Idioms and clichés are phrases and clauses that are commonly used by many people. An idiom is a phrase whose figurative meaning is different from its literal meaning. A cliché is a phrase or opinion that is overused and indicates a lack of original thought. Both have been in the usage for a long time. The main difference between idiom and cliche is that idiom is viewed in a positive sense whereas clichés are viewed in a negative sense.
You probably use many idioms everyday that don’t make sense.
If you ever thought long and hard about why you say something a certain way,
you could make a guess, but some idioms are so unusual that it is nearly impossible to
presume where they originated from (unless you know the history behind them). In
case you didn’t know, historical events, legends, important figures, religion,
and even advertisements form the basis of many idioms used today. Here are some
idioms you have always been curious about:
1.
Bite
the bullet
Meaning: To accept something difficult or unpleasant
Origin:
In the olden days, when doctors were short on anesthesia or time during a
battle, they would ask the patient to bite down on a bullet to distract from
the pain. The first recorded use of the phrase was in 1891 in The Light that
Failed.
2.
Break
the ice
Meaning: To break off a conflict or begin a friendship.
Origin:
Back when road transportation was not developed, ships would be the only
transportation and means of trade. At times, the ships would get stuck during
the winter because of ice formation. The receiving country would send small
ships to “break the ice” to clear a way for the trade ships. This gesture
showed connection and understanding between two territories.
3.
Butter
someone up
Meaning: To impress someone with flattery
Origin:
This was a customary religious act in ancient India. The devout would throw
butter balls at the statues of their gods to seek favor and forgiveness.
4.
Mad
as a hatter
Meaning: To be completely crazy
Origin:
Its origins date from the 17th and 18th centuries. In 17th century France, poisoning occurred among hat makers
who used mercury for the hat felt. The “Mad Hatter Disease” was marked by
shyness, irritability, and tremors that would make the person appear “mad.”
5.
Cat
got your tongue?
Meaning: Asked to a person who is at loss of words
Origin:
The English Navy used to use a whip called “Cat-o’-nine-tails” for flogging.
The pain was so severe that it caused the victim to stay quiet for a long time.
Another possible source could be from ancient Egypt, where liars’ and
blasphemers’ tongues were cut out and fed to the cats.
6.
Barking
up the wrong tree
Meaning: To have misguided thoughts about an event or situation, a
false lead
Origin:
This refers to hunting dogs that may have chased their prey up a tree. The dogs
bark, assuming that the prey is still in the tree, when the prey is no longer
there.
7.
Turn
a blind eye
Meaning: To ignore situations, facts, or reality
Origin:
The British Naval hero, Admiral Horatio Nelson, had one blind eye. Once when
the British forces signaled for him to stop attacking a fleet of Danish ships,
he held up a telescope to his blind eye and said, “I do not see the signal.” He
attacked, nevertheless, and was victorious.
8.
Bury
the hatchet
Meaning: To stop a conflict and make peace
Origin:
This one dates back to the early times North America when the Puritans were in
conflict with the Native Americans. When negotiating peace, the Native
Americans would bury all their hatchets, knives, clubs, and tomahawks. Weapons
literally were buried and made inaccessible.
9.
Caught
red-handed
Meaning: To be caught in the act of doing something wrong
Origin:
This originates from an old English law that ordered any person to be punished
for butchering an animal that wasn’t his own. The only way the person could be
convicted is if he was caught with the animal’s blood still on his hands.
10.
Don’t
throw the baby out with the bathwater
Meaning: Don’t get rid of valuable things along with the
unnecessary ones.
Origin:
In the early 1500s, people only bathed once a year. Not only that, but they
also bathed in the same water without changing it. The adult males would bath
first, then the females, leaving the children and babies to go last. By the
time the babies got in, the water was clouded with filth. The poor mothers had
to take extra care that their babies were not thrown out with the bathwater.
11.
Give
a cold shoulder
Meaning: Being unwelcoming or antisocial toward someone
Origin:
In medieval England, it was customary to give a guest a cold piece of meat from
the shoulder of mutton, pork, or beef chop when the host felt it was time for
the guest to leave. This was a polite way to communicate, “You may leave, now.”
12.
Go
the whole nine yards
Meaning: To try your best at something
Origin:
During World War II, the fighter pilots were equipped with nine yards of ammunition.
When they ran out, it meant that they had tried their best at fighting off the
target with the entirety of their ammunition.
13.
Let
one’s hair down
Meaning: To relax or be at ease
Origin:
In public, the aristocratic women of medieval times were obliged to appear in
elegant hair-dos that were usually pulled up. The only time they would “let
their hair down” was when they came home and relaxed.
14.
Rub
the wrong way
Meaning: To bother or annoy someone
Origin: Early Americans, during the colonial times, would ask
their servants to rub their oak floorboards “the right way”. The wrong way (not
wiping them with dry fabric after wet fabric) would cause streaks to form and
ruin it, leaving the homeowner annoyed. Alternatively, it could have derived
from rubbing a cat’s fur the “wrong way,” which annoys them.
“By using stale metaphors, similes and idioms, you save much mental
effort, at the cost of leaving your meaning vague, not only for your reader but
for yourself.”
(George Orwell) [i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“14 Expressions with Crazy
Origins that You Would Never Have Guessed” by Anais John
·
“20 English Idioms with Surprising Origins “by Inklyo
·
“20 English
Idioms with their Meanings and Origins” by Oxford Royale Academy
·
“Difference
between Idiom and Cliché” by admin
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