1. The term "handle" has long been used as a synonym for one's name. To fly off the handle refers to someone who is behaving so erratically that he or she appears to be mad.
2. This purely American term, first published in the 1844 book "Sam Slick in England,"
refers to the dangerous and unpredictable event when the woodsmen is vigorously swinging an axe and the head comes flying off its handle.
3. The handle is an Irish term referring to the small cache of money that Irish wives carefully hid from their husbands. The original expression was "Fly off with the handle," referring to angry and frustrated women who fled from their domineering husbands with their meager savings.
4. The handle is a sailing term, referring to the small wooden device used to secure the jib if one was sailing downwind. If the handle flew off in a stiff breeze, the sail would flap mightily, ressembling an angry person wildly waving his arms.
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Dead as a Doornail
(two are correct; pick either one and you score)
1. The doornail referred to the last nail used to close the cover, or door, of a coffin.
2. The term doornail refers to the heavy stud against which the door knocker was struck. Any person who had been struck so many times with a heavy knocker would certainly be dead or at least severely disabled. (the term dumb as a doornail has also been recorded.)
3. Prior to their ready availability, nails were an expensive commodity and reused whenever possible. In making doors, nails were driven though the boards and then secured by hammering down the points. Since these nails could not be reused they were called "dead."
4. The original expression was "as dead as a nailed door," referring to the expression from the bubonic plagues of the middle ages, in which the doors of afflicted households were nailed shut in a futile attempt to contain the disease.
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To Knuckle Under (or down)
1. Early anthropologists noted that one could make the distinction between apes, who walked on their knuckles, i..e the knuckles were under, and monkeys, who walked with their palms flat. Therefore "knuckles under" came to be an expression for superior intelligence and hard work of the ape.
2. While nowadays knuckles refer to the hand joint, originally the term meant any joint, including the knees or spine. Therefore, one who was knuckled over or down, had his knees bent in a position of defeat.
3. The term refers to barehanded streetfighting, in which someone who was knuckled under was knocked out.
4. Knuckles were considered the poorest cut of meat. Therefore, someone who was knuckled under referred to someone who was working hard to escape poverty - the goal was to eventually live high on the hog.
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At sixes and sevens
1. An expression dating back to Chaucer's days in the 14th century, which referred to a dicing game in which it was considered foolhardy to bet on a six or seven.
2 The arabic numerals six and seven extend up and below the line, respectively. Thus sixes and sevens were considered a have a jumbled appearance.
3. Sixes and sevens refer to decibel levels. An argument at "sixes and sevens'" was thought to be loud and disorderly.
4. Chidren aged six and seven typically have conflicting emotions about authority vs. independence. The English phrase at "sixes and sevens" refers to this turbulent age period.
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Over a Barrel (at the mercy of another)
1. Slaves were often whipped by lying over a barrel
2. On shipboard poker games, wagers were often based on barrels of rum to be purchased when the ship reached port. Losers in the poker game were said to be "over the barrel."
3. Referred to those foolhardy souls who elected to try and go over Niagra falls in a barrel. Once they were secured inside the barrel and bobbing along the river, the adventurers were at the total mercy of the falls.
4. Before modern resuscitation techniques, near drowning victims were placed over a barrel to let their lungs drain out.
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Posh (classy and elegant)
1. Realtors have facetiously referred to the houses in the elegant Knightsbride section of London as POSH, standing for Pretentious, Ornate, Stylish and Huge.
2. Posh was an extremely elegant preparation of porridge, which was made with real cream and fresh honey, and a signature dish of the Savoy Hotel in London.
3. POSH referred to the most saught after berths on the boats traveling from London to Bombay. Port Over, Starboard Home, was preferred because the passenger would not be woken by the rising sun.
4. Posh is derived from the French word "pauche," describing a particularly fine vintage of grapes.
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Flotsam and Jetsam (discarded or useless items)
1. Flotsam and Jetsam were two characters in the Dicken's novel, the Pickwick Papers, who survived by collecting odds and ends from others' garbage.
2. Flotsam and jetsam are political terms referring to last minute amendments that were intended to favor the proposer's district only.
3. Flotsam and jetsam are both marine legal terms. Flotsam are goods that have been swept overboard and are found floating on the sea. Jetsam are good deliberately thrown overboard to lighten the load in an emergency.
4. Flotsam and jetsam is a football term, referring to those hopeful college players who are not drafted by the pros, but can be picked up during training camp.
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Turn a Blind Eye ( to ignore intentionally)
1. In the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, Admiral Horatio Nelson deliberately placed his telescope to his blind eye so that he could not see an order to retreat. A stunning victory ensued.
2. From the Bible, book of Matthew I:3
" And the lord sayeth to all that would judge,
Keep one eye blind to all failings and the other eye open to forgiveness."
3. From the Shakespeare play King Lear blinded by his daughter Regan's husband,
"I cannot turn this blind eye to my folly.
I know now that I must have more than I showest,
Speak less than thou knowest
And lend less than thou owest."
4. Turn a blind eye is another term for winking, a term used by English Bobbies, describing the practice of ignoring a crime and receiving a bribe in exchange.
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Long in the Tooth
1. An elephant's age can be determined by the length of his teeth, including his tusks. Although the expression has acquired a derogatory tone, as originally used, an elephant "long in the tooth" was considered prize game.
2. The gums tend to recede in the elderly such that the teeth look longer.
3. Long refers to a "longing" in the tooth, basically a tooth ache. Prior to the advent of proper dental hygiene, the elderly were commonly afflicted with severe toothaches.
4. The teeth, or gears, or a narrow gauge railway were longer than the wider gauge railways, which gradually replaced them in the 1850s. Therefore, those trains that were "long in the tooth," were considered outdated.
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To A Tee (i.e. to perfection)
1. A carpenter's term, to a T refers to the exact measures provided by a T square.
2. To a T was first recorded in 1607, and was an abbreviation for the expression "to a tittle." A tittle was the small dot over the "i", and thus to a T meant to the smallest level of precision.
3. There are various styles in calligraphy. The "T" style is one of great flourish with the capital T's, which often begin sentences with the word, "the," was particularly dramatic. A scribe who could write "to the T," was a master of his craft.
4. Early school grading systems did not rely on the common A,B and C grades, but instead used a (acceptable), s (superior) and t (top student).
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Face the Music
(Which of the following is incorrect – pick the incorrect one and you score)
1. During the French revolution, those about to be executed had to face the audience which typically included a small band.
2. From theatre jargon, this phrase referred to nervous actors who nonetheless had to take the stage and face both the audience and the orchestra pit in front of them.
3. Of military origin, this phrase referred to the training of cavalry horses to stand still as they faced the marching band on the parade grounds.
4. When a cavalry man was dishonorably discharged, he had to stand facing the band as he was drummed out of camp.
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From Pillar to Post (to go back and forth monotonously)
1. The limits of a Western stockade were the pillar at the front entrance, and the post at the opposite side where the American flag was flown. Exercise for those confined to the stockade consisted of walking back and forth from "pillar to post."
2. In weaving, the pillar is the outside of the wooden frame and the post the small wooden shuttle used to weave the threads from side to side. From pillar to post referred to the relentless monotony of weaving.
3. A riding term, from an old style riding academy in which the pillar was the center of the ring with the posts arranged around its circumference. Practice consisted of repetitively riding from pillar to post with perfect stature and command of the horse.
4. This expression is derived from the English game of court tennis, which dates back to the 13th century. Endless points consisted of the contestants volleying between the post, used to hold up the net, and the pillar used to support the gallery at the end of the court.
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As Queer as Dick's Hatband
1. This expression is derived from Oscar Wilde's play "The Importance of Being Earnest," referring to the extravagant hats of Richard, whose hatbands were decorated with buttons. At the time of the play, the reference to Wilde's homosexuality was not noticed. After his trial in 1904, this phrase was removed from the play.
2. In this phrase, "Dick" refers to Richard Cromwell, who succeeded his father Oliver Cromwell as the Lord Protector of England. The "hatband" refers to the crown. The "queer" refers to the fact that Richard was not a king, and therefore it was improper for him to be wearing a crown. In fact, Richard only "reigned" for a short period of time, from 1658-1659.
3. At the Henley racing regatta in England, oarsmen typically wear straw boaters with colored hatbands signifying their team to the officials. In a famous prank turned scandal in 1906, Richard Bertrand, an Oxford student, surreptitiously changed the hatbands on the hats of the Cambridge team to the colors of the Boers, with whom England was at war. The King and Queen, who attended the race, were outraged and the Cambridge team was disqualified. Richard Bertrand was briefly charged as a traitor.
4. Richard Willoughby, an Abraham Lincoln impersonator, gained brief notoriety in 1860 by repeatedly running through the streets of Boston dressed in nothing more than a stove top hat with a bright red hatband.
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Dog and Pony Show
1. Early anatomy students were required to provide their own cadavers to work on. If a human cadaver was not available, students brought whatever was available, often kidnapped pets or farm animals. The dog and pony show thus referred to an anatomy review without benefit of human cadavers.
2. At traveling Chataquas, separate educational programs were offered for children while their parent attended revival meetings. The programs often focused on care of farm animals.
3. In circus lingo, "dog and pony show" was a contemptuous term referring to a small circus with a limited number of indigenous animals.
4. One of the initial activities for young 4H club members was the training of farm animals. To receive their "farm hand" patch, children had to put on a Dog and Pony show with each animal performing a simple trick.
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Give Your Eye Tooth
1. The eyetooth refers to the canines (hence the "eye" for incisors). These teeth are deeply rooted and thus painful to extract. Therefore, one would not want to give up their eyeteeth lightly.
2. The eyetooth was the first babytooth lost, and in some American Indian tribes the custom was to fashion the tooth into an amulet worn by young girls. The amulet was given to the bride's father in law before the wedding. Thus the "eyetooth," like virginity, is considered something precious that should not be given away lightly.
3. The eyetooth is the last adult molar to grow in, and thus the appearance of the eyetooth was thought to convey emerging experience and wisdom. One would not want to give up these attributes for mere trivial matters.
4. First noted in the Rudyard Kipling story of Riki Tiki Tavi in which the mongoose is forced to decide whether to give up either his eyes and teeth, the physical attributes of a hunter, or thus his cunning and wisdom, the mental attributes of a hunter.
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At the Drop of a Hat
1. According to Mark Twain, Mississippi river raftsmen challenged each other to a fight by dropping their hat on the deck of the raft.
2. For magicians, the drop of the hat was the hidden compartment that housed rabbits. "At the drop of a hat" referred to the quick movement required to smoothly dislodge the rabbit.
3. The original Greek marathon foot races were typically started when the magistrate lowered his ceremonial plumed hat to the ground.
4. A variant of the shell game, the "Drop of the Hat" is a centuries old English con game in which a valuable item is hidden under one of three hats. The three hats are shuffled quickly in front of the spectator. If the spectator cannot identify the correct hat, the valuable item belongs to the con man.
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Hocus Pocus
1. Hocus Pocus was a 17th century magician who opened his act by saying, "Hocus Pocus Tontus Talontus."
2. James Hocus and John Pocus were rival magicians who each claimed that the other stole his magic tricks.
3. Hocus Pocus was a phrase first coined by the president James Buchanan, who used it referring to the shenanigans of the Senate who consistently filibustered his pet legislation.
4. Hocus Pocus is a magician's term derived from the Latin, Hocus Pocum, translated to a "little movement."
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High Muck de Muck
1. The Chinese phrase "muki ti maki", translated as the man with big hair, referring to the top knot worn by village leaders.
2. From the Eskimo phrase mukluk, referring to a wealthy seal hunter who wore a thigh tall pair of boots to hunt the narwhal.
3. This Chinook Indian phrase is translated to "plenty to eat."
4. Indians coined this phrase to describe petty colonial Englishmen, translated to "big red nose in the air."
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Get Your Goat
1. Goats were used to guard chicken yards. Chicken thieves would often first eliminate the goat.
2. The symbol of the democratic party used to be the goat instead of the donkey. "Get your goat" referred to an early Republican campaign to unseat Democrats.
3. Goat refers to goatees, which were commonly worn by English judges. "Getting your goat" referred to a corrupt judge.
4. Goats were commonly put in the stalls of racehorses to calm them. If someone wanted to agitate the horse, he could sneak up and get the goat out of the barn.
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True Blue
1. At the time of her diamond jubilee in 1899, Queen Victoria designated a particular shade of royal blue as "true blue" to signify her loyalty to the kingdom.
2. Before the advent of shipboard clocks used to determine longitude, sailors used instruments that required precise measurement of the horizon. This measurement was considered most accurate on clear sunny "true blue" days.
3. True blue refers to an aristocratic English accent that identified upper class blue blooded Englishmen.
4. The blue thread that was made in Coventry England in the Middle Ages was highly regarded since the blue color remained "true" and did not run.
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Swan Song
1. The interminable opera, Il Tutti Sans Cosi, composed by Bizet and first performed in 1738, mercifully ended as the character of the swan sang a song extolling the virtues of the wind and water.
2. The famous English tenor, Edward Swann, sang as part of the lavish wedding ceremony of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. He was so honored and moved by the occasion that he never sang again.
3. Queen Victoria was fond of the swans in the reflecting pool at Windsor Castle. In her declining days she asked the court composer to create a lieder to her beloved songs. The Queen passed away shortly after the song was performed for the first time.
4. According to ancient legend, the common or mute swan, only sang once – as it was dying. This swan song was thought to be hauntingly beautiful.
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Let the Cat out of the Bag
1. An old, and presumably unsuccessful sales trick, was to bring a cat to the market in a bag and claim that is was a suckling pig for sale. To let the cat out of the bag, then, was to reveal the con.
2. The "cat" in this phrase refers to the cat-o-nine tails used to flog sailors at the slightest offense; the cat was kept in a bag in the quarter master's cabin. Once the "cat" was out of the bag, the sailor's punishment was imminent.
3. In this Irish phrase a "cat" refers to a highly paid mistress, and her "bag" was her discrete apartment. To let the "cat out of the bag" referred to those instances when the gentleman felt comfortable accompanying his mistress in public.
4. Cat fighting is a local custom in Hong Kong. Participants bring their trained cats to the fights in a bag, thus highly agitating the confined cats. The furious fight would begin when the owners let their cats out of the bag.
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Sitting in the Catbird Seat
1. This phrase was popularized by Red Barber, the colorful baseball announcer for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and described the advantageous position of the batter whose count was three balls and no strikes.
2. In poker, the catbird seat is the last player to have to bet in a round, thus offering the advantage of seeing the maximum number of cards before having to bet.
3. In whaling ships the catbird seat referred to a position on the sprit where intrepid sailors were perched to catch the first site of pods of whales. The term "catbird was based on the fact that frequently birds perched on this site and one had to be agile as a cat to reach it.
4. Sitting in the catbird seat refers to cowbirds who typically lay their eggs in a catbird's nest, thus having the advantage of both not needing to build a nest, and not needing to raise their hatchlings.
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Living High on the Hog
1. Prior to the great London fire of 1620, Hog's Head Hill was considered a fashionable place to live. Living high on the Hog referred to the most prestigious buildings at the top of the hill with the finest views.
2. In Colonial Hong Kong, the "hog" referred to a squat bellied hookah favored by military personnel that permitted multiple people to simultaneously smoke opium.
3. In motorcycle jargon "hog" refers to a large, powerful motorcycle. Living high on the hog refers to the supposedly carefree life of the biker chick who rode high on the seat behind their boyfriend.
4. Living high on the hog is a hobo term; the "hog" referred to the locomotive.
5. The "high" parts of the hog, i.e. the ham, loin and shoulder, are considered more delectable than the "low" parts, i.e. the knuckles and pig's feet. Therefore, those living high on the hog were thought to dine in luxury.
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Pie in the Sky
1. The phrase refers to Einstein's attempt to calculate the exact value of pi (i.e. the relationship between a circle's radius and its area) based in part on the formula used to calculate the distance between the earth and sun. His ambitious attempt was ultimately a failure, but his formula became known as the "Pie in the Sky."
2. Based on an original union song from WWI that satirized churchmen who promised salvation without addressing the immediate need for a living wage.
In part the lyrics are:
"…Work and pray, live on hay
You'll get pie in the sky when you die (That's a lie!)"
3. At county fairs, the bell at the top of the pole was called the "pie." Only a few farmhands were strong enough to ring the "pie in the sky."
4. This is a 1920s Air Force term referring to the Python fighter plane, also called the "Py." Successfully piloting the Py was required for graduation from the academy. Therefore, the longterm goal of plebes first arriving at the training academy was to get the "Py in the sky."
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To Cut a Dido
(to perform a prank, trick or con someone) (two are correct, pick either one and you win)
1. Based on the story of Dido, the legendary queen of Carthage and heroine in Virgil's Latin epic, Aeneid. The cunning Dido told the natives of Africa that she would occupy only that land that could be covered by the hide of a bull. She then cut the hide into a continuous hair-line thread that enclosed area that became the city of Carthage.
2. This nautical expression, first recorded in the early 19th century, was based on the sailing prowess of the HMS Dido, who was able to perform adroit and imaginative sailing moves, such that few ships could overtake her.
3. In the narcotics underworld, a dido is another term for the dime bags of heroin that are sold in the street. To cut a dido is to further dilute the heroin with cornstarch.
4. This is a piece of Hollywood jargon, referring to the temperamental star of the early talkies, Diana Domingo, also known as Dido. In the movie Death Becomes a Ghost, Charlie Chaplin, the director, was cleverly able to maintain her screen time (as dictated by her contract) but simultaneously cut her lines by turning her into a corpse.
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Cloud Nine
1. Based on the mythological belief that Zeus' mountain was surrounded by the nine "mood" clouds. For example, the first cloud represented sorrow, the second, fear. The ninth cloud represented ecstasy.
2. From the Cole Porter song, "I Me Mine," whose lyrics included:
"I'm in love, and she's all mine
I'm in heaven, my address is Cloud Nine."
In the 1960s, the Beatles also titled one of their songs I Me Mine.
3. Meteorologists classify clouds according to their height. Number high is the highest cloud, a cumulonimbus. The idiom is somewhat perplexing. If you are on cloud nine, you are very high indeed, but on the other hand a cumulonimbus cloud is usually a storm cloud.
4. Nine has been a mystical number for centuries, probably because three represents the trinity, and nine is a trinity of trinities. The cloud represents a high mood.
(Two are correct, pick either one and you win)
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Feeling Your Oats
1. A randy expression from Cambridge college, referring to college students who were enjoying the pleasures of female company. First recorded in 1876, OATS is an acronym standing for Over At Throckton Street, a street where one could easily find prostitutes.
2. Oats are considered a high energy food for horses and are the typical pre race feed for thoroughbreds. It was hoped that a horse who was "feeling his oats," had additional pep in his step.
3. The original advertising slogan of Quaker Oats was:
"Quaker Oats will make you strong, there's no doubt
You'll feel our oats working from the inside out."
4. Cowboys used to carry a small bag of oats which, when not used to feed the horse, was used to create a comfortable wedge between the horn of the saddle and the rider's genitalia. "Feeling your oats" then evolved to campfire expression for masturbation.
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The Real McCoy
1. During the 1900s home made elixirs were sold throughout the West with extravagant health claims. The Real McCoy was an herbal prepartion that tried to cut through the hype by claiming that is was "Real Deal, Real Heal McCoy."
2. Based on a famous Irish murder case, in which one Angus McCoy, convicted of killing his wife, insisted that his identical twin brother, Seamus McCoy was the murderer. His brother claimed the opposite. The Irish newspapers publicized the case with the headline, "Who is the real McCoy?" The case was never solved.
3. "Kid McCoy" was a famous welterweight champion, who sandbagged unsuspecting opponents in bar fights by appearing to be entirely drunk and incapable of fighting. His opponents unfortunately found out the ruse too late when the "Real McCoy" promptly flattened them and collected the money. In Scotland, the expression is the "Real McKay."
4. Frederick McCoy was the secretary of the treasury in 1858 when the economy was threatened by a rash of counterfeit $5 bills. The frauds could be distinguished from legitimate money be examining the signature of McCoy on the bills; the counterfeit bills were signed by a Fredereck (with an e) McCoy.
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Mad as a Hatter
1. Hat makers frequently used mercury in the felting process of wool. Mercury is a toxic substance to the nervous system, and thus with long term exposures hat makers developed tremors followed by psychosis.
2. From Lewis Carroll's tale of "Alice in Wonderland," in which the title character meets both the "Mad Hatter," and "Mad March Hare," both of whom have become mad by staring into the sun too long as part of a bet to see who could count the suns' rays.
3. The Hatters were a famous wealthy aristocratic English family of the 1700's who were afflicted a genetic disease now known to be Tourette's syndrome. When speaking in the House of Lords, Nicholas Hatter was known to lace his otherwise eloquent speech with expletives and facial tics.
4. From the Charles Dickens' book, the Pickwick Papers, in which the shop owners, Charles and Mabel Hatter, developed their own mumbling language which was totally incomprehensible to shop patrons.
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Feet of Clay
(i.e. one's point of vulnerability)
1. An ancient Saxon tale, whose similarities to the legend of Achilles suggest a common origin. The supreme god Aten created his son in his own image out of clay, then gave him life by dipping him into the sacred Lake Oslard. However, feet were a source of vulnerability, still made of clay where his father had held him over the water.
2. A Biblical metaphor from the Book of Daniel, in which King Nebuchanezzer had dreamed of a mighty statue of gold, silver and bronze, although the feet were made of clay. A great sonte "smote the image on his feet," so that the entire statue came crashing down.
3. From a translation of Leonardo Da Vinci's writing where he laments that his ability to sculpt feet and hands are inferior. Leonardo spent countless hours practicing by sculpting his own feet of clay. On such pair of Leonardo's feet can be found in the Uffizzi gallery.
4. Based on a WWI army phrase, "feet of clay," referred to a variant of trench foot, characterized by a wet, gray appearance of the feet. Foot infections were considered a particular vulnerability of the infantry; more soldiers succumbed to trench foot than to artillery fire.
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Rain Cats and Dogs
Which one of the following has NOT been suggested as a derivation of this expression?
1. Thatched roofs were a warm and cozy place for outdoor pets. A violent storm would send the dogs and cats tumbling from the roof.
2. Several centuries ago before cities developed effective sewer systems, waste, including animal carcasses, were routinely thrown into the street where they collected in a central gutter in the street. Only a very vigorous rainstorm was able to dislodge the animal carcasses, including cats and dogs, and send the floating along their way.
3. The origin is not certain, but thought to be derived from the ancient mythologic belief that a cat influenced the weather while a dog was the symbol of the wind.
4. The expression is based on the well recorded phenomenon of animals falling from the sky due to a waterspout or tornado. These violent updrafts suck up animals or other debris and send them upward into storm cells where they freeze, ultimately falling back to earth. It is not known why cats and dogs, as opposed to other animals, were used in this idiom; frogs appear to the most commonly noted animal. However, in 1997 a Korean fisherman was knocked unconscious by a falling squid, and a falling cow sunk a Japanese fishing boat in 1990.
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Red Herring
1. A herring, turned red by smoking, gives off a strong odor, which was used to train dogs to follow a scent. In England, those opposed to fox hunting would drag a red herring across the ground to create a false scent.
2. In 1765 the herring population crashed in the North Seas, leading to a severe shortage of this favorite English food. The dark meat of chicken was then smoked, heavily seasoned and then sold as "Red Herring," a herring substitute that fooled no one.
3. Among Scottish fishermen, a red marker was commonly put at the site of productive herring fishing. False markers were often placed to deceive competing fishing boats.
4. According to a Norse tale, the largest herring in the school of herring was reddish in color. If the red herring was caught, as the tale was told, the rest of the school would follow into the nets with no effort by the fishermen. Therefore, someone who chased the "red herring" was thought to be on a wild goose chase.
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Caught Red Handed
1. A derogatory term from the American West, referring to the widely held belief that American Indians were inveterate pick pockets.
2. The expression appeared in print as early as 1800; the analogy is to a murderer caught so soon after the crime that his hands are still covered with blood.
3. The phrase was originally a banking term, referring to blatantly incorrect accounting practices that attempted to conceal that a company was "in the red."
4. In the diamond mines of South Africa, the "redd" was the large container where raw diamonds were collected prior to further refining. Slave laborers would attempt to filch small quantities of diamonds by putting their hand in the redd. If caught, they would be dealt with most severely.
5. Betel nuts, popular in India, produce a red stain on everything they touch. Those attempting to steal betel nuts from roadside markets could be easily detected by examining the hands.
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Handwriting on the Wall
1. From the fifth
chapter of the Book of Daniel, which described the scandalous
activities at the great feast held by the King of Babylon. "In the same hour came forth finger's of
a man's hand and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the
wall." Daniel interprets the
message and tells the King that God has numbered the days of his kingdom.
2. From the Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes' story, "The
Speckled Band," in which the incriminating clue was discovered handwritten
on the parlor wall behind the tapestry.
3. In Pompeii, a
prediction of ruin was discovered hand etched into the
shrine wall facing Mt. Etna.
4. Renaissance
artists routinely declined to sign any of the frescoes painted on church walls
or ceilings, believing that handwriting on the wall detracted from the glory of
God and would soon incur his wrath.
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The Life of Riley
1. From the early TV
show the Life of Riley, in which the main character played by William Bendix spent most of the show napping in a hammock.
2. Based on a song of
the 1880s, in which vaudevillian Pat Rooney would
sing of an O'Reilly who had struck it rich and then describe what he did with
his riches, such as, "on the railroad you would pay no fare," or
"He'd sleep in the president's chair."
3. From the French
word, "ralais," meaning sloth. While a sloth has also come to symbolize
laziness and torpitude, this idiom celebrates the
sloth's easy life of essentially doing nothing and then resting afterwards.
4. "Riley's
Quick Elixir" was a popular home remedy in the American West of the early
1900s. The manufacturer, Reggie Riley,
promoted his product by saying that its users, like him, could live past 100
years old.
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Jerkwater Town ( rural town of no
significance)
1. A colonial Indian term, Jerkwater referred to a town that had no ready water
supply of its own, and thus, by necessity, these towns had limited growth
potential. The term "jerk" is
derived from the Hindu word jharkerk, referring to
the leather bag the locals used to transport water from one location to the
next.
2. Silas Jerkwater
was in charge of the US Postal Service when it established the Pony
Express. Jerkwater was widely criticized
for planning the route north of the Platte river, thus
bypassing some of the growing cities to the south. With the absence of a ready mail supply,
these towns lost their prominence and became derisively known as
"jerkwater towns."
3. Jerkwater is an
Army Corps of Engineers term describing the fluctuating water level of the
small tributaries of the Mississippi. As
the Mississippi was dredged throughout the early part of the 1900s to enhance
its value as a shipping lane, towns along the tributaries were increasingly
subject to devastating floods, and thus slowly were abandoned.
4. During the days of
steam railroads, the locomotives had to stop periodically to replenish their
water supplies. Often these stops
coincided with prominent railway stations. Alternatively, the train could resupply by passing through the town at
full speed and lowering a scoop in a trough positioned between the rails, and
"jerking" up the water. Those
towns that were not significant enough to warrant a railway station became
known as "jerkwater" towns.
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Murphy's Law (if anything can go wrong, it will)
1. An army term, derived from the fictitious character of Murphy who appeared in a series of army training films. Murphy was portrayed as an all thumbs mechanic who routinely put a propeller on backwards or forgot to tighten a bolt.
2. Cornelius Murphy was a running back for the Army team of 1924 who inexplicably returned a punt in the wrong direction, thus turning an easy victory into a shocking loss.
3. An early model of an intercontinental ballistic missile was called the MIRV, and nicknamed a "Murphy." The constant breakdowns of this prototype was a source of exasperation for Army officials. In one episode, the MIRV flew in a large circle, crashing and narrowly missing its original launch site.
4. A "Murphy" is a newspaper term referring to an embarrassing typo, named after the legendary copy editor of the New York Times, Chuck Murphy. "Murphy's Law "referred to the impossibility of correcting all typos prior to press time.
5. Murphy was a hapless Irish inventor, whose inventions inevitably ended in failure. An early version of the Murphy bed was found to be lethal, as rhythmic rocking of the bed caused it to snap back into the wall with its occupants in tow.
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Mox Nix (an expression of indifference)
1. An army expression, from the German "Machts nichts" meaning it makes no difference.
2. A poker term, describing feigned indifference to a hand in order to disguise a winning hand.
3. A mob term referring to a soldier who had lost his nerve, or had lost his moxie.
4. From the Latin phrase, translated to mean "there is no worry." When informed of the consequences of crossing the Rubicon with his army intact, Caesar shrugged and said "mox nix."
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Not to know from Adam (wholly unable to recognize a person)
1. In the 1870s the "Adams" were a society of militant Irish patriots, who were sworn to the utmost secrecy such that most members did not know the identify of other members.
2. In the military, "Adam" is a commonly used password. Thus persons barred access to military bases are often told, "I don't know you from Adam."
3. At Oscar Wilde's obscenity trial, he was faced with dozens of so called "rent boys," referring to young male prostitutes, all claiming to have known him. He facetiously claimed that as far as he was concerned all were named Adam and he could not tell one from another.
4. Presumably derived from the fact that one could identify Adam and Eve by their lack of a navel. Many artists, including Michelangelo, were criticized since they painted Adam and Eve with navels.
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To Hold Water (to be sound)
1. An early sailing term, from which the term the "hold" of a ship is derived. A ship was said to be sound and seaworthy if the hull could hold water.
2. An army term, referring to the depth that could be safely reached by a submarine. A sub that could hold good water was considered particularly sound.
3. In this phrase, water refers to liquor. Anybody who could hold their water could consume great quantities of liquor without appearing drunk.
4. High quality tea from Ceylon was highly valued for its intense flavor. Thus a small amount of tea could be used for large quantities of water; the tea cold "hold water."
5. This phrase dates back to the early seventeenth century when it referred to a clay pot that did not leak.
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Paddle your own canoe (to be independent)
1. When Lewis and Clark were recruiting men for their Discovery Corps, one of the requirements was independence and the ability to paddle one's own canoe.
2. From an 1854 song by Dr. Edward Philpots:
Voyager upon life's sea:
To yourself be true,
And whatever your lot may be
Paddle your own canoe.
3. An Mandan Indian phrase, referring to young Indian men who did not yet have a wife and family, thus they paddled solo along the Mississippi.
4. From the Polynesian custom, in which a young man was not allowed to leave home and build his own hut unless he could successfully launch a canoe through the surf.
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At the Drop of a Hat
1. According to Mark Twain, Mississippi river raftsmen challenged each other to a fight by dropping their hat on the deck of the raft.
2. For magicians, the drop of the hat was the hidden compartment that housed rabbits. "At the drop of a hat" referred to the quick movement required to smoothly dislodge the rabbit.
3. The original Greek marathon foot races were typically started when the magistrate lowered his ceremonial plumed hat to the ground.
4. A variant of the shell game, the "Drop of the Hat" is a centuries old English con game in which a valuable item is hidden under one of three hats. The three hats are shuffled quickly in front of the spectator. If the spectator cannot identify the correct hat, the valuable item belongs to the con man.
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Dog Days of Summer
1. Early minor league baseball often featured a pregame show consisting of dogs serving as base runners. The players would lure the dogs to the bases using various treats supplied by the fans.
2. Dog days refer to those hot days in July and August when dogs appear to be lazier than usual.
3. Sirius, the "Dog Star," is the brightest star in the heavens, which in ancient Roman times was visible in early July. The uncomfortably hot days in July were attributed to the combined heat of Sirius and the sun.
4. The Dog Days of summer refer to the several weekends a year during the summer when the popular New York City Mayor, Fiorella La Guardia would serve free hot dogs at neighborhood festivals.
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Can of Corn
1. The expression is derived from a billboard that for years was situated behind the right field wall in Ebbet's baseball field. The billboard advertised "King Kong Corn, Catch Yourself a Can Today."
2. In old fashioned grocery stores, shopkeepers often reached cans on the top shelf with a broom handle, dislodging them and then catching the can in their outstretched apron. From this, the term "can of corn" evolved to mean an easy fly ball.
3. This expression originated by those sitting in the right field bleacher behind the baseball outfielder Ty Cobb. As a fly ball approached, the fans would shout "Its Corn for the Cobb." The phrase later evolved to a can of corn when Ty Cobb endorsed a line of canned corn sold by his brother Paul called Cobbs Cans of Corn.
4. The expression is derived from an early St. Louis Brown's outfield named Canton Korn, who would delight fans with his acrobatic catches in the outfield.
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Happy as a clam:
1. This expression is derived from the Nisquali Indians of the Pacific Northwest who first harvested the large geoduck clams. The Nisquali believed that the neck of the clam was an aphrodisiac, based on the extravagant mating habits of the clam. Geoduck clams were commonly served as part of the wedding night feast for Nisquali men.
2. The complete expression, "happy as a clam at high tide," referred to the fact that clams were safe from harvest in deep water.
3. The complete expression, "happy as a clam on vacation," was based on the observation that clams appear to live a life of relentless leisure and spare time.
4. The edges of the Cherrystone clam are typically upturned such that it appears that the clam is constantly grinning.
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... or your name is mud!!!
1. John Wilkes Booth broke his leg as he escaped from the Ford theatre after assassinating President Lincoln. The physician who set his leg was subsequently imprisoned for life for aiding and abetting a crime. His name was Dr. Mudd.
2. In ancient Rome traveling tribunals would visit small towns to mediate disputes and mete out punishment. At the end of the hearing, the tribunal chief would write the name of the perpetrator in the sand or mud for all to see. The expression, "Hic nomen in terrescum est," (his name is in the mud) has now evolved to "his name IS mud."
3. The African missionary/doctor David Livingston was running dangerously low on food and ammunition when he sent his assistant, Arthur Mudd out to meet the American explorer Henry Stanley for resupplies. The assistant foolishly got lost, leading to a delay in the meeting for three agonizing weeks. After Stanley uttered the historic words, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume," David Livingstone turned to his assistant and said with a sneer, "And his name is Mudd."
4. This expression dates from the famous 1928 football game between the Army and the Navy. Joe Turner, a Navy receiver, bobbled the ball in the end zone as he slipped through the mud. The Navy radio broadcaster was unable to identify the clumsy player since the numbers on his jersey were smeared with mud. Distraught that the game was lost, the broadcaster yelled, "I don't care who that player is, from now on his name is MUD."
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Let the Chips Fall Where They May
1. A betting term referring to the placement of the chips in a roulette game. Once the wheel was spun, the chips could not be moved.
2. A golfing term from the Scottish links courses, which meant good luck. The expression referred to the challenges of playing the short game in the gusty winds of the seaside courses.
3. This idiom was first recorded in the 1880s and referred to the woodsman who needed to concentrate on doing a good job rather than focusing on the individual wood chips.
4. This expression, similar in meaning to "don't cry over spilt milk" referred to a broken dish or pot - such shattered pieces could not be reassembled and thus could be left where they fell.
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Pull the Wool Over Your Eyes
1. A shepherd's trick to make his flock of sheep docile so that they could be led anywhere - the wool was allowed to grow over the eyes of the sheep so that when sheered they would stand quietly.
2. A common scam of dry goods merchants to shortchange their customers on the wool yardage they requested, the cutter would distract the customer by asking her to pick up a pin he had purposely dropped on the floor.
3. This term refers to the practice of British judges of wearing ceremonial wigs made of wool. If a clever lawyer was able to convince a judge to acquit a guilty client, it was said that he "pulled the wool over the judge's eyes."*
4. In mob parlance, "pulling the wool over your eyes," referred to the recommendation that hit men wear woolen caps pulled over their eyes to conceal their identity.
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Gone to Pot
1. The expression refers to aged farm animals that were worth more as stew meat in the pot than working animals.
2. Refers to a gambling addict whose money evaporates into poker pots.
3. Traced back to the 1880's when use of laudanum was fashionable. The pot referred to the small containers of the drug.
4. Derived from the expression, "the pot calling the kettle black," referring to those who indulge in petty recriminations.
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Not a Chinaman's Chance
1. Refers to the early elections in San Francisco, where Chinese immigrants were routinely discriminated against at the polls.
2. Referring to the immense popularity of lotteries in 1920 China, where the pot was rarely rewarded due to corruption.
3. The Gold Rush brought many Chinese immigrants to California. They rarely struck it rich, since their mining claim sites were stolen, particularly if there was any sign of gold.
4. Referring to the virtual impossibility of a Chinese man marrying a Korean women, due to longstanding distrust between the two cultures.
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Mind Your P's and Q's
1. Expression used in English history, exhorting schoolchildren to remember the names of prime ministers and queens.
2. An English expression used by schoolmarms to keep the students in line, i.e. mind your place in the queue.
3. In Latin, the letter Qu was considered equivalent to the Greek letter P. For example, Quo (in Latin) means where, similar to the Greek word for where, pou. In Victorian England students often studied Greek and Latin simultaneously, thus they had to mind their P's and Q's to avoid intermingling the two languages.
4. American Colonial schoolgirls were often told to mind their P's and Q's as they were fashioning their cross stitch samplers. Since the P and the Q typically started different lines, meticulous care was required to avoid a lopsided piece.
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Steal Your Thunder
1. Zeus' rival Ios stole the thunderbolt from Zeus's quiver, leaving him only his lightening bolts, thus diminishing the impact of this legendary weapon.
2. In 1709, a play by John Dennis bombed in London, with the exception of the notoriety achieved by his thundermaking machine. When Dennis saw that his novel special effect had been appropriated by a new production of MacBeth he exclaimed "They stole my thunder."
3. Derived from a hunting expression first recorded in 1657. The "thunder" was a colloquialism describing the noisy blunderbuss firearms used for quail hunting. One's thunder was considered stolen if a hunting partner shot the quail that the other had painstakingly flushed.
4. In English cricket the thunder is the third ball thrown by the bowler. "Steal the thunder" referred to a timely hit by the batter.
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O.K.
1. Oliver Knight was an early importer of coffee in colonial American. He sold his coffee with the slogan, "Our coffee is O.K." After the Boston Tea Party, he was pleased to find that his slogan had become a patriotic expression.
2. Andrew Jackson, widely thought to be illiterate, was said to indicate his approval on state papers by righting O.K. standing for "Orl Kerrect."
3. This expression is derived from the French words "aux Cayes," a port in Haiti renowned for its excellent rum by visiting sailors. In the hands of sailors, the phrase evolved to "O.K," indicating approval.
4. Based on the army phrase O.K., standing for "Only K Rations." A unite that was O.K. was thought to be adequately, but not plentifully supplied, and in no imminent danger of food shortage.
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Come on Like Gangbusters
1. The phrase is derived from the opening of a 1930s radio show that featured a loud fanfare of trumpets and gun shots.
2. Refers to the original name of the FBI squad "The Untouchables," which was designed as a quick strike force to eliminate gangs and organized crime within 12 months. The unit was renamed when t became apparent that elimination of organized labor was a long laborious process.
3. The original name was "gangbluster'" referring to the vitriolic taunts exchanged between rival Catholic and Protestant gangs I 1925 Ireland.
4. Refers to the name of an army expedition force, "Operation Gangbuster," that was formed to rout out Pancho Villa in 1902.
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By the Skin of Your Teeth
1. From the Bible, Job 19:20, "My bone cleaneth to my skin and my flesh and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth."
2. From the Shakespeare play Othello, in which Iago says to Desdemona, "I shall but love you for all eternity beyond when the weary hand of time both rob you of spirit and leave me only with a hint, the skin of your fair and glistening teeth."
3. From an American Indian betting game involving rolling a collection of teeth collected from game animals. At stake was the animal's skin. Some Indians attempted to eke out a living this way, but it was said to be a marginal life, "living by the skin and the teeth."
4. From a Celtic punishment in which an acidic solution was poured over the teeth of liars and mendicants, leaving the teeth blackened so that all could see. Those who escaped this punishment were said to be saved by the skin of their teeth.
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Jump on the Bandwagon
1. The bandwagon was the first circus wagon to come into town and encouraged townsfolk to follow along to help set up the big top.
2. Refers to a celebratory parade of Mormons going to the river to be baptized. Last minute converts were encouraged to jump on the wagon to join in the baptism.
3. The phrase was originally recorded as "Don't Jump on the Bandwagon," referring to a tragic July 4th accident in Utica, New York, when dozens of children clambered aboard a July 4th bandwagon. The unstable wagon toppled over, crushing 6 children to death.
4. The expression is derived from the bandwagons that paraded through small towns in 1914 to encourage the purchase of war bonds.
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Beyond the Pale
1. The "pale" is a sailor's term referring to the first hint of sunrise on the horizon. "Beyond the pale" referred to the unknown and mysterious waters as the early English traders sailed east in the pirate infested waters between Cape of Good Hope and India.
2. The phrase is derived from the Latin word "palus," meaning stake, thus "pale" came to mean boundary. In 1645 Archbishop Bramhall wrote, "For we recognize that there is no salvation without the pale of the church."
3. The term refers to the mystery of life after death, based on the chalky pallor of the recently dead.
4. The "pale" was the first pole cast in the Scottish came of camber tossing, typically thrown by the contest's strongest man. Any contestant who could cast beyond the pale was thought to possess extraordinary powers.
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Right from the Horse's Mouth
1. Based on an English caricature of William Horace, an influential, and some say intimate, confidante of Queen Victoria. The caricature depicted Horace, whose natural grotesque features were drawn to resemble a horse, whispering into the Queen's ear.
2. Based on an early 1920s radio show, "a Horse of Course," in which a farmer's talking horse dispensed advice and served at the farmer's conscience. Later this concept would be adapted to the 1960s TV show, Mr. Ed.
3. From a Thornton Wilder novella, "The Horse Speaks," in which a horse is the only witness to a murder. The murder is solved when the horse identifies the murderer by letting out a high pitched whinny.
4. Based on the fact that a horse's age can be determined most accurately by examining the teeth.
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To Pay Through the Nose
1. This saying originated during the Norse conquest of Ireland back in the 9th century when it was said that the Irish peasants had to pay a stiff tribute or suffer a slit nose.
2. The head of the Gambino crime family, Sammy "the Nose" Gambino, made millions of dollars by extorting New York businesses for garbage removal. "Paying through the Nose" referred to the payoffs made to Gambino's bagmen.
3. In the United States, the term "vig" refers to the profits enjoyed by bookmakers and loan sharks. In France, the term "le nez" or the nose is used instead.
4. From the Shakespeare play, the Merchant of Venice, in which the inhumane Shylock lends money to Antonio with a pound of flesh as collateral. Portia, trying to spare her husband's Antionio's life, insists on a literal interpretation of the terms stating, "So what would you have my sire, A nose, an ear, or chin pray thee?"
