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Now Sayings get passed on through time,
And wives tales can seem quite sublime;
From whence did they come?
those sayings that Mum
did clearly know all in her prime
And wives tales can seem quite sublime;
From whence did they come?
those sayings that Mum
did clearly know all in her prime
E
Early Bird Catches the Worm- If you're early, ready and prepared, you'll have success. An early proverb. 'It is the early Bird that catcheth the Worm' ('Remains Concerning Britain: Their Languages, Names, Surnames, Allusions By William Camden 1674) Eager Beaver- Someone who is very keen and has a lot of enthusiam to get started. Beavers are apparently very industrious animals, so it's said that this saying refers to the eager young men who quickly volunteered during WW2. Ears are Burning- If your ears are burning, you think that someone is talking about you. The Romans believed this to be true. Also, if it was the left ear, it was something bad and the right ear, something good. Eat Humble Pie- To admit that you were wrong, even if it means being humiliated. Umble pie, was filled with umbles, which are the offal and entrails of a deer. Definitely not something that you would feed to a Lord of the Manor, but more to the lower class. Egg on Your Face- Made to look foolish From the mid twentieth century. Throwing eggs at your opponent was common (as in politics), so if you were left with egg on your face, then you looked like the foolish one. |
F
Fair Game- Someone or something that's thought to be equal to attack or abuse in some way. The gaming laws were harsh during the reign of King George lll and to avoid depletion of game, only the Aristocrats were allowed to hunt. In 1816, it was made illegal, for anyone to hunt even a rabbit, so land owners fought back by setting man traps. Fair Go- An equal chance or opportunity, or give me a break, go easy on me. An Australian saying. Feather in Your Cap- To have a feather is your cap, is to have acknowledgement for an achievement. Eg. "Dad just got a promotion at work, that's a feather in his cap" In Hungary, during the 15 and 1600's, it was only lawful to wear a feather in your cap to show how many of your enemies that you had killed (each feather). Knights in England, also wore feathers in their helmets for bravery. Feather Your Own Nest- To only worry about yourself and your own monetary gain. I always conceiv'd a different Opinion of you, till I had given it irrevocably into your Power to feather your own Nest-'The Works of Mr. Thomas Brown, in Prose and Verse': By Thomas Brown, James Drake (1707) Feeling Groggy- Feeling groggy, does not necessarily apply to the affects of drinking of alcoholic beverages. You can feel groggy in the mornings, after not having enough sleep, or in the afternoon, when you're tired. Groggy is not feeling you usual self, but feeling a combination of tired, dizzy, or having a clouded mind. Grog originally referred to a drink made with water and rum, which British Vice Admiral Edward Vernon introduced into the naval squadron he commanded in the West Indies on 21 August 1740. Vernon wore a coat of grogram cloth and was nicknamed Old Grogram or Old Grog. Of course, the mixture of rum and water, made the sailor's intoxicated, they felt groggy. Feet of Clay- Percieving a weekness in someone who is highly regarded. This has Biblical roots, from the book of Daniel, in the Old Testament. Daniel 2:1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. No one could interpret the King's dream except for Daniel. 24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation. 31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. 32 This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass 33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. Fine as a Summer's Day. The person (usually female) is very thin and attractive. Origin Unknown. Fire a Cannon and Not Hit Anybody- Unsually said at a function, or in a public gathering, where the attendance is very poor, hence- you could fire a cannon and not hit anybody, because there's hardly anyone here. Origin Unknown. Fit as a Fiddle- In excellent health, in top condition. A fiddler was a merry maker and the life of the party, therefore, he seemed to be fit, healthy and happy, to be entertaining people. Fiddlesticks- Oh fiddlesticks!, Oh bother!, a nice way of being upset, or saying to yourself, "what's gone wrong now?". Oh fiddlesticks can also mean- 'That's all baloney", or foolish talk. It is not on my way, and my health, lame leg and the rest of it, is all fiddle-sticks- (The Theosophist, Volume 30, Issues 1-6, 1609). Fiddles without fiddlesticks, would make but indifferent music.(The sailor's opera: or, A trip to Jamaica, Volume 1 1745) Fiddle, While Rome Burns- To be doing something else, while more important matters need attention. Nero (their leader) is said to have been fiddling, while Rome burned in 64 AD. If he was playing an instrument (not the fiddle, that's for sure) his responsibility was in protecting his people. Many didn't trust him and actually blamed Nero for starting the fire, but Nero blamed the Christians and had many killed. Nero was not a well liked person. Fall Off the Wagon- To start a bad habit again (generally drinking alcohol), after doing well for a period without it. Originally it was 'On the water wagon', which was a wagon that would carry water, for people to drink instead of alcohol, during the 1890's in the time of the Prohibition crusades. If you fell off the water wagon, then you were back on the alcohol again. Flash in the Pan- An idea that doesn't come to anything, or last very long. An unexpected delay between the triggering of a firearm and the ignition of the propellant. This failure was common in firearm actions that relied on open primer pans. Sometimes the priming caught but didn't light the main charge, so this caused a little flash in the pan. Flavour of the Month- Something that is in fashion temporarily. Everybody wants one today, but in a short time from now, it will be phased out. American Ice-cream Parlours in the mid twentieth century, would offer discounts to their customers by trying new flavours each month. Flog a Dead Horse- Flogging a dead horse means a particular request or topic that has already been discussed and the outcome is resolved. To keep talking about something that is now a waste of time, it's over.It can also mean to keep trying to fix something that can never be fixed and needs to be thrown out. The first recorded use of the expression in its modern sense was by the English politician and orator John Bright, referring to the Reform Act of 1867, which called for more democratic representation in Parliament. Trying to rouse Parliament from its apathy on the issue, he said in a speech, would be like trying to flog a dead horse to make it pull a load. (wiki) Fly in the Ointment- A fly in the ointment, is some small thing that you'll need to deal with, that is going to upset your plans. This saying comes from the Old Testament in the Bible- Ecclesiastes 10:1 Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour. Fly Off the Handle- To go into a fit of rage. This comes from a literal axe handle coming lose and flying off. This could hit someone in the head and be very dangerous, as well as the fact that, no more work could be done until it was fixed. So workers would get angry. Footloose and Fancy Free- To be free from worry, care and responsibility. The individual consciousness, stripped of authoritative traditions, with its fortune to make, footloose and fancy-free, confronts the universe.(The New World: A Quarterly Review of Religion, Ethics and Theology, Volume 7, 1898) |