trees are full of them. So, if someone runs out of cash, they cannot simply go out to their backyard and pull dollar bills off the branches of a tree. No, money is not acquired so easily; a person has to work hard for it. The first time this is in writing is in 1891 in the Statesville Landmark newspaper it reads: “Money doesn’t grow on trees here yet.” Example: Today we still use this phrase to say that you have to work hard to get money, you can’t just go outside and pick it off the trees. An example sentence is: “I know you want a new bike, but I can’t afford it right now, Money doesn’t grow on tr...

  Barking Up the Wrong Tree  Watch this on YouTube here - Tree Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Barking Up the Wrong Tree means Making a mistake or a false assumption about something, to pursuing the wrong course of action “Um, you’re barking up the wrong tree.” Origin: This phrase started out due to dogs barking up into the trees when they believe they have chased a prey up a tree, like a squirrel, but the squirrel escaped by leaping from one tree to another. The dog does not know the squirrel is not there, so he keeps barking.   The first time this phrase was printed was in James Kirke Paulding's  Westward Ho! , 1832 it reads: "Here he made a note in his book, and I begun to smoke him for one of those fellows that drive a sort of a trade of making books about old Kentuck and the western country: so I thought I'd set him barking up the wrong tree a little, and I told him some stories that were enough to set the Mississippi a-fire; but he put them all down i...

  The Truth is in the Wine  Watch this on YouTube here - Drink Video - YouTube Video Meaning: The Truth is in the Wine means a person under the influence of alcohol is more likely to speak their hidden thoughts and desires.  “Um, The Truth is in the Wine” Origin: The saying “there is truth in wine” is a proverbial saying, from the mid-16th century; meaning that a person who is drunk is more likely to speak the truth.  This saying is found quite earlier in Latin as “in vino veritas” which means "In wine, there is truth" Example: Today we swapped how we say the phrase, but the meaning has not changed, it still means when you are drunk the truth comes out, and example sentence it: “Make sure that Mark's cup is never empty tonight: I need to find out why he's getting divorced, and there is truth in wine.” Watch this on YouTube here - Drink Video - YouTube ...

  Champagne Taste on a Beer Budget Watch this on YouTube here - Drink Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Champagne Taste on a Beer Budget means someone who lives above their means, someone who likes expensive things, so they use all their money to afford them.  “Boy, don’t they have champagne taste on a beer budget.” Origin: So why do we say champagne taste on a beer budget?  Well, it started at the end of the 19th century, champagne was associated with prestige, and luxury and as a symbol of high status and class. Since its invention beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage, representing a more affordable and common lifestyle. The phrase 'Champagne Taste on a Beer Budget' combines the two, meaning luxury on a limited income. It was first recorded in The Globe-Republican in 1890 by Howard Fielding and Frederick R.Barton the article was called 'The Victim of his Clothes'.  It read: "School mastering I found, did not pay for a man who had acquired champagne tast...

  Dutch Courage  Watch this on YouTube here - Drink Video - YouTube Video Meaning: Dutch Courage or liquid courage means confidence gained from being drunk. Origin: This saying has some interesting history, some say that This term dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries, when England and the Dutch Republic were at war. During this time of hostility, the British coined several phrases that used “Dutch” as an insult. However, research shows that the expression came into use in the early 19th century (after the end of the Anglo-Dutch wars) and was most commonly used by sailors.  The first example of the expression in print is this piece from the London Courier and Evening Gazette, June 1814: “The next day, when La Pique's crew were to receive their daily allowance of grog, every man threw it overboard, declaring, that they did not require Dutch courage to engage a Yankee.” Example: Today you can still hear Dutch courage being used in the UK and parts of Europe, in Am...