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Sunday, August 24, 2008 1:06 PM

A Maverick

Samuel Augustus Maverick (1803– 1870) was a Texas cattleman from whom the term Maverick originated. In the west it was a custom and still is to some extent to brand your cattle so that you know they...
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Sunday, August 17, 2008 3:28 PM

It’s All Greek To Me

William Shakespeare in his 1599 play Julius Caesar had a scene in it where Cicero who spoke Greek was referred to in the lines below: Cassius: Did Cicero say anything? Casca: Ay, he spoke Greek. Cassius...
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Sunday, August 10, 2008 8:33 AM

Hair Of The Dog That Bit You

The original term “Hair of the dog” is an expression used when referring to drinking too much alcohol and getting a hangover the next day. The term “Hair Of The Dog That Bit You”...
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Sunday, August 03, 2008 3:13 PM

For The Birds

Something that is “For The Birds” means that it is worthless or useless. This is an American term that dates back to the age when horses rather than automobiles were the primary means of transportation...
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Sunday, July 27, 2008 8:00 AM

Side Tracked

In the early days of the railroad a single track was laid from one point to the other until it finally reached across the United States linking the North, South, East and West together. In case two trains...
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Sunday, July 20, 2008 8:22 AM

John Doe

John Doe is a fictions name that is used as a placeholder for an unknown male where the person’s true name is not known. The name is usually given to corpses, hospital patients or used in legal situations...
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Sunday, July 13, 2008 8:19 AM

A Feather In Your Cap

When someone achieves something of importance to them or is noble to others it is said that they get a feather in their cap. This saying has its origins in the North American Indian custom of receiving...
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Sunday, July 06, 2008 7:14 AM

Fish Or Cut Bait

When you tell someone to fish or cut bait it is meant to imply that you want them to make up their mind and decide what they want to do. This saying originated in the fishing industry and is based on the...
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Sunday, June 29, 2008 7:20 AM

Over A Barrel

To be over a barrel means that one is in a helpless circumstance and does not have any control over the situation. Reportedly this expression has its origins in the fact that during the 1800’s when...
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Sunday, June 22, 2008 1:03 PM

Knock On Wood

To knock on wood means that you do not want to tempt fate or are wishing for good luck especially after you hope for something. An example would be “I hope it don’t rain the ball game out tonight…knock...
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Sunday, June 08, 2008 8:29 AM

Take A Dive

To take a dive is an expression that originated in the combat sport of boxing. It is a relatively modern term since Boxing or Pugilism has been around since the era of the Greeks and Romans. To take a...
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Sunday, June 01, 2008 7:36 AM

Rob Peter To Pay Paul

The expression Rob Peter to pay Paul is a reference to Peter and Paul two of the Apostles of Christ where Latin texts from the 12th century state: “ As it were that one would crucify Paul in order...
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Monday, May 26, 2008 7:39 AM

Dressed To A Tea

In the Victorian era “High Tea” was a formal occasion and required that you dress yourself fashionably as if you were going to a wedding or other such affair. When you were dressed for the...
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Sunday, May 18, 2008 7:26 AM

Talking Blues

The term Talking Blues is in reference to a subgenre of American Blues music. This subgenre was developed by Woody Guthrie (1912–1967) whose 1940 song “This Land Is Your Land” is an American...
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Sunday, May 11, 2008 8:00 AM

High On The Hog

This term has its origins in the fact that when eating pork or Hog meat the sweetest and therefore the tastiest meat is found in the upper part of the hog. In centuries past all of the hog was consumed...
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Sunday, May 04, 2008 7:10 AM

BC And AD

Traditionally when we speak of historical events we refer to them as BC which is an abbreviation for “Before Christ” from the Latin Ante Christum or AD which is an abbreviation for “After...
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Sunday, April 20, 2008 7:16 AM

A Bone To Pick

The term A Bone To Pick has its origin in the Animal kingdom in particular the carnivore mammals which are predominantly meat eaters. Pack animals such as wolves and coyotes and even dogs will eat meat...
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Sunday, April 13, 2008 7:43 AM

Blowing Smoke

To say that someone is blowing smoke it in short means that they are attempting to conceal something or deceive someone. The term can be traced back to the golden age of magic and magicians in live magic...
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Sunday, April 06, 2008 7:53 AM

OK

OK is a term of approval or an acknowledgment for something and is written as OK or O.K. - put simply it is a written abbreviation of the spoken word Okay. Okay’s origin has been traced back to its...
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Sunday, March 30, 2008 7:42 AM

Going To See A Man About A Horse

When someone states that they are going to go and see a man about a horse (Or Dog) it is meant to imply that they are going to leave your presence and want to conceal the true reason for their departure...
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Saturday, March 22, 2008 6:18 PM

What A Nimrod

When we say that someone is a Nimrod it is meant to imply that they are silly, asinine or ridiculous. This derogatory remark has its origin in the Old Testament of the Bible where Nimrod who was a great...
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Sunday, March 16, 2008 8:40 AM

Fly Off The Handle

This term has its origins in the frontier days of America and the frontiersmen’s and their necessary use of axes and hatchets. When cutting word or repairing an item a loose axe or hatchet head could...
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Sunday, March 09, 2008 8:26 AM

Gone To The Dogs

In medieval Europe where many people would gather at large dining tables to eat where meat and game was served on a regular basis nothing would go to waste. Worthless scraps were served to pigs and chickens...
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Sunday, March 02, 2008 8:18 AM

One For The Road

The term one more for the road reportedly has it origins from old London where it was said that when prisoners were condemned to hang at Tyburn they were placed on a wagon to be carted off to their final...
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Sunday, February 24, 2008 2:57 PM

Going Cold Turkey

When someone is Going Cold Turkey it means that they are trying to stop doing something abruptly that affects them physically. For example when alcoholics or drug addicts try to kick the habit they usually...
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Sunday, February 17, 2008 3:06 PM

Egg On

When we egg on someone we are encouraging them to continue doing something that is usually wrong or in poor taste. The word egg in this context is reportedly taken from the old English word “Eggian”...
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Sunday, February 10, 2008 7:07 AM

Out On A Limb

To go out on a tree branch or limb as far as you can without falling or having the limb break to retrieve a piece of fruit strikes fear in us the older that we get. As children it was not an uncomfortable...
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Sunday, February 03, 2008 8:20 AM

Blow Off Some Steam

When we say that we are going to blow off some steam it means that we are going to release some pressure such as built up anger or rage. This saying originated in the days of the great Iron Horse or the...
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Sunday, January 27, 2008 12:56 PM

Above Board

The saying “Above Board” is an old gambling house term that is meant to imply that something was done honestly or in plain sight and not concealed or hidden. The Board in the saying refers...
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Sunday, January 20, 2008 8:36 AM

On Cloud Nine

According to tradition clouds are numbered according to their altitude with 1 being the lowest altitude and 9 being the highest altitude. Since a cloud with a high altitude is 9 and is far above the others...
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