Everybody loves a good sleep

Why do we “sleep tight”? 12 sleep-related idioms explained

Have you ever uttered the words "sleep tight" or "hit the hay" before going to bed? These phrases have existed for ages, but their meanings and origins are not always apparent. Some are directly related to sleeping, while others are metaphors for entirely different things. Take a look at 12 of these idioms. Do you use any of them?

"Sleep tight" is a phrase most people know from the bedtime verse: "Sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite". It’s often claimed to come from the old practice of tightly tying ropes on bed frames to keep mattresses firm and comfortable. This helped prevent sagging and made for a better night’s sleep.

In older English, "tight" simply meant "soundly" or "well", making "sleep tight" a wish for a good night’s sleep.

"Hit the hay" dates back to the late 19th or early 20th century and is often linked to the practice of stuffing hay into sacks or mattresses for sleeping, which is also commonly cited as an explanation for the phrase "hit the sack."

Another theory suggests that farm workers sometimes slept directly in haystacks, making "hay" a stand-in for "bed." Because "hit the hay" appears in print slightly earlier than "hit the sack," some believe it may have come first.

Anyone who has had a newborn knows how strange the phrase "sleep like a baby" sounds: babies wake up often and cry! Yet, the idiom means to sleep peacefully and deeply.

The idea is that when babies do sleep, they’re completely at ease, with no worries to disturb them. That peaceful, undisturbed state is what the phrase refers to, even if it doesn’t match the full reality.

"Let sleeping dogs lie" might sound odd at first, but its meaning becomes clear with a bit of explanation. It’s a warning to leave past issues alone, especially sensitive ones.

The phrase compares old disputes to sleeping dogs: if you wake them, they might react aggressively. Similarly, revisiting old problems can stir up trouble best left alone.

A "catnap" is a short, light nap, usually under 30 minutes, during which you do not enter deep sleep. Studies suggest that even a 10-minute nap can be refreshing, sometimes nearly as effective as a longer one, though the ideal length varies by person.

The term comes from cats’ daytime sleep habits. Since wild cats had to stay alert for danger, they took quick, light naps. Today’s cats do the same, snoozing lightly throughout the day, just like a good catnap.

"Waking up on the wrong side of the bed" means starting the day in a bad mood. The phrase comes from an old Roman superstition.

Romans, including Augustus Caesar, believed getting up on the left, or sinister, side brought bad luck. As a result, the "wrong side" was more than just a bad mood starter; it was thought to be a bad omen.

To "sleep like a log" means to sleep deeply and without moving, like a heavy log lying still. It’s a common way to describe a peaceful, undisturbed night.

The origin of the phrase is unclear, but some link it to lumberjacks who slept soundly after hard work. Others connect it to the similarity between snoring and the sound of sawing.

"Counting sheep" means imagining sheep jumping over a fence, one by one, to help you fall asleep. It’s a classic mental trick to quiet the mind.

The phrase likely comes from shepherds who counted their flocks at night to ensure none were missing, a repetitive and calming routine before bed.

The idiom "to lose sleep over something" means to worry about something to the point that it becomes difficult to sleep, or to be so concerned that it disrupts one’s rest.

While the exact origin of the phrase is difficult to pinpoint, it likely evolved from the idea that intense worry and stress can interfere with the body's natural sleep cycle.

To "do something in your sleep" means to do something very easily and effortlessly, usually because you have done it so many times that it's become second nature. It's a metaphorical way of saying that you are so proficient at a task that you don't even have to think about it, as if you could do it while unconscious.

"Sleep with one eye open" means staying alert or cautious, especially in risky situations. It suggests being ready for trouble, even while resting.

The phrase is often linked to animals such as dolphins and certain birds that can literally sleep with part of their brain awake to remain safe.

To "sleep around the clock" means to sleep for many hours without waking. It often happens when you're exhausted or feeling unwell. It’s a way in which the body tries to recover energy.

Fancy a Soupe à l'Oignon?

Exotic food is just food. Learn what these world cuisine names mean

Image: Sam Loyd

Whenever browsing through the menu of a foreign restaurant, the names can make food appear exotic, fancy, enticing, or straight-out odd. In these cases, the logic dictates that we ask the waiter for help. But a few of these foreign dishes have become famous all over the world and their names pop up in all sorts of restaurants, not just foreign ones. Take a look at the following ten and see if you already know the meaning of any of them!

Image: Philippe Murray-Pietsch

A staple name when it comes to "fancy" meals, Coq au Vin is French for rooster in wine, even if the rooster is usually replaced with chicken. Coq au Vin was a peasant dish in origin due to the fact that rooster meat is tough and sinewy and it takes a long time to marinate and braise to make the meat tender.

As legend goes, this dish originated during the Roman conquest of Gaul. The rooster was a symbol of valor to the Gauls. The chief of the tribe Arverne sent a symbolic rooster to Julius Caesar to show they would never be defeated. Caesar returned this gesture with a surprising twist, serving the chief with a delicious dish of rooster in wine.

Image: Mgg Vitchakorn

A literal translation of "spring pasta", Pasta Primavera certainly sounds Italian. But this dish originated in 70s America, not Italy. Sirio Maccioni, the co-owner of New York restaurant Le Cirque, initially introduced pasta primavera as an off-menu special.

Maccioni is said to have taken a dish of pasta, vegetables, and cream his wife had mixed from a hunger-induced raid of their kitchen, refined it, and started serving it to his guests. Despite its humble beginnings, pasta primavera gained huge popularity amongst diners and critics, eventually being adopted by home cooks in America and beyond.

Image: Bakd&Raw by Karolin Baitinger

Just pronouncing the name of this dish sounds like speaking French. Vichyssoise is a soup made of cooked and mashed leeks, potatoes, onions, and cream, served chilled and garnished with chopped chives. It was invented in the early 20th century by Louis Diat, a cook working as head chef of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in New York.

Leek and potato soup is a traditional staple of French cuisine. 19th-century French cookbooks give recipes for a simple leek and potato soup, called potage Parmentier or potage à la Parmentier. The name Vichyssoise means "ice-cold cream from Vichy".

Image: Toa Heftiba

A familiar yet exotic name, Chicken Tikka Masala is a dish consisting of roasted marinated chicken chunks in a spiced sauce, often creamy and orange-colored. The dish was created by cooks from South Asia living in Great Britain and is popular in restaurants around the world.

The sauce usually includes tomatoes, cream, coconut cream, and a masala spice mix. The sauce and chicken pieces may be colored orange using foodstuffs such as turmeric, paprika, tomato purée, or food dye. Tikka translates to "roasted", and Massala is "a mix of spices".

Image: Becca Tapert

Moussaka is an eggplant or potato-based dish, often including ground meat, which is common in the Balkans and the Middle East, with many local and regional variations.

Many versions have a top layer made of custard or béchamel sauce.

In Greece, the dish is layered and typically served hot. There’s a vegan version that replaces meat with mushrooms or a mix of sautéed onions and rice. And, in Turkey, moussaka consists of thinly sliced and fried eggplant served in a tomato-based meat sauce, warm or at room temperature. The word moussaka itself translates to "cold, or dipped in liquid".

Image: silvia trigo

Ceviche is a Peruvian dish consisting of fish or shellfish marinated in citrus and seasonings. The fish is usually cured in lemon or sour lime juice, marinated together with sliced or chopped onion, and served with chopped cilantro. The dressing also includes some local varieties of chili pepper or chili, replaced by mustard in some locations in Central America.

In Peru, it is served with garnishes of boiled root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, cassava, or, very rarely, potatoes, and grains or seeds such as corn, legumes such as zarandaja, fried plantain, seaweed, and lettuce.

Image: Mulan Sukrisno

A colorful array of small Chinese dishes traditionally consumed for brunch, Dim Sum is commonly associated with Cantonese cuisine. In the 10th century, travelers frequented Cantonese teahouses for small-portion meals with tea. Cantonese dim sum was originally based on local foods. As dim sum continued to develop, chefs introduced influences and traditions from other regions of China.

Dim Sum has a very broad range of flavors, textures, cooking styles, and ingredients and can be classified into regular items, seasonal offerings, weekly specials, banquet dishes, holiday dishes, house signature dishes, and travel-friendly items, as well as breakfast or lunch foods and late-night snacks. The term Dim Sum translates to "touch the heart."

Image: Viktor Ritsvall

Doner kebab is a dish of Turkish origin made of seasoned meat stacked in the shape of an inverted cone, turned slowly on the rotisserie, next to a vertical cooking element. The operator uses a knife to slice thin shavings from the outer layer of the meat as it cooks.

The sliced meat of a doner kebab may be served on a plate with various accompaniments, stuffed into bread as a sandwich, or wrapped in a thin flatbread such as filo. Doner kebab has become popular around the world as a fast food dish sold by kebab shops, and is often called simply a "kebab." The term, donner kebab itself, translates to "roasted lamb."

Image: Alyssa Kowalski

An exotic dish that has become famous all over the world, Pad Thai is a rice noodle dish fried in a wok and commonly served as a street food. As Thailand's national dish, it is typically made with rice noodles, shrimp, peanuts, scrambled eggs, and bean sprouts.

Many of the ingredients on a Pad Thai dish are provided on the side as condiments, such as red chili pepper, lime wedges, roasted peanuts, bean sprouts, garlic chives, and other miscellaneous fresh vegetables. The term Pad translates to "fried".

Image: Bakd&Raw by Karolin Baitinger

Wiener schnitzel is made of a thin, breaded, pan-fried veal cutlet served without sauce.

It is one of the best-known specialties of Viennese cuisine and one of the national dishes of Austria.

This dish is prepared from veal slices, butterfly cut, lightly pounded flat, slightly salted, and rolled in flour, whipped eggs, and bread crumbs. Finally, the Schnitzel is fried until it is golden yellow. The term Wiener schnitzel translates, literally to "small, breaded, veal cutlet."