phrase and expressions origins
*******************************************************************
*
Balls to the wall
To push to the limit, go all out, full speed
In fact it is from fighter planes. The "balls" are knobs atop the plane's throttle control. Pushing the throttle all the way forward, to the wall of the cockpit, is to apply full throttle.
.......*
A wing and a prayer
Hopeful but unlikely to succeed
During World War One airplanes were still a novelty and untested in war. A "wing and a prayer" was first uttered when an American flyer came in with a badly damaged wing.
His fellow pilots and mechanics were amazed he didn't crash. He replied he was praying all the way in. Another pilot chimed in that "a wing and a prayer brought you back."
.......*
Put my two cents in
To state one's opinion.
This phrase draws an analogy to the poker ante (two bits/two cents) and gains your entry into the conversation.
.......*
Flash in the pan
Something that shows great promise, then disappoints by being over too quickly.
Flintlock muskets have small pans to hold the gunpowder fuse. Sometimes the gunpowder in the pan would flare up without firing the gun. That would be a "flash in the pan".
.......*
Bang for the buck
Value for you money.
This phrase originates in Cold War deliberations concerning funding new weapons. For example, the US Air Force habitually claimed that ballistic missiles such as ICBM's could do more damage to an enemy country for a given expenditure than a Navy aircraft carrier could.
Thus, they claimed, missiles give more "bang for the buck" than ships.
.......*
Bought the farm
To die.
It comes from W.W.I. When a US soldier was killed in combat his family was given a "death benefit" that amounted to a enough money to buy a parcel of farm land in the mid west.
.......*
Over the top
Too much, overdone, excessive.
During the first world war a charge over the protective battery which ran alongside a trench was called "going over the top." Such a charge usually resulted in many casualties, as did most operations during that most tragic conflict.
Since the casualty rate was very high, it took remarkable bravery to go "over the top". Some considered it excessively brave and the phrase has come to be associated with excess.
.......*
Show your true colors
To reveal your true intentions, personality, or behaviors.
Early warships often carried flags from many nations on board in order to elude or deceive the enemy. The rules of civilized warfare called for all ships to hoist their true national ensigns before firing a shot.
Someone who finally "shows his true colors" is acting like a warship which hails another ship flying one flag, but then hoisted their own when they got in firing range.
.......*
Three sheets to the wind
Very drunk, highly intoxicated.
The phrase comes from 18th-19th century English Naval terminology. The original phrase was "three Sheets in the wind" and referred to the erratic behavior of a ship that has lost control of all of its sails.
.......*
Straight and narrow
To stay out of trouble.
This phrase comes from the Bible and describes the path to heaven.
Matthew 7:14 to be exact: "Broad is the way that is the path of destruction but narrow is the gate and straight is the way which leadeth to the house of God."
.......*
Armed to the teeth
To be heavily armed.
This is a pirate phrase originating in Port Royal Jamaica in the 1600's. Having only single shot black powder weapons and cutlesses, they would carry many of these weapons at once to keep up the fight.
In addition they carried a knife in their teeth for maximum arms capability.
.......*
Close but no cigar
Nearly achieving success, but not quite.
Carnival games of skill, particularly shooting games, once gave out cigars as a prize. A contestant that did not quite hit the target was close, but did not get a cigar.
.......*
Keep your shirt on
Calm down, be patient.
Before modern manufacturing techniques, shirts, and all clothes for that matter, required a lot of labor to make. They were more expensive than they are today. Someone thinking of starting a fight might take off his shirt to prevent damage. Telling someone to "keep his shirt on" was equivalent to telling him "I don't want to fight".
.......*
Mind your p's and q's
Behave properly.
Comes from the early pub days when beer and ale was served in pint and quart containers. The tab was kept on a chalkboard used to count the pints and quarts consumed. To watch your Ps and Qs is to control your alcoholic intake and behavior.
.......*
Reading the riot act
To complain or lecture loudly and with angry emotion.
"Reading the riot act" used to be a literal event. Bobbies in Britain used to read a prescribed proclamation, known as the Riot Act, before they could break up or arrest a crowd. The Riot Act is used in a fashion similar to the Miranda Rights in the US.
The Bobbies would approach the crowd, read the Riot Act aloud, and then disperse or arrest them.
.......*
Sleep tight
Sleep well.
Before box springs were in use, old bed frames used rope pulled tightly between the frame rails to support a mattress. If the rope became loose, the mattress would sag making for uncomfortable sleeping. Tightening the ropes would help one get a good night sleep
.......*
Brand spanking new
New and unused.
Doctors have traditionally spanked babies immediately after delivery to start them crying, and breathing.
.......*
Face the music
To accept the truth.
Comes from the British military. When someone was court marshaled, there would be a military drum squad playing, hence face the music.
.......*
Kiss of death
Something that is a precursor to failure, that will lead to future failure.
From the fabled Mafia practice. A kiss from the Don meant curtains for the receiver.
No doubt popularized in this country by Mafia movies, but the practice goes back much, much further, at least to Roman days. And let's not forget Judas kissing Jesus's cheek to identify him to the guards.
.......*
Paint the town red
To party and celebrate with enthusiasm in bars and restaurants.
This phrase originated with the Roman Empire. Roman soldiers used to wash the walls of a newly-conquered town or city with the blood of the vanquished. This was usually accomplished with a great degree of gusto, hence the term being applied to a great night on the town.
.......*
Pardon my french
Excuse my foul language.
The French have been enemies of Britain for the past thousand years (on and off), and are even today thought of with some suspicion by a lot of British people.
Perhaps because of this, the British (a very polite society) have considered the French to be vulgar and rude. To say "pardon my French" is to say that you are about to behave as a Frenchman would, i.e. you are about to say something vulgar.
.......*
Pull out all the stops
To make every effort, to use all advantages.
This phrase comes from the pipe organs in churches and classical music. Each pipe has a "stop" that acts as a baffle that controls the amount of airflow. The volume of the organ can be adjusted by adding or removing the stops.
By pulling out all the stops, all pipes are playing at their loudest.
.......*
Between a rock and a hard place
To have no good alternatives.
A reference to Odysseus' dilemma of passing between Scylla and Charybdis (figuratively a rock and a hard place). Scylla was a monster on the cliffs and Charydbis was a dangerous whirlpool. Neither fate was more attractive as both were difficult to overcome.
.......*
Katy bar the door
Quickly lock the door before something unwanted gets in (or out).
From a book of poems called "King's Tragedy" by D. G. Rossetti published in 1881. It tells of an attempt by one Catherine to save the life of Scotland's James I by throwing her arm across a doorway to bar his enemies.
.......*
Easy as pie
Simple to accomplish, easy to do.
Easy as pie (or apple pie) originated in Australia around 1920. The Australian expression to be "pie at" or "pie on" something means to be very good at something (from the Maori word "pai" = good).
If you are good at something it is easy.... as pie!
.......*
Eat humble pie
To be proven wrong, usually after boasting.
Humble pie is a derivation of umble pie and refers to the intestines of an animal especially when used for food. The original umbles were the innards of the deer: the liver, heart, entrails and other second-class bits. It was common practice in medieval times to serve a pie made of these parts of the animal to the servants and others that would be sitting at the lower tables in the lord's hall.
To eat humble pie is to accept your position at the lower table
.......*
The proof is in the pudding
The end result or finished product determines success or failure.
This is an abbreviated version of the term "the proof of the pudding is in the eating". To the British, pudding means the same as dessert in the US. The point of the term is that one cannot determine how good a dessert will be during preparation or based on appearance. How good a dessert will be can only be determined by the final taste.
.......*
**************************************************************************
here is a link to ...Coincidences
**************************************************************************
