Friday’s Phrase – Raining Cats and Dogs
This is a very common phrase, and a great number of variations span across many languages. It is also one that has held onto more than one long-standing mythical etymology that swirls through the internet today.
Friday’s Phrase – Saved by the Bell
Welcome to the weekly series “Friday’s Phrase”. A whimsical and informative look at the idioms, phrases, proverbs and colloquialisms we commonly use, what they mean, and where they came from. This week’s phrase: “saved by the bell” After last week’s phrase ‘graveyard shift’ and its widely accepted, yet erroneous history, I thought we should … Continue reading
Friday’s Phrase – Sweat Like a Pig
Welcome to the weekly series “Friday’s Phrase”. A whimsical and informative look at the idioms, phrases, proverbs and colloquialisms we commonly use, what they mean, and where they came from. This week’s phrase: “sweat like a pig” This is another favorite. I use it often as, for me, I can begin to sweat … Continue reading
Friday’s Phrase – Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth
This is more a proverb than an idiom, and as with most wisdom the origin is ancient and unknown. We have some clues, however.
Friday’s Phrase – An Introduction
The phrase will need to meet one standard. It needs to be a readily recognized phrase for most people for whom English is their native tongue. I will endeavor to provide for each phrase, a definition, a history of its first use on print, the origins of the phrase (hopefully, removing fiction from the facts), and finally my own thoughts.
commonsensiblyspeaking 