INTRODUCTION:
Have you ever wondered how certain phrases we commonly use came to be? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Our language is always evolving and the meaning behind the language we speak is sometimes very suprising! In this article, we are going to be exploring the types of phrases we see and use commonly, and learn how they came to be.
1. “It’s raining cats and dogs”
The meaning behind this idiom is quite dire. There are multiple perspectives on the origin behind this idiom, but most of them all come down to a single idea. During the 1600’s in England, the streets were known to be very filthy and riddled with stray animals, such as dogs and cats. The streets then did not have a reliable drainage system. Because of this, each time a heavy rainstorm came by, the aftermath resulted in heaps of dead animal bodies on the ground. So, when people came out of their houses, it would seem as though it really did rain cats and dogs! Today, it means that it is raining heavily.
2. “Bite the bullet”
This idiom is tied back to the 19th century, when Rudyard Kipling used the quote in his 1891 novel: The Light That Failed. In the book, it was mentioned that it involved a soldier biting down onto a bullet to cope with the pain of surgery without anesthesia. Even though evidence of this happening is quite inferequent, some argued firsthand that it had occured before.
3. “Turn a blind eye”
To turn a bilnd eye to something is to ignore information that may be unwanted. This term originated in 1801 during The Battle of Copenhagen. Nelson was an admiral on the British side, and was blind in his right eye. During the war, he was told by his higher rank to retreat his forces. This was indicated by signal flags. However, Nelson did not want to retreat his forces and claimed that “I have a right to be blind sometimes, I really do not see the signal”. Nelson believed that their fleet could win the battle but in the end, they suffered major losses.
4. “Saved by the bell”
Even back then, people had a massive fear of being buried alive. To prevent this from actually happening, people decided to put ropes attached to bells from coffins to the ground above. So, if someone was to be buried alive, they could just ring the bell and alert people the people around them. The time period from where this happened was in the late 19th century. Today, being saved by the bell means when a bad situation ends at the perfect time, allowing you to escape.
5. “Caught red handed”
To be caught red handed is to be caught while doing something wrong. This term originated in Scotland during the 15th century. The meaning of this idiom is quite literal, it is used to describe catching a murderer with blood still on their hands.
Conclusion
Thank you for taking the time to read my post! I hope you took out as much information as I did when I was writing this. It was quite suprising to learn about the terms that we use every so often!
Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-22408,00.html#:~:text=The%20phrase%20is%20supposed%20to,ancient%20associations%20with%20bad%20weather.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bite_the_bullet#:~:text=The%20phrase%20(as%20%22bite%20on,a%20surgical%20procedure%20without%20anesthetic.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turning_a_blind_eye#:~:text=Turning%20a%20blind%20eye%20is,of%20Vice%20Admiral%20Horatio%20Nelson.
https://www.businessinsider.com/phrase-origins-that-are-wrong-2015-1#:~:text=Instead%2C%20%22saved%20by%20the%20bell,the%20phrase%20hit%20the%20mainstream.
https://www.gingersoftware.com/content/phrases/caught-red-handed