Have you ever catch you look like your father when he used to say things like, "It's raining cats and dogs" or "He's mad as a hatter!"? Do not worry, these phrases have lasted hundreds of years because they are so strangely true to life ... regardless of the generation.
But when ... and more importantly, why did they come about?
This is the account in some of the most famous idioms there. Although we can not you prevent from turning into your father, we can at least explain why you begin to sound like him.
1. Sick as a dog
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Meaning: extremely ill
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origin ". dog " No writer who respects to the Internet would be slander dogs that way, but back in the 1700s, it was common to refer to something or someone that was as ugly as a So if you're sick as a dog, it means that you are very sick.
2. On hand
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Service :. Not under control
origin :. This sentence can refer to the days of horse travel, where if you let go of the reins, you might find yourself in the wrong direction ... where the horse wanted to go
3. overboard
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Meaning :. legitimate, honest and open
origin Although this is considered a legal term it actually comes to poker. Players must keep their hands above the table, otherwise it is possible for them to stack the deck.
4. Break the ice
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Meaning: say or do something to relieve tension, get talking at the beginning of a game, or when you meet people for the first time
origin :. Some say that this phrase was inspired by steam icebreaker ships the 1800s Once the ice is broken, a new path is open not only to the icebreaker, but the following ships the same path.
5. Armed to the teeth
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Meaning :. formidably armed
origin :. said that the warriors of medieval carried as weapons in the battle, they had to wear their teeth
6. Butter someone
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Meaning :. flatter or curry favor with someone else
origin it could be a simple metaphor describing sweetening up with someone compliments as spreading butter on bread, but it could also be explained by an ancient Indian practice of throwing statues butter balls to win the favor of the gods.
7. Break a leg
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Meaning :. wishing someone good luck
Origin: The true origin of this expression is a kind of disorder, but it is generally believed to have originated in the theater British in the 1920s for some reason, it was (and still is) considered bad luck to wish an artist "good luck", so "break a leg" does very well.
8. A sudden
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Meaning :. once
Original:? There is a line in "Macbeth" in which Macduff learns the news of the death of his wife and children and laments, "All my pretty Did you say all hell kite All O What all my pretty chickens and their mother at once? "It is strange that the" kite hell "has not taken on the spot ...
9. Mad as a hatter
Wikipedia
Meaning :. crazy
origin. You can not blame the mad hatter to be the way it is back to the 18th and 19th century England, mercury has been used in the production of felt so hatters would often succumb to mercury poisoning, which causes dementia. who knows what the problem is the March Hare, however.
10. Under the weather
Wikipedia
Meaning: slightly ill or low spirits
origin :. This is probably another maritime sentence. When a sailor felt a little seasick, he would sit under the bridge, literally under the conditions of the storm outside.
11. Bite the bullet
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Meaning: decide to do something difficult or unpleasant that it has been put off or hesitant to
origin: . is believed that Rudyard Kipling (author of "The Jungle Book") coined the phrase in his book "The Light That Failed . " it is believed that in the old days, doctors would bite you on a bullet to deal with extreme pain surgery, but there is little evidence that people actually used a ball instead of a piece of wood or leather.
12. Balls to the wall
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Meaning: maximum effort or commitment.
Origin: The levers of old planes had round tops on them, in order to push the throttle all the way gas against the wall meant you were going full speed!
13. Beating around the bush
Wikipedia
Meaning: to talk about something without mentioning it directly or avoid getting into the thick of it
origin :. When hunting, it is often customary to shake the leaves of plants to see if you can scare the animals out. First time hunters could focus on this aspect of the sport, but are too timid to actually pull the trigger.
14. Cat got your tongue
Wikipedia
Meaning: inexplicably calm
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origin It is believed that the sentence came from the cat with nine whip tails used for flogging in the British Navy. Flogging was so painful that the person receiving it would significantly calm for a while after.
15. Raining cats and dogs
Wikipedia
Meaning :. heavy rains
origin It is difficult to say with it. A popular chain email circulating in 1999 said that in the 16th century, people had thatched roofs and small animals would often crawl through them to earn a shelter against the rain. But this explanation has never been proven.
16. Between a rock and a hard place
Wikipedia
Meaning: in a situation where we are confronted. with two alternatives equally difficult
origin Perhaps the first example of the use of this term was Homer's "Odyssey", in which Odysseus must take decision navigate the Scylla sea monster or the whirlpool Charybdis.
17. Barking up the wrong tree
Wikipedia
Meaning: pursuit of an incorrect or erroneous line of thought or. Action
Origin: This is a reference to when hunting dogs believe they chased their prey up a tree when in reality it jumped to another
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18. Get up on the wrong side of the bed
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Meaning: to be in a bad mood for no apparent reason
origin: . ancient Romans inexplicbly dubbed the left side of the bed as the "wrong side", believing that it is bad luck.
As you can see, idioms are essentially the most popular memes of all time. Although, while "the wrong side of the bed" will probably be said for thousands of years from now, I doubt everyone will always sharing cry Michael Jordan in 2100, but who knows?
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