Words of wisdom

Dive into the fascinating world of English idioms with this article!

Image: Mick Haupt

The English language is filled to the brim with impactful, deep, and sometimes whimsical imagery: Have you ever stopped to think about how much we rely on a vast array of unusual phrases to relay very common concepts? We are of course talking about idioms, those quirky and eccentric sentences that, if anything, provide a bit of color and variety to our everyday lives. But have you wondered where the idioms we say daily come from? Who was the first person to warn someone not to look into a gifted horse’s mouth? Don’t worry, we got you covered: We have researched the origins of 10 of the most common idioms in the English language. Enjoy!

Image: Towfiqu barbhuiya

The idiom "to fly off the handle" is used to describe someone who is not in full control of their emotions: Someone might fly off the handle if they angrily and suddenly overreact to a minor inconvenience.

You might be inclined to think that the titular handle is one found in an everyday tool like a frying pan or a wok, but it in fact comes from the world of lumberjacks: According to historians, this idiom comes from badly manufactured axes, out of which poorly fastened axe heads would sometimes come off flying. Since this outcome is obviously dangerous, this idiom perfectly describes unpredictable and potentially unpleasant situations.

Image: Ayla Verschueren

This idiom is a bit off-putting, isn’t it? Someone "chewing the fat" is engaged in pleasant yet trivial conversation: Whether it is idle chit-chat or harmless gossip, two (or more) people chewing the fat are usually chatting without a care in the world.

If you are wondering how chewing fat would eventually morph to mean chatting, you might want to take a look at the world of 19th-century sailors. In the days before refrigerators, sailors had to carry food that wouldn’t spoil on their voyages: One of these items was salted pork skin, which largely consisted of fat. In due time, the idle chatter that came from the long time it took to consume this honestly disgusting food became synonymous with the action itself.

Image: Igor

This is one of the idioms on this list that makes the most sense. An astrological blue moon is a rare occurrence in which the second full moon of a month might be seen with a pale blue tint. Blue moons usually occur approximately every 3 years, although some phenomena like volcanic eruptions or forest fires might produce them as well.

Logically, the idiom "once in a blue moon" is used to describe something that happens very rarely. In any case, this idiom does bring a certain mystique to complaining about that friend who is never able to hang out: You can simply say that they come around "once in a blue moon".

Image: Ilyuza Mingazova

No one wants to be on the receiving end of a "cold shoulder": This idiom is used to describe someone who is intentionally unfriendly to someone else. From an angry friend to a disgruntled coworker, if anyone is giving you the cold shoulder, you might want to look into what made them mad in the first place.

You might be inclined to believe that the origin of this idiom comes from the action of literally turning away from someone. However, some historians have a more interesting theory: They believe that it comes from medieval etiquette. According to these linguists, whenever the host of a dinner party in medieval times wanted their guests to leave, they would serve a cold cut of pork or mutton shoulder.

Image: Kylee Alons

Isn’t this idiom adorable? We instantly think about a worried cow waiting for her teenage cows to come home only to scold them for being out past their curfew. In any case, the idiom "till the cows come home" is used to describe something that takes a long and indefinite amount of time.

As you would expect, this idiom comes from the world of farming, and it dates back to at least the 1500s. Since cows were often milked late at night, the last job a farmer would have to do before turning in for the night would be to return the cows to their barns. And, as anyone with an office job will attest, the last task of the day often seems like the longest.

Image: LuAnn Hunt

The idiom "blood is thicker than water" is regularly used to highlight the importance of family, where blood is used as a symbol of family bonds. When someone tells you this idiom, they are trying to remind you that family needs to stick together through thick and thin.

Curiously, some historians believe that the origins of this idiom can be traced back to a mistranslation. According to them, the full adage states: "The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb". Therefore, if this theory is to be believed, the meaning of this idiom would be the exact opposite, and bonds of friendship would supersede family bonds.

Image: Ben Wogl

This idiom should be fairly self-explanatory: Unless they are about to go on a delightful walk through the park, cats should never be placed inside bags. Not that this reminder will do anyone any good: As every single cat owner can attest, cats can (and will) go inside any object they find even slightly suitable.

In any case, what’s the origin of the idiom "to let the cat out of the bag"? Well, the answer might lie in Medieval markets, of all places. According to one theory, some unscrupulous merchants might trick patrons into buying small kittens, passing them as piglets sold inside a bag. Once the titular cat was "let out of the cat", the enraged patron would realize they were bamboozled, at which point it would probably be too late.

Image: Ekaterina Grosheva

"By and large" is an idiom used to describe a situation in general: For instance, you might be complaining about your job, only to end your sentence by saying "But by and large, I think it is a good workplace".

As with many other English idioms, "by and large" comes from sailor slang. In the old days, sailors would use the nautical term "full and by" to refer to traveling into the wind, while "large" was used to describe the exact opposite: Wind coming from behind. In that sense, the term "by and large" emerged to describe a situation in which the wind was coming from all directions.

Image: Simon Hurry

The idiom "white elephant" is used to describe something lavish and expensive that however doesn’t seem to serve any function whatsoever, rendering it burdensome. This phrase might seem nonsensical, but it does make perfect sense when you think about it: Would you like to receive a costly elephant as a birthday present?

You might think we are joking, but this is actually the historical basis behind this idiom: According to historians, rulers of the Kingdom of Siam (now present-day Thailand) would gift white elephants as gifts. However, you might be surprised to learn that these outlandish gifts were actually punishment: Since the elephants were extremely costly to keep, they would often become financial burdens to their owners.

Image: Julia Kwiek

We’ll end this article with one of the most baffling idioms we were able to find. The idiom "cat got your tongue" is used to describe someone rendered speechless after learning a particularly shocking piece of information. However, why these adorable pets are associated with losing the ability to speak is a mystery we can’t stop thinking about.

And while we can’t provide you with a definitive answer, here are some plausible theories: Some believe that it refers to Medieval times, in which blasphemers would be punished by forcefully removing their tongues and feeding them to street cats and other vermin. Others believe that it comes from the fear of witches, who would supposedly command their cat familiars to hex and curse their victims, rendering them speechless and catatonic.

Tossed-around antiquities

Aren’t we all a bit narcissistic? 12 terms we owe to Greek mythology

Image: Chelsea Scott

We’ve already explored English words inspired by movies, or derived from the works of popular authors. But have you ever noticed how many everyday words go back to Greek mythology? Sure, we have the more obvious ones—like "narcissist" or "nemesis"—but you might find in this list terms that you didn’t know were so old. Read on!

Image: Андрей Сизов

Remember the story of Tantalus? He was a king who tried to fool the gods and make them eat his son. Never a good idea! As punishment, he was condemned to eternal hunger and thirst, forever surrounded by water he couldn’t drink and fruit he could not reach.

Thus the verb and adjective "tantalizing" were born to describe situations where something is temptingly close, but frustratingly out of reach.

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We all have a weak spot, and that’s what we refer to when discussing an "Achilles heel." But why? As myth has it, Achilles, the greatest Greek warrior, became invincible after his mother dipped him in the River Styx as a baby.

However, his heel wasn’t submerged during this process. That became the only spot through which he could be wounded. And, of course, that was exactly where Paris shot him with an arrow after his victories in the Trojan War—leading to his death.

Image: Peter Olexa

The moral of King Midas’s fable is: be careful what you wish for! This mythical king asked the god Dionysus to grant him the power to turn everything he touched into gold. It worked out well for him until he held his loved ones and transformed them into golden statues.

The term "Midas touch" usually has positive connotations, though. We use it to refer to a person whose efforts are frequently successful—not someone who jinxes each of them!

Image: Noel Nichols

Pandora was the first human woman according to Greek mythology. One day she was set to watch a jar—not a box—her husband owned, which she was instructed to never open. But eventually, curiosity won over her.

When she opened it, out flew all the evils of the world. Today, the mistranslated expression "Pandora’s box" refers to any process that, once set in motion, leads to a chain of disasters.

Image: Matt Seymour

In Greek mythology, delivering justice was the job of Nemesis. The goddess of retribution, she made sure that those who committed hubris (excessive pride) or wrongdoing were punished.

Today’s meaning of the noun derives from that. "Nemesis" first referred to that fatal flaw that might destroy one, which then evolved to be used about an opponent or rival who seems unbeatable and who might cause someone's downfall.

Image: Nikola Johnny Mirkovic

Before referring to a sonorous effect, this word was the name of a nymph. This chatty young creature was cursed by an irritated Hera to only repeat the last words spoken to her—a curse that obviously worked disasters for her relationships.

She faded away until only her voice remained. Her story was used to explain the physical phenomenon of sound being repeated, but also to describe any repetition or imitation.

Image: Art Institute of Chicago

In Greek mythology, the Muses were nine goddesses who presided over the arts and sciences, inspiring creativity in mortals. From epic poetry to music and dance, these ladies were the ultimate source of artistic ideation.

Today, "muse" refers to anyone or anything that sparks the same spirit. It could be a loved one, a beautiful landscape, or even a really good cup of coffee.

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"Fury" was never linked to any peaceful or amiable personality—not even in Greek antiquity. Erinyes or Eumenides were raging, vengeful deities who punished criminals. In Roman mythology, these were translated as the Dirae or the Furiae.

The English language adopted these concepts from Latin, and transformed them into "dire" and "fury."

Image: Ashley Batz

This word comes from the story of Theseus, the first person to escape the Minotaur’s labyrinth alive. Young Ariadna helped Theseus find his way out by following a ball of thread (a "clew" in Old English).

Thus the concept of "clue" came to mean anything that helps us solve a problem or mystery.

Image: Maxim Makarov

Millennia before being a character in the blockbuster The Matrix, Morpheus was the name of the god of dreams. He was often depicted with poppies, the source of opium.

In the 19th century, a pharmacist studying the painkilling effects of opium derivates decided to give this substance the name "morphium," in honor of the mythical Greek figure.

Image: Francisco Ghisletti

We are not here referring to the tragically sunken ship—although that one derives from this term. "Titanic" is an adjective that describes something enormous and powerful, such as the majestic ship at its time.

The term alludes to the Titans, enormous primordial gods who preceded the Greek Olympians and had enough power to upturn the Earth.

Image: Sofia Rotaru

Finally, a word that gets tossed around very liberally these days: Narcissist! Most of us know the myth of Narcissus, the handsome lad who fell in love with his own reflection and drowned as a consequence.

Countless authors throughout history used "Narcissus" in the same texts as "self-love," from Shakespeare to Byron to Baudelaire. Later, many theorists assigned varying meanings to "narcissism," ranging from healthy to disproportionate obsession with the self.