Ever hear the term “cool as a cucumber”? That came to be because cucumbers in the field stay around 20 degrees Celsius cooler than the surrounding air. Even the people of the 1800s knew how snazzy cucumbers were – they didn’t need any science report to prove it! Here are some more tasty aphorisms:
A Baker’s Dozen
Meaning: Thirteen of something
Origin: Medieval English bakers were sly folks – they would cut the corners off bread and fill the insides with more air pockets than actual dough. Authorities decided enough was enough, and in 1266, enforced a law that stated bakers must sell by weight or face heavy fines. To avoid the penalties, bakers started adding an extra loaf of bread to every dozen, thus creating this expression.
With a Grain of Salt
Meaning: Consider the issue with caution or suspicion
Origin: Salt was thought to be medicinal, and could ward off illness or poison. If salt was a “miracle antidote,” then threats could be taken less seriously, giving birth to the saying.
In a Nutshell
Meaning: to sum things up succinctly
Origin: The Roman philosopher and statesman, Cicero, was the first to use this colloquial phrase. He said that all 24 books of the Iliad by Homer could be fit “in a nutshell” because of the tiny handwriting.
In a Pickle
Meaning: To be in a tricky situation
Origin: Cucumbers or other vegetables sit in salt water for days upon days to be preserved: not exactly a pleasant position to be in!
Happy as a Clam
Meaning: Very happy
Origin: The full saying was: “Happy as a clam at high tide.” Since clam pickers could only do their work during low tide, a clam at high tide avoided a culinary death, which is obviously a happy thing!
Bring Home the Bacon
Meaning: To earn money, or to be successful
Origin: This used to be a true test of will. Married couples as early as the 1100s were challenged to spend a year without a single quarrel. Whoever could accomplish this feat would take him the prize of a side of bacon. I’m not sure if bacon is enough of a reward…
The Big Cheese
Meaning: An important person, usually an authority figure
Origin: A cheese maker created a 1235 pound wheel of cheese in honor of the Thomas Jefferson, in 1802. People referred to it as “the big cheese,” speaking of both the cheese, and the receiver.
Spill the Beans
Meaning: To tell the truth
Origin: In ancient Greece, allowing new members to join private clubs involved a special voting process of placing different colored beans into opaque jars. Only if the beans were spilled could hopefuls know the outcome of the vote.
And that’s all! Stay hungry folks!
