THE ORIGIN OF COMMON ENGLISH IDIOMS

 

Idioms are figures of speech that become fixed in a language. Usually, an idiom is figurative in modern contexts but once it had a literal meaning. These literal meanings, or idiom origins, can help a learner of English to understand where a phrase originated. An idiom is a phrase that is common to a certain population and is invariably language specific. So ‘khoda pahar nikli chuhiya’ in Hindi is perhaps ‘Much ado about nothing’ in English and the meaning of each has to be understood separately and a word by word translation becomes meaningless! It is typically figurative and usually is not understandable based solely on the words within the phrase.

Idioms are crucial to the progression of language. They function in a manner that, in many cases, literal meanings cannot. We use them every day, sometimes without even realizing that what we’re saying is nonsensical without the implied and widely accepted meaning behind it. You use many common idioms all the time, but have you ever stopped to take the time to think about where they came from? Many linguists have dedicated themselves to finding the origins of these idioms and we will today explore a few of them:

 

Turning a blind eye: Meaning - To refuse to acknowledge a known truth e.g. this is your first mistake; I’ll turn a blind eye once, but next time you’ll be in trouble.

Origin: While many proposed origins of this phrase are disputed, it is commonly accepted that turning a blind eye comes from a comment made by British Admiral Horatio Nelson. In 1801 he led the attack alongside Admiral Sir Hyde Parker in the Battle of Copenhagen. Nelson was blind in one eye. Parker communicated to Nelson at one point, via flags, that he needed to retreat and disengage. Nelson, however, was convinced that he could prevail if they pushed onward. Nelson then, holding the telescope to his blind eye, pretended not to see the signal—making a sly comment to a fellow officer about reserving the right to use his blind eye every now and again.

Flying off the handle: Meaning – sudden unpredictable or unreasonable or risky and angry behavior; e.g. the phrase was first found in print in The Attaché; or, Sam Slick in England by Thomas C. Haliburton in 1843. “He flies right off the handle for nothing.”

Origin: In the days before mass merchandising, poorly fastened axe heads would fly off while they were being used. The result was dangerous, hence why the phrase is used to describe risky behavior with unpredictable results.

 

Steal someone’s thunder: Meaning - win praise for oneself by pre-empting someone else's attempt to impress; e.g. Pujara scored a patient century on a turning pitch but Rishab stole his thunder with his quick fire 80.

Origin: In the early 1700s, English dramatist John Dennis invented a device that imitated the sound of thunder for a play that he was working on. The play was a disaster. Soon after, Dennis noted that another play in the same theater was using his sound-effects device. He angrily exclaimed, “That is my thunder, by God; the villains will play my thunder, but not my play.” This story made its way around London, and the idiom was born.

 

Beat around the bush: Meaning - to talk about something for a long time without mentioning the main point; e.g. Stop beating around the bush and tell me what really happened or People tend to 'beat about the bush' when trying to avoid talking about an embarrassing or difficult topic.

Origin: This common phrase is thought to have originated in response to game hunting in Britain. While hunting birds, participants would beat bushes in order to draw out the birds. Therefore, they were beating around the bush before getting to the main point of the hunt: actually capturing the birds.

 

Close but No Cigar: Meaning - almost but not quite successful or a close miss; e.g. Manchester City played excellent all throughout the Champion’s league but lost to Chelsea by a solitary goal in the final – close bit not cigar!

Origin: Carnival games give out stuffed animals as prizes nowadays, but in the late 19th century, the games targeted adults, not kids. Instead of getting a stuffed animal, winners would get a cigar. Therefore, if they almost won but didn’t earn that prize, they’d be “close, but no cigar.” By the 1930s, this phrase extended beyond fairgrounds to every day close shots.

 

Chew the Fat: Meaning - chat in a leisurely and prolonged way; e.g. It was a wonderful reunion; we were chewing the fat, telling stories about our good old days.

Origin: Originally a sailor’s term, this phrase refers to the days before refrigeration when ships carried food that wouldn’t spoil. One of them was salted pork skin, which consisted mostly of fat. Sailors would only eat it when all the other food was gone…and they often complained as they did. This idle chatter eventually became known as chewing the fat.

 

Under the weather: Meaning – to fall ill; e.g. My neighbor tested positive for Coronavirus and now I’m feeling a bit under the weather.

Origin: This idiom is believed to be nautical in nature. When a sailor was feeling ill, he would go beneath the bow, which refers to the side of the ship that would get the brunt of the wind during storms, the front of the ship. To avoid getting seasick when the waves got rough, sick sailors bunker down in their cabins – literally under that bad weather until the storm passed. This would hopefully protect them from adverse conditions, as they were literally under the bad weather that could further sicken him. Therefore, a sailor who was sick could be described as being “under the weather.”

 

White Elephant: Meaning - expensive, burdensome and worthless possession that is much more trouble than it is worth; e.g. With petrol prices skyrocketing my fuel guzzling SUV has become a white elephant for me.

Origin:  Legend has it that kings of Siam (now Thailand) used to give actual white elephants to people they wanted to punish. Yes, the elephants were valuable and respected, but that also meant that they were expensive to take care of, so the kings hoped the gift would drive the recipient into financial ruin.

 

Read the riot act: Meaning - To reprimand someone for behaving badly, with the intention of improving that person’s behavior; e.g. Kambli was a talented batsman but often played carelessly; the captain read him the riot act.

Origin: This idiom most likely comes from the real Riot Act, an act passed by the British government in 1714 to prevent unruly assemblies. In the 18th century King George I and the government were fearful of being overthrown by supporters of the previous Stuart dynasty. If crowds of more than 12 assembled, authorities could read them a portion of the Riot Act, upon which they must leave or be imprisoned. Thus, if someone is behaving in a manner that we find inappropriate, we “read them the riot act,” intending to get the unruly person to stop what they’re doing.

 

Give the Cold Shoulder: Meaning - to intentionally ignore someone or treat someone in an unfriendly way; e.g.  I thought she really liked me, but in the party she gave me the cold shoulder. This idiom doesn’t just refer to turning your back on someone but it has to be an intentional act of ignoring.

Origin: Etymologists believe that the phrase originated from medieval etiquette. After a feast, hosts in England would subtly signal that the meal was over and that it was time to leave by serving a cold slice of pork, mutton, or beef shoulder. Some believe that the idiom originated from Shakespearean times, when an unwanted houseguest was served the shoulder of whichever animal was being eaten, which was the coldest, toughest part.

 

By and large: Meaning – mostly or in general; e.g. All governments exercise a vast plethora of controls over market forces in the public interest, and by and large with considerable success.

Origin: Sailors were the first to refer to things as “by and large.” The first part of this phrase refers to the nautical term “full and by,” meaning a boat was traveling into the wind. On the other hand, “large” means the wind is coming from behind. Therefore, to be “by and large” would mean the wind is coming from any direction – giving rise to the current meaning of “in general.”

 

Spill the beans: Meaning - To leak a secret; e.g. Stop being so coy. Just spill the beans!

Origin: This one’s a bit tricky, as there is no clear-cut answer. The consensus is, however, that this is most likely derived from an ancient Greek voting process, which involved beans. People would vote by placing one of two colored beans in a vase, white typically meaning yes and black or brown meaning no. This meant that should someone spill the beans, the secret results of the election would be revealed before intended. Hence, spilling the beans is related to revealing secret information.

 

I have got it in the bag: Meaning - Secured success; e.g. I’m not even worried about the interview. I’ve got it in the bag.

Origin: Although there are other recorded uses, the version of this idiom that has become so widely accepted came about thanks to the old New York Giants (now San Francisco Giants) baseball team. It began as a superstition. In 1916 the Giants had a run of 26 consecutive wins. A bag filled with 72 extra baseballs would be put on the playing field at the beginning of each game. These balls were used to replace any that were hit into the seats or any that became too dirty. The Giants, during this crazy winning streak, fell under the impression that if they were in the lead during the ninth (last) inning, carrying the ball bag off the field would ensure their win because, according to the team, they had captured the game in the bag.

 

The proof is in the pudding: Meaning - Depending on who you ask, you’ll actually find an array of definitions for this odd idiom. Here are some of the most commonly used definitions:

1. There is evidence to back up a previously made claim, specifically evidence intrinsic to the object in question; e.g. Of course this project will be successful, the proof is in the pudding.

2. The process of achieving something isn’t important as long as the end product is good; e.g. I may have had to walk 1,000 miles to find this treasure, but the proof is in the pudding.

3. The success of something can only be measured by putting it to its intended use; e.g. you’ll have to try it out before you buy it, since the proof is in the pudding.

Origin: The reason for the plethora of definitions is most likely the Americanization of the old British idiom, which reads “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.” Whereas the British version makes at least some sense, the shortened American version is nonsensical. This led to the varied use of the idiom in a multitude of situations, with varying understandings of the definition. The British version, however, is closest in definition to the third listed above. The word proof was synonymous to test in the 16th century, which is when this idiom is thought to have surfaced. Pudding was also far different from today. It was most likely a minced-meat dish. Therefore, the true test of the success of a pudding dish is in how it tastes and not in any ornamentation or appearance. More generally, the success of something can be measured only by putting it to its intended purpose. It is unknown where the more American definitions came from, though they are used very commonly.

I will come back with more idioms soon.