Interesting origins of some common phrases and idioms

The Origins of popular English Idioms - Verbling

Most native English speakers, myself included, use idioms and expressions on a regular basis. Why do we do this? Well it is a way to amplify ...

Five common sayings with surprising origins - BBC Bitesize

Five common sayings with surprising origins ... The English language is full of sayings or idioms that, on the face of it, don't make a lot of sense. If you heard ...

Why Idioms Are Used And The Origins Of Idiom Use In History

Idioms are often derived from popular culture, such as movies, books, or songs. For example, the phrase “I'm not going to sugarcoat it” is ...

ORIGINS OF 10 COMMON PHRASES OR IDIOMS - YouTube

... ORIGINS OF 10 COMMON PHRASES OR IDIOMS." Discover the intriguing stories behind some of the most used and beloved expressions in the English ...

What are the origins of some popular sayings? - Quora

10 Common Sayings With Historical Origins * 1. Turn a blind eye The phrase “turn a blind eye”—often used to refer to a willful refusal to ...

The Origins of Idioms Explained - Language Trainers

History. The origins of idioms can be fun, but some of them are definitely gruesome. This phrase dates back to the 16th century in some ...

20 English Idioms with Surprising Origins - Writing Prompts

Origin: The story goes that this phrase originated from 18th-century paintings, as famous people like George Washington would have their portraits done without ...

Common Idioms and Phrases: Meanings and Origins - Owlcation

Most of us use idioms every day, and yet many of us don't know how these same phrases originated. It's very interesting to learn the origins ...

The Illustrated Histories of Everyday Expressions: Discover the True S

The Illustrated Histories of Everyday Expressions: Discover the True Stories Behind the English Language's 64 Most Popular Idioms (Etymology Book, ...

10 Common English Idioms and Their Weird Historical Origins

An evening of debauchery and petty vandalism in 19th century England is the likely origin of this phrase, used to describe a festive night on ...

The Curious Origins of Popular Sayings - YouTube

... most popular sayings have these interesting and obscure origins. Some of which are pretty dark: did you know that the phrase “saved by the ...

The Origin of Words and Phrases: Common Idioms

This particular idiom originated with a playwright named John Dennis in 1709. He supposedly created a new and better technique for simulating the sound of ...

The origin stories of common sayings and idioms - Deseret News

Ever wonder where some of your favorite phrase or idioms came from? We've got you. Common English phrases like “mad as a hatter” and “spill ...

Here are the surprising origin stories to these popular sayings

Popular sayings in the English language often have multiple meanings — such as “a heart of gold” and “time is money.” Some expressions are also ...

Did you ever wonder? Origins of well-known phrases - Neworld

Do you ever wonder about the meaning behind certain phrases or sayings? I'm sure I'm not alone in using a number of well-known expressions ...

The Interesting Origins Of 7 Common English Idioms

Leigh. However, the phrase garnered popularity after a retrospectively hilarious ad for Listerine mouthwash in 1924. The slogan, “Often a ...

9 common phrases you didn't know have dark origin stories

"Riding shotgun" was a huge responsibility. · A 'highway robbery' meant more than paying too much for coffee. · "Painting the town red" left some ...

The Unusual Origins of 20 Famous Sayings You Probably Haven't ...

Meaning: To feel slightly ill. When a sailor got sick, usually due to rough seas, they'd be told to go below decks to the most stable part of ...

15 Amusing Stories Behind Common Expressions - Reader's Digest

English has some hilarious expressions—and their origin stories are funny, too! Find out where "last-ditch effort," "under the weather," and ...

A History of Ten Common English Phrases

We did some research and here is our list of the top ten most common English sayings. Feel free to slip them into a conversation next time you are at the pub.