Who Said it First? a Look at Common Phrases

In everyday conversation, we use common phrases to express our ideas as well as to make our point. Some of our most common phrases are related to their origins. Interestingly enough, the original thought behind other phrases vary from the context as it is used in today's speech.

A "Ball Park Figure" began in the early days of baseball. Newspapers were anxious to report the number of fans attending each game. While it was difficult to get an accurate count, it is more important to note that owners did not want to admit low numbers. Therefore, owners gave estimates- give or take a few hundred fans. Today the so-so estimate is called a "ball park figure."

Needing to "Break The Ice," cities that suffered bitter and freezing winters figured out a method to keep their trade going during the cold winter months. The trade market was forced to be put on hold until the icy waters thawed until boatmen began sending out small sturdy ships that would break the ice, allowing large merchant vessels to pass in the waters and get their goods to market. In today's society, the phrase "break the ice" is often used to signal the start of a project or to get the ball rolling.

"By Jove, I think he's got it" comes from early Roman mythology. Jove is the original name of the Roman god, Jupiter. By proclaiming, "By Jove," one is making a comparable statement as "By God."

The name "Don Juan" is frequently used to describe a man who is a womanizer. Actually this is quite accurate as Don Juan Ternoario was a real person. The Spaniard was rumored to have more than 2594 mistresses before he suddenly joined the monastery. The monk's life did not work out for Don Juan, as he was killed by the monks.

Shakespeare is credited with using the term "Green Eyed Monster" in Act III of his play, "Othello." Shakespeare uses the cat's green eyes to symbolize jealousy, calling it the "green eyed monster." The phrase caught on to be synonymous with jealousy. For more interesting sayings by Shakespeare, see:
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"Goosebumps" is a term which which refers to the small, visible bumps appearing on the skin when a person is cold or frightened. This common term came from the tradition of geese being plucked every few months. When the geese were plucked, their skin was left bare. As the geese would get chilled from the cold air, the exposed skin would shrink, causing large bumps to form.

"Let Your Hair Down" is a phrase that is traced back to Napoleon Times. The nobles of Paris were expected to appear in public with elaborate hairstyles. The hairdo's often required hours for styling and many hairpins for maintaining the style. Once the noblemen came home, they would relax by immediately "letting their hair down." Today, society still uses the phrase to suggest an intimate setting in which a person can relax.

"Minding Your P's and Q's" originally came from the suggestion given to customers drinking in pubs. Barkeeps often kept tabs of the number of pints and quarts a person drank on a chalk board. By "minding their p's and q's," patrons could not only avoid troubles (from being too drunk) but also avoid being overcharged for drinks. In modern times, "p's and q's" have been translated to many different things, such as children minding their p's and q's (pleases and thank Q's) as well as typesetters minding their similar p's and q's strokes (on a keyboard). The oldest tracing of the phrase, however, comes from pubs. All translations suggest a person take special care.

"No spring chicken" comes from buyers who complained to New England farmers. Early on in America, the northern farmers realized that young spring chickens brought a better profit than the older birds who had endured a rough winter. Occasionally, a farmer would try to pass off an old bird as a spring chicken. The buyers often complained about the tough fowl, exclaiming it was "no spring chicken." Today, people use the term to describe someone who has passed their tender years.

Today, saying "OK" suggests yes, or all is well. However, the phrase is traced back to a rather interesting origin. President Martin Van Buren was born in Kinderhook, New York. His nickname was "Old Kinderhook." During the election for his second Presidential term, fans and supporters formed "The Democratic OK Club." The phrase caught on, and "OK" is one of the most commonly understood phrases worldwide.

When a person is "On Cloud Nine," they are suddenly delighted, happy and possibly in love. The number 9 has always been considered to be a number of a higher caliber. Perhaps this is a reference to The Holy Trinity (3x3=9). Another example of the regard given to the number nine includes the Victorian Era, where people where described as being "dressed to the nines." During the Victorian Era, clouds were believed to be stacked in layers with the ninth layer being the supreme high. When a person was unexpectedly happy, they were thought to be soaring through the clouds with the destination being "on cloud nine."

Anyone who wants to avoid making a decision, complete a task or accept responsibility is said to "Pass The Buck." This saying is traced back to the days of card playing in saloons. A piece of buckshot was placed in front of the player who had the deal. The dealer assumed a lot of responsibility about the game and the specifics of game (ie:blinds). When a cautious or inexperienced player didn't want this responsibility, he was allowed to "pass the buck" to the next player.

"Pull Strings" comes from the days when puppet shows entertained crowds on the streets. Everyone knew the puppeteer was the man behind the scenes, "pulling the strings" to give the desired action. Today this phrase refers to a person who has the influence to make things happen.

"Rack One's Brains" is often used to describe the mental torture of trying to find an acceptable solution or answer to a problem. History shows us the original employment was in England, supposedly by John Holland, the 2nd Duke of Exeter in 1447 as a form of torture. People were racked, and their limbs were pulled apart in efforts to gain useful information. Eventually, racking a person became illegal.

"Raining Cats and Dogs" can be traced back to Norse mythology. It was believed that witches caused storms and rode through the whipping winds on black clouds shaped like cats. The God of Storms is described as one guarded by wild dogs and wolves. Combining the two ideas, when a particularly bad storm comes, we say it is "raining cats and dogs."

"Reading Between The Lines" refers to inspecting a document for the insinuations rather than the literal information provided. When a person has to "read between the lines," one must interpret its meaning. Writing in code has been around for centuries. Even Charles I of England wrote in code, and his work was not deciphered until 1850. Many people didn't understand his codes, and it took years to figure out the real message was written in invisible ink between the shown, coded lines.

"Rub The Wrong Way" comes from Colonial times. During this era, lavish homes were adorned with wide oak-board floors. Servants had to wet-rub and dry-rub the floors once a week. If the floor was "rubbed the wrong way," that is against the grain, the floors had streaks and looked terrible. This caused great embarrassment to the owner when company came over. Today, this phrase refers to someone who irritates others by their careless words and actions.

The "Sandwich" is a staple in many people's diet. In 1748, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, John Mantagu was an avid gambler. Being a very busy man, he had limited time to play. When the occasion to gamble came around, he eagerly jumped at the opportunity. Frequently, rather than stop to eat his meals, he instructed his servants to bring him some roast beef between two slices of bread so he could eat with out the aid of silverware as well as avoid getting his hands dirty. This allowed the game to continue. It is unknown if Mantagu was the original creator of the "sandwich," but he is the first to eat one in public, and with such frequency that the name "sandwich" was dubbed for him.

"School" comes from the Latin 'schola' which was often considered a leisurely activity. While students today may argue adamantly that the study of school is anything but leisure, we must remember that in history, men went to school or they went to work. "School" referred to the leisurely option.

The "Skeleton In The Closet" is a notion which dates back to the 1800's. Doctors of the age rarely had the opportunity to have access to a dead body for purposes of study. If the Doctor was fortunate enough to come across one, he treasured it. Society frowned on this type of learning, so doctors frequently kept the remains hidden in a closet. Today, we refer to "skeletons in the closet" as shocking secrets kept hidden from the general public.

To "Spill The Beans" means to reveal secret information. This saying dates back to Grecian Times. Ancient Greece organized their society's elections with colored beans. The voters dropped white beans into a bag or container for an in favor vote, and brown or black beans to give an opposing vote. Occasionally, a voter would clumsily knock over the container, "spilling the beans."

"Stigmatize" originates from Britain. A stigma was a branding iron. When a criminal did not receive the death penalty for the crime, the convicted were branded on their forehead. Example: "A" for Adultery, "T" for Thief. To bran this label on a person was to "stigmatize" them for life. Society has come to use the word for labeling a person in some form.

To "Throw In The Towel" means a person is forced to give up. In early boxing days, the managers could give a signal of surrender by throwing in the towel to stop the fight. When battered fighters could no longer stand to defend themselves, the managers had a responsibility to step in and make the decision. Today, boxing regulations are designed to limit the dangers of the past.

"Wisdom Teeth" are the molars which usually arrive in late teenage to early adult years. In Ancient Greece, no child was considered a man until he got his third molars. Subsequently, the molars became a symbol for a rite of passage into adulthood. The wisdom supposedly came with the teeth.

The "Wrong Side Of The Bed" is the left side, according to innkeepers of the ancient world. Actually, the left side of anything was considered evil, but innkeepers took an extra caring step for their patrons. Innkeepers used to push the left side of the bed against the wall to ensure their guests would get up on the right side of the bed, and have a good day. Today the term refers to the cause of why a person is cranky or irritable.

Over the course of time, the etymology of words change as society changes. Some everyday phrases remain amazingly similar to their original roots while others are adapted as society finds ways to make the old new again.