Origin of Words and Phrases: Volume 1

Podcast Transcript

The English language is filled with very quirky idioms and phrases. Each language has them, and these are simply among the issues which make every language distinctive.

Most native audio system of English could use these idioms and phrases on a regular basis, regardless that they do not know the place they got here from. For individuals who don’t communicate English as their first language, these phrases can typically make no sense.

Be taught extra concerning the origin of widespread English phrases and phrases on this episode of Every little thing In all places Day by day.

One of the vital widespread requests I’ve gotten, and one thing I’ve had on my checklist to do for fairly a while, is an episode on the origins of varied phrases and phrases within the English language.

There are such a lot of phrases and phrases in English that they couldn’t match right into a single episode, so this will probably be simply the primary of many episodes on the topic.

On this episode, I wish to concentrate on idioms within the English language.

An idiom is a standard phrase or expression that has a figurative or non-literal that means which is completely different from the literal definition of the person phrases that make up the phrase. Idioms are sometimes deeply ingrained in a language’s tradition and are used to convey a specific thought or message in a concise and memorable approach.

Each language has idioms that may not make sense to somebody, even when they had been capable of communicate the language. If English isn’t your first language, understanding these idioms could be troublesome to grasp and use in common dialog.

Let’s begin with one which lots of you may be accustomed to, and it comes from the stage. Telling somebody to break a leg.

That is one which lots of you may be accustomed to, as it’s normally used at the side of somebody placing on a efficiency.

Within the theater neighborhood, it’s thought of unhealthy luck to want somebody good luck, so that you do the other and need them unhealthy luck once you wish to want them good luck.

The origin could come from the German phrase, Hals- und Beinbruch, which accurately interprets to neck and leg fracture. Its use might need come from the truth that it coincidently sounds similar to the Yiddish phrase for “success and blessing.”

The time period was utilized by German aviators within the early twentieth century, which then made it used typically German society, which then discovered its technique to English after German Jewish performers immigrated to US and England after the First World Struggle.

The primary written examples of the time period “break a leg” getting used within the context of theater date again to the Nineteen Thirties.

One false attribution for the phrase, which is definitely comprehensible, is given to the murderer who killed Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Sales space. Sales space was an actor who broke his leg by leaping onto a stage after taking pictures the president.

Whereas there’s an actor, a stage, and a damaged leg concerned, it has nothing to do with the origin of the phrase.

The following phrase that’s typically utilized in English is throwing the infant out with the bathwater. Because of this you shouldn’t do away with one thing good within the means of eliminating one thing unhealthy.

This, too, is one thing that has a Germanic origin. The earliest recognized use of the time period was a German illustration from 1512 which stated das Sort mit dem Bade ausschütten, whereas exhibiting a girl dumping a bucket of water with a child in it.

Within the seventeenth Century, it was utilized by Johannes Kepler who used it in such a approach that he assumed his viewers knew what he meant. The phrase is believed to have traveled to France earlier than being utilized in English within the Nineteenth century.

The primary use in English was by the Scottish historian Thomas Carlyle who was writing as regards to the abolition of slavery. He was admonishing his readers that within the means of ending slavery, it was necessary to not hurt peopel who had been enslaved within the course of.

The literal root of the phrase most likely got here from the apply within the center ages of taking a shower. Baths had been taken sometimes; taking one normally meant heating water from a range to fill the tub. The whole household would share the identical tub of water, taking turns going from oldest to youngest.

The final individual to make use of the bathwater can be the infant, so that you’d wish to be sure that the infant was out of the water earlier than throwing it away.

One other phrase that doesn’t make any sense when taken actually is raining cats and canines.

This phrase has origins which might be far more obscure.

One clarification is it comes from the drainage methods of cities within the center ages. Throughout a very onerous storm, it might dislodge all of the useless materials amassed in it.

In Jonathan Swift’s 1710 poem, “Description of a Metropolis Bathe,” says

Drowned puppies, stinking sprats, all drenched in mud,

Useless cats and turnip-tops come tumbling down the flood.

So, this could possibly be a proof, however why cats and canines as an alternative of rats and pigeons?

One other clarification put ahead is that the time period “cats and canines” is a corruption of the time period “waterfall” in different languages.

In Greek, the phrase Katadoupoi was used to explain the cataracts within the Nile River. Catadupe was the phrase in each Previous French and Previous English for waterfall.

Nonetheless, it’s completely doable that neither clarification is true and that it’s only a nonsense expression.

One other phrase with a clearer and extra concise origin is satan’s advocate.

Taking part in the satan’s advocate is to take a stance on one thing you don’t essentially imagine in simply to check the validity of one thing you do imagine in or to attempt to discover a weak spot in an argument.

A satan’s advocate was a literal place within the Catholic Church within the means of figuring out somebody’s sainthood.

Within the center ages, the church developed a way more rigorous system for creating saints. For somebody to be declared a saint is definitely a prolonged course of that may take years and even centuries.

A case must be introduced as to why an individual must be declared a saint.

In 1587 Pope Sixtus V created the place of advocatus diaboli, which in Latin actually means satan’s advocate. The satan’s advocate was to function a counter to these advocating for sainthood. It’s believed that any candidate for sainthood who was capable of stand up to this adversarial course of was worthy of being declared a saint.

The place was abolished in 1983, however its use as a phrase in English nonetheless exists at present.

One thing which many individuals do is flip a blind eye towards one thing.

To show a blind eye means to disregard one thing which is inconvenient.

On this case, the phrase has a false origin, which is much extra fascinating than the precise origin.

The story which is normally given is that the phrase got here from British Admiral Horatio Nelson.

Nelson was blind in a single eye. On the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, the British fleet was led by Admiral Hyde Parker. He despatched a message to Nelson by semaphore ordering him to interrupt off an assault.

Nelson, being far more aggressive, put the telescope as much as his blind eye and stated, “I’ve a proper to be blind generally. I actually don’t see the sign.”

His aggressiveness gained the day, and he was appointed commander of the fleet the subsequent day.

Whereas it’s a nice story, the issue is the time period was getting used earlier than 1801.

The earliest use of the phrase was in 1698. Church of England clergyman John Norris stated, “To be Crucify’d to the World, and to have the World Crucify’d to us; to be useless to its Pleasures, and insensible of its Charms, to show the deaf Ear, and the blind Eye to all these Pomps and Vanities of the World which we renounc’d at our Baptism; and to have it now not in our Hearts, however underneath our Toes.”

The unique phrase was “to show a blind eye and deaf ear,” however by the Nineteenth century, this appears to have simply been shorted to, “to show a blind eye.” The precise origin isn’t recognized, but it surely could possibly be fairly literal.

One of many best mysteries in English is the origin of the phrase, to go the entire 9 yards. The phrase means to go all the best way.

In 1982, New York Occasions language columnist William Safire appeared on Larry King’s radio present and made a request to the general public to assist him resolve a thriller as to the origin of this phrase. What had been the 9 yards measuring, and why had been there 9 of them?

Many individuals despatched explanations that needed to do with dressmaking, that for a high quality gown, you had to make use of the entire 9 yards of material.

One other clarification was that it was a nautical time period. A ‘yard’ was a wood rod connecting a crusing ship’s masts to assist its sails. On a square-rigged, three-masted ship, there have been three yards every, so the ‘entire 9 yards’ meant that each one the sails had been out.

As a part of his request, the Oxford English Dictionary pushed a complement to the phrase, which put its origin solely within the Nineteen Sixties and Nineteen Seventies.

The earliest use of the phrases was in an American army context, and it was thought that it might need to do with the quantity of ammunition utilized in fighter plane throughout World Struggle II. Every aircraft was outfitted with 9 yards of belt ammunition.

If a aircraft went out and used all its ammunition, they used the entire 9 yards.

The issue with this origin story is that individuals started to find older references to “going the entire six yards.”

These had been showing as early because the mid-Nineteenth century. So, what had been the entire six yards measuring?

The present idea is that they weren’t measuring something. The quantity is wholly random.

Identical to dwelling on cloud 9, the phrase truly was once dwelling on cloud seven. The entire 9 yards may simply be an instance of idiom inflation.

Moreover, the important thing isn’t the quantity 9, it’s the phrase “entire.” When you say “entire,” it doesn’t matter what comes subsequent. It could possibly be the entire ball of wax, the entire enchilada, the entire shebang, or the entire 9 yards.

That being stated, there nonetheless isn’t any definitive proof somehow as to the origin of “the entire 9 yards.”

This simply “scratches the floor” of the variety of phrases in English which have distinctive or mysterious origins. You probably have ideas for different phrases, don’t really feel afraid to throw your hat into the ring.

The Government Producer of Every little thing In all places Day by day is Charles Daniel.

The affiliate producers are Thor Thomsen and Peter Bennett.

The primary evaluation at present comes from listener hjtghuyygggy, over on Apple Podcasts in the US. They write:

Tremendous good da greatest….adopted by 51 thumbs up emojis and one thumbs down emoji.

Thanks, hjtghuyygggy! When translated to the Siskel and Ebert system of thumbs, that’s fairly a praise.

My second evaluation comes from Deana Ballard, additionally from Apple Podcasts in the US. She writes:

Phrase Origins I believed perhaps this podcast would principally be about phrase origins which is what attracted it to me within the first place. Up to now, I’m anxious ready for the subsequent podcast.

Thanks, Deana! I feel you need to be happy with this episode.

Bear in mind, if you happen to go away a evaluation or ship me a boostagram, you can also have it learn on the present.

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