Common phrases and idioms make everyday language more colourful and drive home our points in conversation; and though you may think of them as silly, they all genuinely came from somewhere. And no matter how familiar some of the things you say might feel, some of their backgrounds are very strange indeed - and at times even pretty gruesome. Some phrases can be traced to definitive origins, i.e. terms such as 'cat's pyjamas' and 'bee's knees' - fashionable figures of speech in the flapper culture of the 1920s - whereas other explanations for common expressions are believed to be rooted in folk etymology and urban legend. Some are even considered social custom, such as uttering 'bless you' when somebody sneezes. Whilst your manners may dictate that you must say this, did you know that by doing so you are actually attempting to prevent the sneezer heaving their soul out of their body through their nose? It sounds hilarious now, but before good old science proved otherwise, people actually believed that a hearty 'A-CHOO' could do that to you. Speaking of manners, ever been accused of giving someone 'the cold shoulder'? Today you may do this by ignoring someone's friend request on Facebook (burn!), but back in days of old this had more to do with putting unwanted guests at risk of food poisoning. Want to know why? Keep reading... Some of these idioms gained momentum within the last couple hundred of years, whereas others are old as the hills. Enough beating around the bush, put a sock in it and take a gander at these all singing, all dancing everyday idioms and their origins - all of them madder than a box of frogs. You know you want to...
Stephanie is a writer and free spirit who likes to pretend she's a Londoner, though strictly speaking she's from Watford. She likes books, music, elephants, and hairspray.
