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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
A
Above Board- If something is 'Above board', it means that it is honest & genuine. Comes from card players getting rid of unwanted cards under the table or board. Acid Test- Testing something rigorously, for it's value or durability. To find out if Gold was pure or not, nitric acid was poured over it. Other metals corrode, but gold is unaffected. Add Insult to Injury- To make a bad situation even worse, by adding another insult or problem. From the fables of Phaedrus first century AD. The story was of a bald man who swats at a fly which has just bitten him on the head, but instead hits himself on the head. The fly comments, "You wished to kill me for a touch. What will you do to yourself since you have added insult to injury?" The actual wording appears in English from the middle of the 18th century. (Wiktionary) A Little Bird Told Me- If a little bird told you, it means that someone told you on good authority, but you don't what to mention their name. Possibly Biblical, from Ecclesiastes 10-20 "Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter." Alive and Kicking- Someone who is very active and alive. Originating from 'The quickening', which is when a pregnant Woman first feels the baby move in the womb. All Hell Broke Loose- A situation turns bad, lots of commotion, rioting etc. This phrase originated from the poem- "Paradise Lost," by John Milton,1608-1674, a 17th century English poet All Over Bar the Shouting- Is when the outcome of an event is fairly certain, but the final results are yet to be known. Origin is uncertain, but may have it's roots in sporting or political events. All the Way/As Far as you Like, in your Merry Oldsmobile- I can remember a salesman telling my mother this, when she asked how much credit she could have. It can be used in reference to anything that you could take or go all the way with. "In My Merry Oldsmobile" was a popular song from 1905, with music by Gus Edwards and lyrics by Vincent P. Bryan. The Oldsmobile, being the Automobile. The last two lines of the Chorus- You can go as far as you like with me In my merry Oldsmobile. An Axe to Grind- Something has happened between someone & yourself that you're unhappy with & need to talk it over with them, to clear the air. This probably originates from sharpening an axe with a grinding wheel, before killing an animal or an enemy. Apple of Your Eye- To be the Apple of someone's eye, means that you are favoured, cherished or loved above others. The pupil of your eye, was said to resemble an 'apple' and as the world is viewed through our eyes, the pupil (or apple) is extremely important. Old Testament- Deuteronomy 32:10 He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the 'apple of his eye'. Book of Psalms 17:8 Keep me as the 'apple of the eye', hide me under the shadow of thy wings Proverbs 7:2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the 'apple of thine eye'. Lamentations 2: 18 Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the 'apple of thine eye' cease. Zechariah 2:8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the 'apple of his eye'. As the Crow Flies- The distance travelled between two points, without the restrictions of roads, detours, corners etc. The most direct way. Crows are said to be very intelligent birds, flying straight to the nearest meal.Taking 'The crow road' in Scotland, is to take the most direct route. A euphemism for dying ‘taking the crow road’ |