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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
B
Bad Egg- Usually refers to someone who you would not want to associate with. Someone who is known to be dishonest or always in trouble. Bad egg was first used in the 1855 novel, "The Wonderful Adventures of Captain Priest" by Samuel A Hammett. In the language of his class, the Perfect Bird, generally turns out to be a bad egg. Baker's Dozen- A Dozen of course is twelve, a Baker's dozen is thirteen. A Baker hundred's of years ago, had strict regulations that they had to abide by. The regulations went by weight and not by how many, so to avoid a penalty for being under weight, they would throw in an extra loaf. Bandy Legs- If someone has outward bowing or arched shaped legs. Medical term- Genu Varum. Can be causes from Rickets or Blount's Disease. Also, to Bandy with someone, is to have a quarrel, so it just may be that the two legs being bowed away from each other, is like they're in opposition to each other as in a quarrel & that it's possible that the word bandy was used because of this? (my thoughts only on that one) Bandy as Boyangs- Someone that has outward bowing or arched shaped legs and can be compared to the character, Boyangs. This saying most likely originated from the book- ON THE WALLABY, The Diary of a Queensland Swagman, By Edward S. Sorenson "I caught up a swagman and chummed in with him. He was an old man, with a short, scraggy beard, a sharp, wizened face, and a scalded nose. He had bandy legs, and wore boyangs"........... "Boyangs repeated. "I was reared on horses, went to school on 'em, earned me livin' on 'em—drovin'. That's what makes me bandy-legged". http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks14/1400721h.html Wiki has a few definitions for Boyangs or Bowyangs- 1. Leather, thongs used to hold trousers legs up so that the wearer can squat or bend often without dragging the waist-belt down to the point where the trousers fall off. 2. Pieces of cord, rope or leather that are tied just below the knees and their main purpose is to stop dust, grass seeds, insects and snakes going up the legs of farm workers 3. Cloth cones that are tied or held by elastic over the pants leg just above the ankle, and extend down to cover the top of the shoe or boot. This is to stop dirt, cement or brick powder, or any other matter getting inside the sock or footwear via the top or shoelace holes. Barking up the Wrong Tree- Taking the wrong view of something, or trying to find the answer to a problem in the wrong way. This saying has it's roots in Hunting. Dogs were used to hunt animals & often the animal being pursued, would scamper up a tree to get away. Dogs no being able to climb trees, would stay at the bottom and bark, so that the hunter knew which tree the animal had climbed up. If the dog was barking at the base of the wrong tree, then the hunter would be being lead in the wrong direction. Beastly Careless- To be Beastly Careless, means that you have about as much enthusiasm about the situation, as a beast or animal would, they couldn't care either way. Seems to come from Tasmanian roots, being an Australian term. (A National Bulletin on Issues in Australian Style and English in Australia) Beat Around the Bush- This is said about someone who is taking a long time to get to the point of what they are saying. A very old English phrase, referring to bird hunting. The hunters would run about and beat bushes, to stir up the birds, so that they could be caught. So the beating of bushes, happened before the catching of the birds, just like the rambling on of someone, before they make their point. Be at Loggerheads- In an argument, both sides not budging. There are several different so called 'origins' for this saying, but I'm going with this one, as it makes the most sense- A loggerhead, is the end of a log or battering ram, often carved with animals faces. A loggerhead also, in heraldry means a leopard's head - deriving from the carvings of animal faces on the end of logs & battering rams. Behind Closed Doors- No-one can see behind a closed door, so it is referring to something that goes on in secret, or is kept hidden. It seems as though, government or important meetings were held Behind closed doors, obviouly by invitation only. 1747- 'Application in respect of objections are heard behind closed doors. 1797- The conference work here took place behind closed doors, 1766- The proceedings on this occasion were held behind closed doors. Kenny Rogers also recorded a song called 'Behind Closed Doors' Behind the Door- You are "behind the door" if you are not too bright, or you just don't get the meaning of something. In other words, you were behind the door (hidden) when they were handing out the brains! Not sure of the origin of this one, but if you're behind the door when anything is being handed out, then you're going to miss out. Behind the Eight Ball- Means that you are in a difficult position, or have a disadvantage of some sort. Thought to derive from the game of Kelly pool, in which players assigned balls numerically higher than 8—that is, balls that are behind the 8 ball in order—have little possibility of winning, or more generally, from the fact that the 8 ball is considered harder to aim out because of its color. (Origin comes from- Wiki ) Bee in Your Bonnet- The Modern use of this phrase, is to be obsessed with an idea, or "what's up with you?", because you're preoccupied with something that's niggling away at you. Said to be of Scottish origin. In the 1841 Scottish Dictionary By John Jamieson, to have a 'Bee in your Bonnet', is to be harebrained & to be 'In the bees', is to be in a state of confusion. Best Thing Since Sliced Bread- The best invention, or greatest thing in a long, long time. Bread has always been a big part of everyone's diet & slicing a loaf of bread by hand, was a difficult task. A bread-slicing machine was invented by Otto Frederick Rohwedder of Davenport, Iowa, USA, building the prototype in 1912, but it was destroyed in a fire. It wasn't until 1928 that Otto had another machine up & running, that would cut one loaf at a time. This invention must have been a great blessing to all. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea- This term means that if you have two choices to make, or two ways of doing something, either way, the outcome will not be good. It is said that the 'Devil', is a seam in a sailing ship, which is close to the water level. One of the explanations from Wikipedia, is the following-When at sea and the devil had to be caulked, the sailor sat in a bosun's chair to do so. He was suspended between the devil and the sea, a very precarious position, especially when the ship was underway. If sailors fell from a footrope under a yardarm, they would either land on the deck (within the devil plank) or in the water (outside of the devil plank). Either option is likely fatal. Big Wig- A 'Big Wig' is someone considered to be important, or of high standing. This dates back to the 17th century, when men wore wigs. Aristocrats, Judges & Bishops, wore full length wigs, like those that High-court Judges still wear today. Birch Broom in a Fit- This usually refers to someone's hair being very untidy. A Birch Broom was used for sweeping, back in the early 1800's & is a coarse broom made of twigs from a birch-tree. A 'fit' dates back to early English, implying a sudden attack. Birch Broom is also London Cockney rhyming slang for a room, but has no relation to this saying. Bite Off More Than You Can Chew- Taking on, or doing more than you are capable of. This saying refers to chewing tobacco & is early American. Tobacco came in a solid block & was called a plug. The loose leaf tobacco had a binding sweetener added. According to Mark Twain, men would borrow tobacco & instead of cutting off a piece, they'd bite it off, trying to bite as much as they could fit into their mouth. The following is an excerpt from- "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", by Mark Twain 1884. Store tobacco is flat black plug, but these fellows mostly chaws the natural leaf twisted. When they borrow a chaw they don't generly cut it off with a knife, but set the plug in between their teeth, and gnaw with their teeth and tug at the plug with their hands till they get it in two; then sometimes the one that owns the tobacco looks mournful at it when it's handed back, and says, sarcastic: "Here, gimme back the chaw (chew) and you take the plug". Bite the Bullet- After putting off an unpleasant job or task, to 'Bite the Bullet' would be to just face that task & get on with it. Soldiers who had to undergo surgery before anesthesia was introduced in the mid 1800's, he would be given a bullet to bite on to distract him from the pain & to avoid himself biting off his own tongue. Bite the Dust- To be killed or wounded. Of Biblical origin- Psalms 72:9 (KJV 1611) They that dwell in the wildernesse shall bowe before him: and his enemies shall licke the dust. Black Book- To be in someone's Black Book, is to be out of favour with that person, or you are someone that they do not want to associate with. The Black book, being an actual book, that Henry V111 when trying to break away from Papal Authority compiled, to list the allegations of corruption within the Church. Also, Merchants etc., later listed their bad payers in their Black books. Black Hole of Calcutta- This saying would be used to describe an area or room etc., that was small dark & dungeon like. The Black Hole of Calcutta was a small dungeon in the old Fort William, Calcutta, India, where British prisoners of war were held after the capture of the fort on 20 June 1756. Black Sheep of the Family- A family member who is totally different in their attitude & ways, from the rest of the family, & often will not want to associate with other family members. Shepherds disliked Black Sheep, as their fleece could not be dyed therefore, it was worth less than the white fleece. Shepherds also thought that the Black Sheep was almost a curse on the flock. Blue Blood- Someone who has 'Blue Blood', is said to be of Royal, or Noble birth. European Royal nobility are described as having a more pronounced blue appearance of the veins under their fair skin. Almost all of the European Royal families have the RH Negative blood type, and mostly in the “O” blood group. The antigen found in European Royal families has a distribution of less than .1%. RH-blood can contain elevated Copper levels & this elevated Copper content allows for the pronounced blue appearance of the blood in the veins under the skin. The term Blue Blood (sangre azul, in Spanish) is assumed to have originated from Spain, but may not be the case. However, the Basque people of Spain and France have the highest concentration of RH- blood in the world. Blue Moon- If something happens 'Once in a Blue Moon, or Every Blue Moon, then that particular thing that is being spoken of, happens very rarely if ever at all. Seven times in every nineteen years there will be thirteen full moons in a year, instead of only twelve. In 1937, the Maine Farmer’s Almanac, mentioned that each full moon was marked in red & the odd extra moon marked in blue. This sounds good, but the term was in use long before the Almanac came to light. The first known recorded use of the phrase is in something by William Roy & Jeremy Barlowe, published in 1528 , where one person says to the other- “Yf they say the mone is blewe, We must believe that it is true.” It was then known that a Blue Moon was a preposterous notion & only a fool would believe such a thing to be true. The moon may appear to be blue after volcanic activity, as the dust particles from the ash, diffract red light, making the moon appear slightly blue and sometimes greenish. This occurred after the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, when the moon appeared blue for approximately two years in many regions. So where ever the origin came from, it is certainly true to it's modern meaning of being very rare or hardly ever. Blue Ribbon- The Best prize or highest distinction. The most highly sort after British order of Knighthood, is the blue ribbon of Garter. The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry in the U.K. and the third most prestigious honour, after the Victoria Cross and George Cross. Bolt From the Blue- Something unexpected or a complete surprise. Like a bolt of lightning out of a clear blue sky. Thomas Carlyle in his book 'The French Revolution', written in 1837, was the first known recorded use of the term- "Arrestment, sudden really as a bolt out of the Blue, has hit strange victims." Bone of Contention- A subject or issue, over which there is an ongoing disagreement or dispute. This old saying stems from, two dogs fighting over one bone. Boots 'n All- To Do something with all your heart and soul, to get stuck right into it, without holding back. Of unknown origin, but may have military background? Born on the Wrong Side of the Blanket- Meaning a baby born out of wedlock, or illegitimate. The term stems from the late 1800's. Brass Razoo- An Australian expression which is commonly used as in- "I haven't got a brass razoo", meaning the person is out of money. First recorded in soldiers' slang in World War I. It is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as "a non-existent coin of trivial value". Break the Ice- To break the ice means to be the first one to do something, generally on a social level, eg. Be the first one on the dance floor at a function. This expression is many hundreds of years old and refers to having to break the ice on the river, after being frozen over in a very cold winter, so that boats could travel to and fro again for trade. Bring Home the Bacon- To earn enough money to support your family, or bring home a prize. A popular sport was to try & catch a greased pig, if you won, you got to keep the pig as your prize. In the 1790 Bailey's Dictionary, bacon is said to be slang used in reference to a prize. Yet another version is, Bull in a China Shop- If you let a Bull lose in a china (plates) shop, then he'll make a huge mess & just shouldn't be in there, so this saying is referring to someone being out of place in a situation and dealing too roughly with a delicate problem. The phrase is believed to have come from a time when cattle were brought to market in London during the 17th century, where they would stray into nearby china shops and destroy items.. Burn the Midnight Oil- Staying up late, to finish off a project or the like. Before electric light, people who had to stay up after dark for any reason, would have to see be either candle light or an oil lamp. As oil was (& still is) expensive, to burn this oil for long periods, must have meant that whatever you were doing, was worth staying up for. Bury the Hatchet- Means to make peace, or call a truce after a disagreement. The American Indians would literally bury their hatchets, or tomahawks, in a time of peace. By and By- This pretty much means, after a while, or eventually (I'll get there by & by) Originally in the 14th Century, it was one by one, then evolved over the following two hundred years, to by & by. Appears in the King James translation of the Bible, as well as being used by Shakespeare & other authors. By and Large- The meaning of this phrase could be compared to saying- 'in general', 'everything considered', or 'on the whole'. This phrase has been used by Sailors for centuries. Sailors would refer to the wind blowing from behind the ship's headed direction, as 'large', when the largest sails can be raised. 'By' is said to be 'the way' or, 'into the wind', that's where the triangular sail come into it. The first recorded use of this term, is around the mid 17th century. By Hook or by Crook- What ever it takes, or what ever is necessary (I'll do it) This is the origin that 'Wikipedia' has- '"By hook or by crook" is an English phrase & is very old, first recorded in the Middle English text Controversial Tracts by John Wyclif in 1380. A commonly repeated suggestion is that it comes from the customs regulating which firewood local people could take from common land; they were allowed to take any branches that they could reach with a billhook or a shepherd's crook. The word crook comes from a shepherds crook, used to hook sheep, while hook may simply suggest a hook. By the By- Means, 'by the way', 'incidentally', or 'did you know?' You could use this when slightly going off of the topic of conversation, as in- (speaking of cars) "by the by, I have a new bike". This phrase is said to have originated around the 18th century, in reference to the word 'byway', meaning like a service road, or a road that runs off of the Main road. So by slightly going off topic, you would be in a sense, taking the service lane, but still travelling in a similar direction. By the Way- An American version of 'By the By', probably more commonly used today, than 'By the By'. See 'By the By' |