The History of Common American Idioms

The history of American idioms make more sense than one thinks. Many statements still in use today have survived over the years in to a modernized world. Although knowing the following information doesn't set a person apart as a scholar, it may be a great conversation starter or the stump question at any trivia get-together. Many of the sayings used today are derived from the pilgrimage of our country's roots in Plymouth, Massachusetts where it all started. Consider these:

Keep your nose to the grindstone (to keep working hard).

In colonial America without electricity, the Pilgrims' main staple food was corn. To get the greatest use from the corn it was ground to a powder known today as cornmeal. The corn kernels were poured in to a stone "bowl" in which the giant wheel (the millstone) rested. The wheel was turned from above by the power of a windmill. In order to get the corn in to the bowl, the "miller" had to pour it in from the back side which made his nose get quite close to the turning millstone.

Three sheets to the wind (to be drunk) Again, when the Pilgrims arrived on the

Mayflower, the only resources they had to use were those from the ships on which they came. To make windmills for power they used strips of the sails from the ships - in those days called sheets. The first windmills were constructed with three "blades" to catch the wind, but it was found that in a strong wind that the blades would turn in a rickety fashion. Reconstruction of the 4-blade windmill soon replaced the rickety ones. Thus, when a person walked in a "rickety" fashion being drunk, he (or she) was labeled as "three sheets to the wind".

Goodnight, sleep tight (to sleep well)

In colonial times mattresses were made of goose down feathers. Though a comfortable sleeping arrangement, sometimes men found them to be just too soft. In an effort to create firmness in the mattress, ropes were tied around the mattresses width-wise at the top, middle and bottom and pulled tight to condense the mattress. The tighter the ropes were pulled, the firmer the mattress became. For some, this produced a great night's sleep. Hence the phrase, "Goodnight, sleep tight."

Armed to the teeth

Back in the days when America and it's close neighbors were being discovered by sea faring men, life was different. Weapons in those days were less than efficient, including the single shot black powder guns used by pirates in Jamaica in the 1600s. Knowing that the gun had just one shot, the pirates would also carry a knife in their teeth to use once the gun was used up. This created the phrase "armed to the teeth".

Busting your chops

At the turn of the century and also again in the late 1960s, long, thick sideburns were referred to as "mutton chops" or "lamb chops". A bust in the chops meant to be hit in the face. Even though these chops are no longer the fashion, the phrase "bust your chops" has survived over the years, no doubt to return as a fashion statement some time in the future.

Can't hold a candle to

Before electric lights there were candles. Someone performing a task requiring two hands after dark would also need a person to hold the candle while they worked. Of course, the person holding the candle would be in a position of service to the person doing the work. To not be worthy of even holding the candle for someone was considered to be of very low estate in these days. So to say, "She can't hold a candle to him/her" means that the person "accused" is pretty much worthless.

Dressed to the Nines

Common lore has it that a tailor making a high quality suit uses more fabric. The best suits are made from nine yards of fabric. This may seem like a lot but a proper suit does indeed take nine yards of fabric. This is because a good suit has all the fabric cut in the same direction with the warp, or long strands of thread, parallel with the vertical line of the suit. This causes a great amount of waste in suit making, but if you want to go "dressed to the nines", you must pay for such waste.

High on the Hog

The best meat on a pig is the loin area which is located high on the pig (or the hog) on either side of the spine. In early America and probably Europe when the rich were very rich and the poor were very poor, the rich lived in luxury being fed the "high" portion of the hog - or the loin. Lower portions (chitterlings, cracklings, feet, etc.) were saved for servants. Thus, those who ate from the higher end of the hog were considered affluent an living "high on the hog".

Think about how frequently Americans use these terms. And the next time you use anyone of these, you can also include the history behind them which is of interest to those who consider themselves Americans. But, please remember, we are all immigrants as our founding fathers all came from another place unless they were American Indians - who have a whole different set of idioms their own!