The Origins of Idioms

Learn the Origins of Idioms - with Audio

Idioms are figurative phrases with meanings different from the literal words used, often rooted in cultural history. They are common in everyday language, adding nuance and expressiveness. Idioms typically have a long history, often originating from specific events, cultural beliefs, or everyday experiences, and are passed down through generations. 

Origins and Usage:

• Cultural and Historical Roots:

  Many idioms have origins in historical events, cultural practices, or even famous figures. For example, "to turn a blind eye" is said to have originated from British Admiral Horatio Nelson. 

• Figurative Language:

  Idioms use figurative language, like metaphors and similes, to convey meanings beyond the literal. 

• Non-Literal Meaning:

  The meaning of an idiom is not directly derived from the individual words; it's an understood meaning within a particular language or culture. 

• Versatility:

  Idioms can be used to express emotions, describe situations, or add a touch of humor or color to conversations. 

• Examples:

  • "Break the ice" (to make people feel more comfortable) 

  • "Piece of cake" (something very easy to do) 

  • "Cost an arm and a leg" (to be very expensive) 

Learning and Using Idioms:

• Context is Key:

  Understanding idioms requires understanding their context and cultural background. 

• Native Speakers:

  Idioms are frequently used by native speakers, so they are helpful in understanding conversations. 

• Learning Resources:

  Books, websites, and language learning programs can help familiarize individuals with common idioms and their meanings. 

• Second Language Acquisition:

  Learning and using idioms is a final stage in second language acquisition, signifying fluency and a deeper understanding of the language and culture. 

  Knowing the origins or likely origins of idioms can be extremely use for learners as they may jog the memory. Here are some idioms with their likely roots.

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It's raining cats and dogs, meaning heavy or torrential rain. "We had to cancel the picnic because it was raining cats and dogs". Now, this is an idiom that I never use. You should still know it because it's a very common one and people find it amusing. But, I don't use it. I very much prefer to use "it's pouring down with rain" or it's throwing it down with rain or even it's pissing down.

Okay, I know that sounds rude but sometimes we British are rude and certainly that's what I'd say between friends and you'll hear it used. I was further put off it's raining cats and dogs when I was working in my first job which is Turkey and the Turkish head teacher couldn't speak any English at all, but every time it was raining heavily, he used to grab hold of me and say, Steve, Steve, it is raining cats and dogs.

I've never used it since. Anyway, let's look at the origin. It likely originated in England in the 17th or 18th century. One theory is that it comes from the Norse mythology. where cats were associated with storms and dogs with the god Odin. Another theory suggests that in times of poor draining, heavy rain could cause dogs and animals to wash out onto the streets.

Who knows?

Too many cooks spoil the broth. An old one, occasionally still used, meaning when too many people are involved in the task it can lead to chaos and a poor result. We need to assign one person to lead this project. Too many cooks spoil the broth. This idiom dates back to mediaeval Europe where early records such as the tale of from the 15th century.

The phrase has evolved over time, reflecting the idea that too many contributors can complicate and worsen a task.

Hold out an olive branch, meaning to offer peace or reconciliation, meaning to offer peace or reconciliation. After their argument, She decided to hold out an olive branch and apologise. The idiom has its roots in ancient Greek and Roman customs where offering an olive branch was a symbol of peace and reconciliation.

The idiom has its roots in ancient Greek and Roman customs where offering an olive branch was a symbol of peace and reconciliation.

Cry over spilt milk. Meaning to waste time worrying about things that have already happened and can't be changed. I know you missed the bus, but there's no use crying over spilt milk. This one's still used. The phrase 17th century, found in James Howell's

P R A M O I G R I F Y In 1659, where it emphasised the futility of worrying over things that have already occurred.

I hope you can remember that one. Hmm.

Bite the bullet. Still in use. Meaning, to face a painful or unpleasant situation with courage. Knowing that he had to take the test, he decided to bite the bullet and start studying. The phrase likely originated from battlefield surgery, before anaesthetics were available, where soldiers were given a bullet to bite on.

to endure the pain of surgery. Thank goodness for anaesthetics.

The last straw, meaning the final problem in a series of problems that causes someone to finally lose patience or stop accepting a situation. When he showed p again, it was the last straw for her. The phrase comes from the proverb, the straw that broke the camel's back, originating in the 19th century, which suggests that a single, seemingly insignificant burden can cause a complete collapse, if added to an already heavy load.

So that should be an easy one to remember, and it is one that we use.

A blessing in disguise. Yep, we use this as well. Something that seems bad at first, but turns out to be good in the end. Losing that job was a blessing in disguise because it led me to a better career. It's been used in English since at least the 18th century, reflecting the idea that something negative can have hidden benefits.

Break the ice. To initiate conversation in a social setting. He told a joke to break the ice at the beginning of the meeting. In business, at the start of meetings, you often have icebreakers, which are dreaded. They're rather formal, and people don't like them. Anyway, the origin, the phrase likely comes from the practice of ships breaking ice to create a passage through frozen waters.

Metaphorically, representing overcoming initial difficulties. Social barriers.

Beat around the bush. Meaning to avoid talking about the main point. Stop beating about the bush, or around the bush, and tell me what happened. You can [00:07:00] say around the bush or about the bush. The origin of this? Well, it comes back to mediaeval hunting practices, where hunters would beat around bushes to flush out the game.

It's been used metaphorically since at least the 18th century to describe avoiding the main topic. Still in use.

To let the cat out of the bag. To reveal a secret. She let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party. Oh dear. The origin: in medieval times, where farmers would substitute a cat for a piglet in a sack, and a seat would be revealed when the cat was let out of the bag. Yeah, I bet that caused some chaos and anger.

Kick the bucket, meaning to die. Yeah, the old man kicked the bucket last night. The origin of this idiom is uncertain. One theory is that it comes from a method of execution, where the condemned person would stand on a bucket, and then it would be kicked away, causing them to hang. A bit gruesome, isn't it?

We use this lightly. We wouldn't use it in a serious way. You know, sorry to hear that your dad's kicked the bucket. That would sound a bit offensive.

Under the weather, very common. Feeling ill or unwell. Oh, I'm feeling a bit under the weather today. I don't think I'll go into work. [00:09:00] It comes from maritime language where under the weather referred to sailors who were sent below deck to recover from illness due to rough seas, because they felt seasick.

Pulling your leg to joke or tease someone. Don't worry, I'm just pulling your leg. It can be humorous, um, it can be irritating, but it is commonly used. It likely originated in the early 20th century. Possibly from the practice of tripping someone up as a prank, which I think would be very irritating, very annoying, kind of thing that kids do.

Barking up the wrong tree to pursue a misguided course of action or a false lead. If you think I took your book, you're barking up the wrong tree. Again, still commonly used. It comes from hunting dogs that might bark at the base of the tree where they mistakenly think that prey is hiding. As I said, it is still in use.

Spill the beans! To reveal a secret or disclose information prematurely. Who spilled the beans about the surprise party? It's supposed to be a secret. One theory is that this phrase comes from an ancient Greek voting system using beans, where spilling them would reveal the outcome of a vote.

Who knows? I mean, it sounds likely. Goes back some time then, doesn't it?

Fly off the handle. Yeah, we still use this one. To lose one's temper suddenly and unexpectedly. He really flew off the handle when he heard the news. The phrase originates from the early 19th century, describing an axe head coming off its handle, unpredictably, much like a sudden burst of anger. Yeah, it also sounds quite dangerous as well, doesn't it?

To fly off the handle. As I say, it's still used.

Caught red handed. Caught in the act of doing something wrong. The thief was caught red handed with the stolen goods. It dates back to 15th century Scotland where being caught with blood on one's hands was evidence of having committed murder.

or poaching.

Hit the nail on the head. Yep, we still use this one to describe exactly what is causing a situation or a problem. You know, you hit the nail on the head when you said that we need better communication. This phrase comes from carpentry where hitting a nail on the head is an indication of precision and accuracy.

Burning the midnight oil to work late into the night. She was [00:13:00] burning the midnight oil to finish her report. And this is something which I often do. I could say it's something I'm often guilty of. I'm a night person. The idiom obviously originates from the time before electric lighting where people used oil lamps to work or study late into the night.

I think that's a fairly obvious one.

On cloud nine, meaning extremely happy. She was on cloud nine after getting the promotion. The exact origin is uncertain, but one theory suggests it comes from the 1950s, the United States weather bureau, which used cloud nine to describe, cumulonimbus cloud reaching the highest altitude

The ball is in your court. It's up to you to make the next decision or make action. It's up to you to make the next decision, or take action. I've done all I can. Now the ball is in your court.

The phrase most likely comes from tennis, where the ball must be hit by the player on whose side the court it lands. An easy one, I think.

Bite the dust. To fail or to be defeated. Many small businesses bite the dust in the first year. Origin comes from the 18th century British military term, bite the [00:15:00] dust, meaning to fall to the ground in death or defeat. For some reason I associate it with westerns. They bit the dust. The soldiers or the Indians bit the dust. Maybe I watched too many westerns.

By the skin of your teeth. That's a strange one. This isn't it. The skin of your teeth. Anyway, narrowly or barely escaping a situation. He escaped the accident by the skin of his teeth. This comes from the Bible. Chapter Job, 19:20. Which is in the King James Version and reads, I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.

Meaning a narrow escape. Note the very old English. I am escaped. By the skin of your teeth.

Hit the sack: to go to bed I'm exhausted. It's time to hit the sack The phrase likely originated in the early 20th century Where mattresses were often sacks stuffed with hay or straw I would have thought it would go back earlier than that, rather than the early 20th century.

Jump on the bandwagon - to join others in doing something that is currently popular or fashionable. After the product became popular, many companies jumped on the bandwagon to sell similar items.

The idiom goes back to the 19th century and the use of bandwagons in parades, where politicians would ride to attract attention and support. I suspect that this originates in the United States rather than Britain. I can't think of us using bandwagons in that way here in the UK

A bear with a sore head, meaning someone who is irritable and bad tempered, stay away from him today. He's like a bear with a sore head. The origin? Well, the phrase originates from the observation of bears being particularly irritable when injured or unwell, thus likening a person's grumpiness to that of a suffering bear.

If you're grumpy. You're bad tempered. I'm never grumpy, of course. Well, sometimes.

Bite off more than you can chew, meaning to take on a task that is too big or difficult. For example, he bit off more than he could chew by agreeing to complete the project in one week. The origin, it's, Believed to have originated in America in the 19th century. Referring to someone taking too large a bite of food to chew comfortably.

Sounds, uh, sounds reasonable, plausible, doesn't it? I have done that in the past, especially when I was a child.

Drive like a maniac. To drive recklessly and dangerously. She drives like a maniac. It's terrifying to be in the car with herThe term maniac dates back to the early 19th century, referring to a person exhibiting extreme or reckless behavior. Hence, driving like a maniac means driving with dangerous recklessness.

Yes. And sometimes we still use that. Yeah. My God. He drives like a maniac. I'm not getting in the car with him.

Nobody in their right mind, no sane person would do something. Nobody in their right mind would go out in this storm. The idiom uses the concept of mental stability to emphasise the unlikelihood of a sane person engaging in a particular action. It's a phrase that's been in use since the 19th century.

Yep, something I would use. Oof, no one in their right mind would do that, you know, why did he do it? You know, whatever the situation is. So yep. Still in use.

Make a mountain out of a molehill to exaggerate a minor problem. Don't make a mountain out of a molehill. It's just a small mistake. The phrase dates back to the 16th century, first appearing in Nicholas Oodle's Apothegames. I'm not sure how you pronounce it. 1548. It uses the contrast between a molehill, a small mound of earth, made by moles, which live and burrow underground, and a mountain, to illustrate exaggeration.

I don't know if you have moles in your country, but we do in [00:21:00] Britain. They're small furry animals they look cute, but they can be very irritating when they cause these little mounds of earth on a freshly mowed lawn, especially on something like a cricket pitch. To make a mountain out of a molehill.

Move the goalposts. To change the rules or conditions in a way that makes it more difficult to succeed. Every time we get close to a deal, they move the goalposts. It comes from sports, particularly football. If you're American, soccer. Where moving the goalposts would make it harder to score. Hence, symbolizing shifting expectations

unfairly.

Still in use. Yeah, you still find this used quite a lot, really.

Between a rock and a hard place. Meaning facing a difficult choice between two unpleasant options. She was caught between a rock and a hard place having to choose between her job and her family. The idiom's believed to have originated from a phrase used by miners in the early 20th century describing the challenge of working between hard rock formations. Never knew that. So I've learned something new there.

To be heavy going. Something that's difficult to deal with or understand. Many students struggled to keep up. The phrase likely stems from the early 20th century, using heavy to describe something cumbersome or difficult and going to indicate progress.

We can also describe a person as being heavy going. Difficult to get on with. Difficult to communicate with. Not an easy person.

Bury your head in the sand. To ignore unpleasant realities. You can't just bury your head in the sand. We need to address these issues. The origin, as you might imagine, comes from the myth. that ostriches bury their heads in the sand to avoid danger. Although in reality they don't actually do this. But that's what most people think.

It's easy to be wise after the event. This is a very old one. Still in use though, it's like a proverb really. It's easy to understand what you should have done after something has happened. Criticising my decision now is pointless. It's easy to be wise after the event.

The phrase emphasises hindsight, the concept of understanding situations better after they've occurred, which has been a recognised notion since ancient times. Yeah, kind of obvious really.

A slap in the face, an unexpected insult or rebuke, a rejection of his proposal felt like a slap in the face. The phrase likely originated from the literal [00:25:00] act of slapping someone, which has long been considered a serious insult or affront.

If you slap someone in the face, I think you'd be challenging them. We don't mean it literally these days, if you slap someone in the face, it would be considered an offence, but something that they say or do could be considered a slap in the face. Yep. Still commonly used

To have a sinking feeling, to feel that something bad is going to happen. Oh, I had a sinking feeling that I'd forgotten something important.

This idiom uses the metaphor of a sinking ship to describe a situation, a sudden, uneasy feeling [00:26:00] that something is wrong. It first appeared in the 20th century. You don't quite know why something bad is going to happen. You're not certain of it. But you suspect it might. I've got a sinking feeling that things are going to go wrong.

. Not a pleasant feeling.

Hopping mad. Extremely angry. She was hopping mad when she found out that she'd been lied to.

The phrase likely comes from the image of someone jumping up and down in anger, expressing extreme frustration or rage. Do we still use it? Yes, I think we do. Um, I can't remember using it recently, but it sounds very familiar to me. Certainly used to. My mum used to behopping mad when I'd done something wrong.

Yep, people still get hopping mad. They don't literally hop up and down. But, they're very angry. They're very annoyed. It's a good one to remember.

Bring the house down. To cause great enthusiasm or applause. Especially in a performance. Comedian's performance brought the house down. The idiom originates from 19th century theatre where a particularly good performance would cause the audience to applaud so loudly it felt like the building might collapse.

It's still very much used in show business. You know, her performance, her last song brought the house down. So yeah, that's, um, still used, still popular.

A barefaced lie, an obvious and shameless lie. He told a barefaced lie when he said he didn't take the money. The phrase dates back to the 17th century, using bare face to emphasize the lack of blame in telling a lie that is clearly untrue.

It's very much a collocation, a bare faced lie. So, yes, still well in use, one that you should know.

At a loss for words, unable to think of anything to say. Oh, when I heard the news, I was at a loss for words. It's been in use since the early 19th century, describing [00:29:00] the inability to articulate thoughts of feelings due to surprise or shock. I think even if you didn't know this one, if you hadn't heard it, you'd work it out, wouldn't you?

At a loss for words. In other words, you're speechless. That's another way of saying it. Oh, I was speechless at the news. I was at a loss. for words at the news.

To make your blood boil. To make someone extremely angry. His arrogant comments made my blood boil. It dates back to the 19th century using the metaphor of boiling blood to describe the intense heat of anger. Yeah, well, I think pretty obviously boiling blood, um, would not be particularly pleasant. Make your blood boil.

Still used. Yeah. Something makes your blood boil or a person makes your blood boil, makes you extremely angry. Used in extreme situations. Yeah.

An armchair critic. . Someone who criticises or offers advice on a subject they know little about from the comfort of their own experience. He's an armchair critic who loves to tell professional athletes how to play. The phrase emerged in the mid 20th century.

Containing armchair, comfort and critic to describe people who give opinions without practical experience. I find that this is often used, by people who talk about military strategy when they've never actually been involved in the military, but they sit there pontificating about what should be done.

have been done or what should be done. An armchair critic. They can be extremely irritating.

After your own heart. Someone who has similar tastes or opinions to you, to your own. He is the man after my own heart. We both love classical music. Origin, it dates back to the early 17th century, reflecting the idea of someone who matches one's own desires or preferences.

Better safe than sorry, an old one, still in use. It's better to be cautious than to risk something bad happening. Take an umbrella. Better safe than sorry. You know, it's looking like rain. This proverb has been used since the 19th century, emphasising the importance of caution to avoid potential problems.

Better safe than sorry, or better to be safe than sorry.

Beg the question. To raise a question or point that has not been dealt with, His statement begs the question of how the funds will be allocated. The phrase comes from a mistranslation of a Latin term using logic, petitio principii meaning assuming the initial point, nd it's been used since the 16th century, still well.

in use.

Begs the question of what he will do if he encounters a real difficulty. He hasn't faced many problems yet and he's finding it difficult to cope. It begs the question of what he will do when he's faced with a real problem. So yes, that's a good one to know.

A bone of contention, a subject or issue over which there is continuing disagreement. The budget has long been a bone of contention between government ministers. It comes from the 1700s, likening the subject of an argument. to a bone over which dogs fight. Yep, bone of contention. Could be used over minor things. Their choice of where to go on holiday, their decision, is a bone of contention between them. Money is always a bone of contention between some couples. So still, well in use. Still popular.

Burn the candle at both ends. To overwork yourself by doing too many things. Especially staying up late and getting up early. Yeah, staying up late and burning the midnight oil. He's been burning the candle at both ends and now he's exhausted. It dates back to at least the 17th century, originally implying wastefulness.

By the 20th century it evolved to meaning overworking oneself.

Cheap and cheerful. Very popular in the UK, in Britain. Inexpensive yet pleasant or satisfactory. The hostel was cheap and cheerful. Perfect for a short stay. This British idiom emerged in the early 20th century, describing affordable products or services that are still enjoyable or adequate. We often use it, so it's a good one to know. 

Cheap and cheerful. Very popular in the UK, in Britain. Inexpensive yet pleasant or satisfactory. The hostel was cheap and cheerful. Perfect for a short stay. This British idiom emerged in the early 20th century, describing affordable products or services that are still enjoyable or adequate. We often use it, so it's a good one to know.