Words of wisdom

Did the cat get your tongue? How many of these English idioms do you use?

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!

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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.

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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.

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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".

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Time-related expressions to expand your vocabulary

Time flies: Check out these 10 idioms that appear once in a blue moon!

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The creation of new phrases, proverbs, and sayings is one of the most colorful aspects of language development. However, for this to happen, an essential ingredient is key: time. Therefore, through this article, we aim to offer curious readers interesting facts about the origins of figurative expressions related to this specific aspect of life. Continue reading to discover 10 popular idioms about time.

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We use the expression In the nick of time to describe something that happens just in time, right before the critical moment. The origin of the phrase can be traced back to the 1500s, when the word nick meant "the precise moment of an occurrence or an event."

In the 16th century, a tally, or 'nick-stick,' was used to keep track of time, points in sporting events, commercial transactions, and official government bookkeeping records. The first written record of the complete phrase, as we use it today to express relief that something happened before a disaster, dates back to the mid-17th century.

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A May-December romance occurs between two people with a wide age difference. Why these months? May is the peak of spring, when the weather is warm and pleasant, and flowers bloom—metaphorically representing youth and femininity. December, on the other hand, marks the beginning of winter and is often associated with decay, thus symbolizing aging men.

The expression first appeared in the 14th century in The Merchant's Tale, one of the Canterbury Tales written by English poet and author Geoffrey Chaucer. In this story, a mature man, Mr. January, is determined to marry a young woman named May in order to leave an heir. Years later, when Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar and January 1st was established as the beginning of the year, the phrase evolved to use December, symbolizing the end of an era—and ultimately, the end of a life.

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According to the Cambridge Dictionary, this expression means that "it is better for someone to arrive or do something late than not to arrive or do it at all." You probably didn't need the dictionary definition for this one, as it is one of the most popular and widely used idioms in everyday language.

What you might not know is that it has a very ancient origin and is actually a translation of an old Latin proverb. How did it make its way into English? Well—surprise, surprise!—it was by the hand of Chaucer and his Canterbury Tales. He wrote it, as early as the Middle Ages, as follows: "for bet than never is late." Over time, the wording changed slightly. Today, we know the phrase as "better late than never," though it retains the same metaphorical meaning.

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Once in a blue moon is an idiomatic phrase used to describe something that very rarely happens. Although it’s just a theory, the Oxford English Dictionary suggests that the color blue might have been an arbitrary choice. First recorded in the 16th century, saying the moon was blue was a way of indicating that something could not be true.

However, blue moons do occur—though only under extremely rare atmospheric conditions, such as the eruption of a volcano or a forest fire. So, while the color mentioned may have been random in its origin, the phrase as we use it today makes perfect sense.

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Have you ever left an important issue unattended, only for it to get increasingly worse? It happens! That's why this proverb has been popular since at least the 18th century. A stitch in time saves nine means that if you address a problem immediately, it may save a lot of extra work later.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, the number nine here has no particular significance but was chosen because it sounds similar to the word time. Another explanation is that, when a piece of clothing has a tear, it is best to repair it as soon as possible to prevent the tear from getting bigger and requiring more stitches.

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For those of us who love punctuality and like to keep an orderly schedule, a movable feast can be a nuisance. As can be inferred, this expression describes an event that can happen at any time or place and may change without notice.

Its origin, however, is related to religious celebrations. In a religious context, a movable feast refers to a holy day—such as Easter—that doesn’t occur on the same calendar date each year.

Over time, it became part of colloquial language, and today, we use it to refer to any event that doesn't have a set time or date. Ernest Hemingway's memoir, A Moveable Feast, likely contributed to the adoption of the phrase into our everyday vocabulary.

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In its literal sense, this expression refers to the popular superstition that witches and other supernatural forces are most active at midnight. Although its traditional use originates in folk tales, one of the earliest written references dates back to the early 17th century and appears in one of William Shakespeare's iconic plays. Prince Hamlet declares: "‘Tis now the very witching time of night, when churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out contagion to this world."

In modern times, however, this expression has taken on a more colloquial meaning and is used to describe any situation that may be problematic or unpredictable. All those who have raised children are familiar with this particular time of day: whenever a baby starts fussing and crying for no apparent reason, everyone knows that the witching hour—a.k.a. bedtime—has arrived.

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Have you ever felt that someone was ignoring you, not paying the slightest attention, or blatantly disrespecting you? In those cases, the idiom Don't give the time of day comes into play. While it might seem to have a literal meaning—that it refers to someone who can't even take a second to tell you the time—it actually has a twist.

A long time ago, the expression "good time of day" was widely used as a greeting, a way to say hello to someone. In fact, the first written records of this now-outdated form of greeting can be found in some of Shakespeare's plays. Considering this meaning, it makes much more sense that the idiom carries such a negative connotation.

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This idiom is used to express that something is going to take a very—very—long time. Note that a month’s worth of Sundays amounts to about 30 or 31 weeks. Nowadays, Sunday marks the end of the weekend, and for many, it is a day full of contradictions. On one hand, it means we can rest; on the other, it signals the start of the workweek and the return to duties.

But decades ago, for most people, Sundays were a very long, seemingly endless period of time. For this reason, it is believed that this expression may refer to the traditionally slow passage of Sundays, often due to religious restrictions on activity or entertainment. Imagine a whole 30 weeks of total boredom and tedium—that’s what this phrase represents!

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Mad as a March hare is an idiomatic English phrase that means to be completely crazy. It is similar to another well-known expression, mad as a hatter, which originated from Lewis Carroll's character, the Mad Hatter, in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. In this case, the madness derives from the belief that hatters suffered from the effects of mercury poisoning due to the fumes released in the manufacture of felt hats.

The March hare version, however, refers to the way hares leap about during the breeding season in Europe. It is said that the behavior of these animals during the month of March is completely erratic, including boxing other hares and jumping for no particular reason.