Okay, so it’s raining cats and dogs, but I think squirrels and cows is cuter. We keep using phrases, saying one thing and meaning another; I’m not sure why we do this. It’s raining cats and dogs pretty much cover: it’s raining a lot; so why the heck don’t we just say that? And you have no clue where some of these phrases are coming from, do you? Again, I’m here to help.
In the 17th or 18th century (a few weeks back), houses were thatch-roofed. When it rained, small animals, dogs and cats were cowering under the roof where it was warm and dry. But when it rained really hard, the animals came lose and suddenly it rained cats, dogs, rats, mice, bunny rabbits and cute hamsters named Fluffy… well, you get the idea. This is a charming rendition of the origin of this phrase; here’s a less charming one. Due to the open sewers running down the streets in those glorious days (!) dead cats, dogs and other animals floated through when the rain was heavy, hence the raining of cats and dogs. Now we can believe that if we wish or not, but at least now you’ll pull up that picture the next time you use this phrase.
Most phrases make immediate sense; a drop in a bucket, fish out of H2O, a red rag to a bull, etc. but some are a bit weird and gets weirder when we find out their assumed origin. Many phrases mean the same thing: a pig in a poke (poke meaning sack or bag), and for feline lovers: don’t buy the cat in the sack. So don’t purchase before you know what you are buying. Again, why can’t we just say that? I hear some of you going: It makes our language more colorful, and I can swing with that, but is that your only reason?
A shot in the arm originated around 1900 and actually refers to the stimuli from injecting drugs into your system. As cool as a cucumber was first used in some writing by John Gay in 1732. Staying cool (as I assume a cucumber does), calm and collected. Easy as pie; now really, is this related to eating the pie or making it? As cute as a bug’s ear; last I checked, bugs don’t have ears and if they did they would be utterly ugly. Happy as a clam; have you ever met a happy clam? They say that when the clam-shell is a bit open it looks like it’s smiling. NO confused people, it’s trying to scream as death is only moments away. Kick the bucket as in to die is from around 1785 and referred to somebody standing on a bucket in an attempt to hang themselves, by kicking it away. Yeah, I know a bit strong. Another explanation is that slaughter-houses used buckets to collect the blood… okay, you get the picture; nice images to recall when using this phrase. Knock on wood (or for the readers in England: touch wood). First acknowledge back in the 17th century and caused by mythology that trees have good spirits. One of the more used phrases and so far it has worked for me big time (knock on wood).
Of course there are the phrases and stuff we say that are really weird and I like them all. No room to swing a cat. Not often used, but meaning a rather confined space. It’s not Monty Python related as in swinging Sparky around by her tail, but related to the flail-like whip Cat-O’Nine-Tails some sailors back in 1665 got punished with. Hanky-Panky is from around 1841 and needs no further instruction. When pigs fly is my favorite, really. It means complete impossibility, but that doesn’t sound as cute as flying pigs, does it? Rule of thumb has a dark and twisted origin. An English judge (sorry Jane W.) back in 1782 allowed a man to beat his wife with a stick as long as it was not thicker than his thumb. Be calm gentle readers, I also found this to be a hoax, as the phrase is more of a measuring term for carpenters, etc. back in many years ago – darn it! Tastes like crap (or that other noun). My response to that: How do they know? To tie the knot is the pledge for unbreakable lasting unity (this is obviously dream-like thinking and also many years ago). The knot thing is from the bed supports as mattresses were yet to be invented, so the bed-supports were tied to the bed-frame, therefor tying the knot. Now tie up the NUT (referring to the other spouse) is for a future blog-post… When it’s rather cold try using this one: Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. Now don’t get all huffy, the balls in this case is reference to the balls of nose and ears – it’s a very old term. Nerd was first used in 1950 in Dr. Seuss’s book If I ran the Zoo. So we can’t blame Bill Gates, huh? (Bill was born in 1955).
And one could go on, but I’ll Peter Out (Peter used as a verb, meaning dwindle away…). It’s actually an old gold-miners term, but I’m still very much against it. I guess phrases such as the ones above and many more do make our language more colorful, for the most in a good way. And as life really is, more terms are added every day. I’m especially fond of WHAT?, WHATEVER and IT WASN’T ME. Maybe one day I’ll come up with something original that will spread – cha, it could happen.
See you next Monday – really.
PS. I was hiding this till way last: Paying through the nose. The Danish Vikings were not always charming and entertaining. When they found that people and kings they plundered refused to pay, they slit their noses, thereby the term Paying through the nose – bring that picture up next time you are hacking up too much for something.
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