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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
P
Pass the Buck- To give a dirty job that you should have done, to someone else to do A gambling term, when in Poker, the Buck (marker) is placed in front of a player, reminding him that it is his turn to deal. Patience is a Virtue- The full saying is- Patience is a virtue, posses it if you can, seldom in a woman, but never in a man. This means that it is a great asset to you, to be patient in all thngs. To have Virtue is having high moral standards. A proverbial phrase referring to one of the Seven Heavenly Virtues typically said to date back to "Psychomachia," an epic poem written in the fifth century.The Psychomachia (Battle of spirits or soul war) by the Latin poet Prudentius, from the early fifth century AD. Patience is mentioned many times in the Bible, as being a Virtuous trait. Luke 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls: Heb. 6:12–15 Be followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises: James 1:2–4 Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire: Pay on the Nail- To pay something promptly or exactly on time. In Medieval times, deals could be closed by payment on the nails. Bronze nails, with their flat tops and raised edges which prevent coins from tumbling onto the pavement, were made as convenient tables at which merchants could carry out their business. Pay the Devil- The consequences that will come after you've done something wrong. This could either come from, doing a deal with the Devil, as Halliwell Suggests cir.1400- 'Beit wer be at tome for ay, Than her to serve the devil to pay'. or, the devil being a seam on a ship and the old French word for Pay, means caulk. People Who Live in Glass House- People Who Live in Glass House shouldn't throw stones, means that you should't criticize someone else, for the same faults that you have yourself. He that hath a body made of glass must not throw stones at another. ('A Collection of English Proverbs': By John Ray, 1678) It may trace back even further? Play Havoc- To play havoc with someone, is to cause them trouble, Havoc meaning, widespread destruction. Something could also play Havoc with you, eg. "That chilli I ate last night, is playing Havoc with me". (in other words, it's upsetting your stomach). Shakespeare mentioned Havoc, in 'A Mid Summer Night's Dream'- "By means of an enchanted love-juice, Oberon, seeking to gain his point with Titania, works havoc with the diverse loves of these four mortals. (1598) Poor as a Church Mouse- Means that the person is very poor. As nobody lives in a Church, there would not be any morsels of food for a little mouse to pick up. As hungry as a Church-mouse, is mentioned in 'A Collection of English Proverbs': by John Ray (1678) and ten years later in 1688, 'Poetical Recreations: consisting of original poems, songs', There is an entry of- Poor as a Church mouse! Oh I faint! I dye! Pot Calling the Kettle Black- This saying means that you're being hypocritical. If you do or say something wrong or have a problem and you accuse someone else of exactly the same thing, then it's the 'Pot calling the kettle Black'. Cast Iron pots and kettle would turn black over time, being over the direct flame, so one was equally as bad as the other. London Review, Volume 11 (1780)- These critics, therefore, remind us, not indeed of the pot calling the kettle black-arse, but, what is still worse, of the chimney-sweeper, who, by- running against every well-dressed person, endeavours to make them as dirty as himself. Pull the Other One (leg)- Pull the other one (the other leg), it's got bells on it. This means "As if you expect me to believe that?", "ÿou've got to be kidding?". I don't believe a word of it. Pulling Your Leg- If you say "I'm pulling your leg", it means that you're trying to trick them (in a fun way) with something that you've said, the jokes not real. There are many theories to the origin of this one and I'm going to add another two to the list. The following is from the London Medical Gazette:(1833) Mr. Keate mentioned to me a case in which the cause of a typhus fever was pointed out to his notice by his judiciously attending to his patient's crying out, in his delirium, " Holloa! what are you pulling my leg for?" — the pain of the inflammation raising this idea in his mind. It may have felt that way, but It wasn't real. 'The Homoeopathic Therapeutics of Rheumatism and Kindred Diseases' (1888)- Sensation as of being pulled by right leg.
Put in a Hole-
To make it hard, or difficult for someone, or being in financial trouble. Could be of American origin, from the 1892 book- 'Fools of Fortune' by John P. Quinn Put the Damper on it- To discourage someone from doing something, or to hinder the project. One of the pedals on the piano, is a damper and when it is lowered, the damper presses against the strings to stop them vibrating. Put Your Foot in it- To open your mouth and say something, which you weren't suppose to say. Eg. "Were you at the party last night?" (reply)- "No!" ,"Well have you seen Angie lately?" (reply)- "Yes, she was at the party last night". That person really put their foot in it, by telling a lie and then making himself out to be a liar by his second reply. In the Middle Ages, Bishops were not very well liked and so, if something were ruined, the saying was 'The Bishop has put his foot in the pot' Put Your Foot in Your Mouth- To say something which may cause offence to someone. Mentioned in- 'Journals, Volume 43' By Massachusetts (Colony) General Court. House of Representatives (1766), "The minister's remarks, made more with tongue in cheek than foot in mouth, were wryly ironical". |