“Close, But No Cigar”
“Burning the Midnight Oil”
“Jumping On the Bandwagon”
You would use this phrase to describe someone who is only doing something because everyone else is doing it. In the mid-1800s, circuses would go around town before setting up. Bandwagons would lead the parade and politicians rented them to talk to voters as they passed by. Back then, the phrase was “don’t jump on the opponent’s bandwagon,” meaning you shouldn’t go along with whatever is popular at the time.
“Get Off Your High Horse”
“As Mad as a Hatter”
“Take It With a Grain of Salt”
This phrase has one of the oldest origin stories on the list. Originally seen in 77 A.D., this phrase wasn't made popular until the 17th century. It was thought that a grain of salt would help with digestion and could also be an effective antidote for poison. Nowadays, the phrase means to avoid taking things literally or approach things with skepticism.
“Dressed to the Nines”
“Time to Face the Music”
“Carbon Copy”
Technology has made a lot of these phrases seem old fashioned. “Carbon copy” refers to a time before copier machines. Copies used to be made by sliding carbon paper between the original document and blank paper, which transferred the contents. Today, it means “exact copy.” Fun fact: the little “cc” in e-mails stands for “carbon copy.”
“Blackballed”
You’d recognize this phrase when it’s used to describe someone who got “blackballed” from Hollywood. It means there was a secret, unanimous vote to reject a particular person from the space. In 18th century social clubs, a committee voted on who could be a member. An anonymous vote using colored balls were used for ballots, so being “blackballed” meant you were completely rejected.
“At the Drop of a Hat”
“Pulling Out All the Stops”
“Straight From the Horse’s Mouth”
When someone says this phrase in today’s time, it means that you’re getting information from a reliable source. The original definition isn’t too far off, either. It comes from the early 1900s and describes the practice of examining a horse’s teeth to find out its general age and health. If someone trying to sell you a horse was lying about the quality, you could just look in its mouth and see for yourself.
“Put Your Best Foot Forward”
“In the Nick of Time”
In the 18th century, debtors would use sticks to keep track of how much money and interest was owed. They’d carve a new notch (or nick) on the stick every day for interest. If you paid your debt before a new nick was made, you didn’t have to pay the interest for that day. Today, it just means something was done right before it was too late.
“Bite the Bullet”
In the horrible days before anesthesia and pain killers, surgery was a lot more brutal. It was first recorded being used in the late 19th century and refers to soldiers biting down on bullets to stop from screaming out in pain while being operated on. For us, this phrase means to go through something necessary but unpleasant.
“Hold A Candle To”
“Fools Rush In”
We can thank Alexander Pope for this saying. In An Essay on Criticism in 1709, Pope said: “For Fools rush in where Angels fear to tread.” While Pope was only talking about literary critics, the phrase is still used today. Now, the line means that only idiots rush into something without giving it careful thought first.
“A Bird in the Hand is Worth Two in the Bush”
“Hair of the Dog That Bit You”
This is a popular term for a hangover cure and means that you should try drinking some of what you had last night to get rid of the sick feeling (which is a bad idea!). The original phrase is from medieval times and is actually about rabid dogs. The idea was that applying hair from the dog that bit you to the wound would make it heal quickly.
“Busy as a Bee”
“Apple of My Eye”
“A Stone’s Throw”
Here’s another phrase that kept the same meaning throughout the years. “A stone’s throw” refers to a short distance. It’s not a real measurement, but if you think about how far someone can throw a rock then you’ve got a good idea. It was first used in early versions of the bible from the 16th century.
“Bring Home the Bacon”
This phrase comes from a good, old Lord being a generous man. In 1104, a young couple from Great Dunmow, Essex impressed the leader of Little Dunmow with their love so much that he gave them some bacon. In today’s world, it refers to the primary moneymaker in a household as the person who “brings home the bacon,” or money.
“A Baker’s Dozen”
“The Old Ball and Chain”
“Barking Mad”
“Basket Case”
“Frog In Your Throat”
“Chow Down”
The origin story for this phrase is a little sad. It was first used by the U.S. military during WWII and was a distasteful slang term for food and came from the Chinese’s reputation for eating dog meat. A Chow is a Chinese breed of dog, so you can see where the term came from. Today, the phrase just means to eat up and enjoy your meal.
“A Man After My Own Heart”
Here’s another phrase with biblical origins. The King James Version Bible, in Samuel 13:14, states that the Lord “sought him a man after his own heart.” In other words, someone who feels and thinks like you, keeps the same opinions, and has similar morals. The meaning hasn’t changed much over the years.
“Fly Off the Handle”
Thomas C. Haliburton was an American writer who coined this phrase in the mid-1800s along with “won’t take no for an answer” and “ginger up.” This phrase comes from the way an ax head will literally fly off the handle if it’s loose and you swing too hard. Today, it means that someone has overreacted, usually in anger.
“Fly By the Seat of Your Pants”
This funny phrase means that you’ve decided to do something without thinking it through, having a good plan, or any useful tools to help you. It was inspired by Douglas Corrigan’s 1938 flight from the USA to Ireland. The aviation term was coined after Corrigan went the wrong way and had to make up his own plan to get home.
“It’s No Use Flogging a Dead Horse”
Luckily this one doesn’t come from animal cruelty traditions. It originated in the 17th century as a reference to a worker who had been paid in advance and spent the money before they even started on their work. It meant that it was useless to try and get that person to work for the money they already spent. Today, it means it’s no use to waste time on an effort that won’t have an outcome.
“Gee Whiz”
This phrase originally came out in the late 19th century as a term for “Jesus.” If you’re from the Southern United States, you grew up hearing that you shouldn’t take the Lord’s name in vain. Creative curses like “Gosh!” or “Golly!” came out as an effort to avoid just saying “God!” “Gee Whiz” is actually another one of those replacement curse words.
“Goody Two-Shoes”
This phrase comes from a Christianized retelling of the classic Cinderella story, called The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes. In the late 18th century story, a poor orphan only has one shoe and is given two shoes as a reward for her virtue by a rich man. For us in today’s world, a “goody-two-shoes” is someone who’s so nice and well-behaved that it’s annoying.
“Go Down Like A Lead Balloon”
“Green-Eyed Monster”
“Saved By the Bell”
No, this phrase didn’t come from the amazing ‘90s sitcom. It doesn’t even originally have anything to do with school. This saying came out of the late 19th century as boxing slang. It refers to a boxer who is in danger of losing the round but is “saved” from losing by the bell marking the end of a round.