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Each day, you probably use a variety of expressions, idioms, proverbs and slang that aren’t meant to be taken literally. If you’ve ever wondered why we say certain things the way we do, you might be able to guess where they came from. Still, some English phrases are so unusual that their origins remain a mystery unless you understand the historical context behind them.
“Saved by the bell”
- Meaning: Rescued from a difficult situation just in time.
- Origin: This phrase is often thought to have originated in the 18th and 19th centuries. One theory is that it relates to the practice of placing a bell near the grave of someone who was thought to be dead, in case they were mistakenly buried alive. The bell would ring if the person regained consciousness, thus saving them from being buried alive.
“Burning the midnight oil”
- Meaning: To stay up late working, studying, or working hard.
- Origin: This expression dates back to the time before electric lights. People used oil lamps to read, write, and work at night. If someone was “burning the midnight oil,” they were working late into the night.
“Getting cold feet”
- Meaning: To become nervous or hesitant, especially before a big decision or event.
- Origin: This phrase likely comes from the 19th century, possibly related to the practice of soldiers experiencing fear before battle. Cold feet could signify anxiety or nervousness. Some believe it was connected to a traditional belief that cold feet symbolized a lack of courage or resolve.
“Cat’s out of the bag”
- Meaning: A secret has been revealed or an undisclosed fact is now known.
- Origin: This saying originates from medieval markets where farmers would sell a pig in a sack to unsuspecting buyers. Unscrupulous vendors might substitute a less valuable cat for the pig. If the cat was let out of the bag, the fraud would be exposed.
“Crossing the Rubicon”
- Meaning: Making an irreversible decision or committing to a course of action from which there is no turning back.
- Origin: The phrase comes from a significant moment in Roman history. In 49 BC, Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon River with his army, defying the Roman Senate and starting a civil war. The act was a point of no return, symbolizing a bold and irreversible step.
“Spill the beans”
- Meaning: To reveal a secret or disclose information.
- Origin: This phrase may have originated from ancient Greece, where voting was done using beans. A white bean indicated a positive vote, and a black bean meant a negative one. If someone “spilled the beans,” they would accidentally reveal the outcome of the vote prematurely.
“A penny for your thoughts”
- Meaning: A way of asking someone what they are thinking.
- Origin: This phrase dates back to the 16th century. It was common in the time of Queen Elizabeth I to ask for a person’s thoughts in exchange for a small coin, symbolizing that their thoughts were worth something.
“The writing on the wall”
- Meaning: A clear warning or sign of impending doom or disaster.
- Origin: This expression comes from the Biblical story in the Book of Daniel (Daniel 5:5–31). During the Babylonian King Belshazzar’s feast, a mysterious hand appeared and wrote on the wall, foretelling the fall of the kingdom. The phrase now refers to any clear, ominous sign of something bad happening.
“Through the grapevine”
- Meaning: Hearing information through informal channels or rumors.
- Origin: This expression is tied to the telegraph system used during the 19th century. The telegraph wires were sometimes likened to grapevines because of the way they sprawled and twisted through the landscape. The phrase “hearing through the grapevine” became common during the U.S. Civil War when messages would often travel quickly through unofficial channels, spreading rumors.
“A red herring”
- Meaning: A misleading clue or distraction.
- Origin: This expression comes from the practice of using smoked red herring (a type of fish) to mislead hunting dogs during a hunt. The fish’s strong smell would confuse the dogs, causing them to go off track. The term has been used figuratively since the early 19th century to describe false clues or distractions in a mystery or argument.
“Riding shotgun”
- Meaning: To sit in the front passenger seat of a vehicle.
- Origin: This phrase dates back to the days of the Old West in the U.S. When stagecoaches were used for transportation, the person who sat next to the driver (often armed) to protect the coach from bandits was said to be “riding shotgun.” The term evolved to refer to sitting in the front seat of a modern vehicle.
“A bird’s eye view”
- Meaning: A view from a high vantage point, seeing everything at once.
- Origin: This expression comes from the natural ability of birds to view large areas from high up in the sky. The term suggests the comprehensive perspective that a bird might have when flying overhead, looking at the bigger picture.
“The last straw”
- Meaning: The final problem or event that causes a situation to collapse or something to reach a breaking point.
- Origin: The phrase comes from an old proverb: “It’s the last straw that breaks the camel’s back.” It suggests that while a camel can carry a heavy load, even one more small item (like a single straw) could cause the animal to collapse. It symbolizes the final small burden that causes a larger problem to break.
“To steal someone’s thunder”
- Meaning: To take credit for someone else’s idea or achievement.
- Origin: This phrase originates from the 18th century and is attributed to playwright John Dennis. Dennis invented a method of creating thunder sounds for a play, but when his play flopped, another theater used his thunder technique in a different production. Dennis is said to have exclaimed that they had “stolen his thunder.“
“The tip of the iceberg”
- Meaning: The small, visible part of a much larger issue or problem.
- Origin: This expression comes from the observation that only about 10% of an iceberg is visible above the water’s surface, while the remaining 90% is hidden underwater. It suggests that what’s immediately apparent is only a small part of a much larger situation.
“Fool’s gold”
- Meaning: Something that seems valuable but is actually worthless.
- Origin: This phrase refers to pyrite, a mineral that resembles gold to the untrained eye. Early miners in the U.S. during the 19th century were often fooled by pyrite, thinking they had discovered gold, hence the term “fool’s gold.“
“The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence”
- Meaning: the things a person does not have always seem more appealing than the things he or she does have.
- Origin: The phrase dates back to the Greek poet Ovid, who lived in the first century B.C. The original saying was, “The harvest is always richer in another man’s field.”
On the fence about revamping your backyard?
Have you been thinking about giving your backyard a makeover, but you keep “turning a blind eye” because you’re unsure of where to start? You may be uncertain about what you want, when to begin or who to turn to. Long Fence is here to help you “let your hair down” and “break the ice” if you’re still “on the fence” about how to revitalize your outdoor space.
