Some of the most commonly used phrases are "the walls have ears," "turn a blind eye," "caught red-handed," "break a leg," "white elephant," "give a cold shoulder," "every cloud has a silver lining," "once in a blue moon," "crocodile tears," "calm before the storm," "cat got your tongue," "bite the bullet", "bury the hatchet" and "break the ice." The origins of each of these phrases are detailed below.
"TURN A BLIND EYE "
The phrase "turn a blind eye" means to pretend not to see something or to ignore it.
This phrase originated in 1801 during the Battle of Copenhagen. This battle was fought by the British Royal Navy and the Danish-Norwegian fleet.
The British Royal Army was led by Vice Admiral Horacio Nelson, who was blind in one eye.
When signals were sent directing Admiral Nelson to retreat, he reportedly put the telescope to his blind eye and said "I really do not see the signal," thus "turning a blind eye" to his superior's orders.
"CAUGHT RED-HANDED "
The phrase "caught red-handed" means to be caught in the act of committing a crime with the evidence visible.
This phrase originated in Scotland when the term "red-hand" was used in the Scottish Acts of Parliament of James I in 1432. It referred to a criminal being caught with blood on his hands.
References to "red-hand" and "red-handed" appeared repeatedly in Scottish legal proceedings and other publications starting in the 15th century, but the exact phrase "caught red-handed" was first seen in print in the novel "Guy Livingstone" by George Alfred Lawrence, published in 1857 in England.
"WHITE ELEPHANT "
The phrase "white elephant" refers to a possession that is burdensome or creates more problems for the owner than it is worth.
In Thailand and other Asian countries, white elephants were regarded as holy and keeping a white elephant was very expensive due to the need to provide it with special food. Therefore, if a Thai King was dissatisfied with a subordinate, he would give him a white elephant to take care of.
The first known reference to the phrase "white elephant" being used in the sense it is today was in G.E. Jews bury's "Letters" in 1851.
"BREAK A LEG "
The phrase "break a leg" is used to wish someone luck, especially before a performance.
This phrase originated in the 1920s in British theatres in response to the superstitious belief among performers that it was bad luck to wish someone well before a performance.
One theory is that the term "break a leg" started as an inside joke within one of the theatres as an alternative to wishing a performer good luck and spread from there.
A second theory is that the term "break a leg" came from an ancient English term that meant to take a bow and that the phrase, therefore, originated as a way to say you hoped the performer made it to the end of the performance in order to bow and receive applause.
"GIVE A COLD SHOULDER "
The term "give a cold shoulder" means to be deliberately unfriendly to someone and ignore them.
This phrase can be traced back to the early 1800s. It was said that visitors that were welcome in a home were given a hot meal while those that were not welcome were given a cold shoulder, which was known as the coldest and toughest part of the meat.
"EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING "
The phrase "every cloud has a silver lining" means that there is some good aspect to every bad situation.
The first reference to clouds and silver linings is found in John Milton's 1634 book "Comus: A Mask Presented at Ludlow Castle." These terms were used together often in literature after Milton's use.
The first use of this phrase in today's familiar form occurred in Victorian England in an edition of The Dublin Magazine within a review of Mrs. S. Halls' novel "Marian."
"ONCE IN A BLUE MOON"
The phrase "once in a blue moon" now refers to something that happens very rarely, but used to refer to something absurd.
The first known use of the term "blue moon" to indicate something absurd was in an anti-clerical pamphlet which referred to priests making statements, such as saying the moon was blue, and expecting those statements to be believed as true, regardless of how absurd they were.
In 1821, Pierce Egan used the phrase "once in a blue moon" to refer to something that happens very rarely in his book "Real Life in London," which is the first known use of the term with the currently accepted meaning.
"CROCODILE TEARS "
To weep "crocodile tears" is to put on an insincere show of sorrow.
This phrase is related to the phenomenon of crocodiles shedding tears while eating, which is not related to sadness or sorrow, but a biological process.
The origin of this phrase can be traced back to the 14th century in a book called "The Travels of Sir John Mandeville" which refers to crocodiles killing men and weeping while they ate them.
The earliest use of the phrase in its modern form is found in "Life and Acts of Edmund Grindal," written by John Strype in 1710.
" CALM BEFORE THE STORM "
The phrase "calm before the storm" refers to a quiet and peaceful period before a crisis or other serious incident.
This phrase was first used by sailors who observed a phenomenon in which the weather became eerily calm just before a storm hit.
This calm is related to a meteorological process in which a low-pressure vacuum is created by a storm's need for warm, moist air as fuel.
The phrase has been used since the 1700s and became part of the everyday English language in the 1800s.
" CAT GOT YOUR TONGUE "
The phrase "cat got your tongue" refers to a person being at loss of words.
One possible origin of this phrase is the use of a whip called the "Cat-o’-nine-tails" for flogging. It is believed that the pain suffered during a flogging with this whip was so severe that the victim stayed quiet for a long time afterward.
Another possible origin is ancient Egypt, where the tongues of blasphemers and liars were cut out and fed to cats.
"BURY THE HATCHET "
The term "bury the hatchet" means to make peace with someone with whom one has previously had conflict.
The origins of this phrase go back to the early days of North America when Puritans and Native Americans were in conflict. During peace negotiations, the Native Americans would bury all weapons, such as hatchets, clubs, tomahawks, and knives, making them inaccessible during the negotiations.
"BREAK THE ICE "
The term "break the ice" means to begin a friendship or end a conflict.
This phrase originated before road transportation was widely developed, when ships were the main means of transportation for trade.
Sometimes, trade ships would get stuck in ice during the winter and require the receiving country to send out small ships to break the ice and clear the way, which was seen as a gesture of understanding and affiliation between the countries.
"BITE THE BULLET "
The phrase "bite the bullet" means to accept something that is unpleasant or difficult.
This phrase originated from the practice of military doctors having the patient bite down on a bullet during procedures when they ran out of anesthesia or didn't have time to administer it during battle.
The first known use of the phrase was in "The Light that Failed," published in 1891.
"THE WALLS HAVE EARS "
The phrase "the walls have ears" is used to warn a person to be careful of what they say because someone may be eavesdropping.
This phrase originated from the belief that there was a network of listening tubes in the walls of the Louvre Palace in France through which Queen Catherine de'Medici could listen to everything said in the palace in order to discover political secrets and plots.
" WAKING UP ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE BED "
The phrase "waking up on the wrong side of the bed" means beginning a day in a bad mood.
This phrase is related to a belief throughout history that the left side of anything is the "evil side."
Waking up on the left side of the bed was thought to be bad luck and therefore led to a bad day.
Based on this belief, people went as far as to push the left side of the bed against a wall to force themselves to get up on the right side of the bed.
"TURN A BLIND EYE "
The phrase "turn a blind eye" means to pretend not to see something or to ignore it.
This phrase originated in 1801 during the Battle of Copenhagen. This battle was fought by the British Royal Navy and the Danish-Norwegian fleet.
The British Royal Army was led by Vice Admiral Horacio Nelson, who was blind in one eye.
When signals were sent directing Admiral Nelson to retreat, he reportedly put the telescope to his blind eye and said "I really do not see the signal," thus "turning a blind eye" to his superior's orders.
"CAUGHT RED-HANDED "
The phrase "caught red-handed" means to be caught in the act of committing a crime with the evidence visible.
This phrase originated in Scotland when the term "red-hand" was used in the Scottish Acts of Parliament of James I in 1432. It referred to a criminal being caught with blood on his hands.
References to "red-hand" and "red-handed" appeared repeatedly in Scottish legal proceedings and other publications starting in the 15th century, but the exact phrase "caught red-handed" was first seen in print in the novel "Guy Livingstone" by George Alfred Lawrence, published in 1857 in England.
"WHITE ELEPHANT "
The phrase "white elephant" refers to a possession that is burdensome or creates more problems for the owner than it is worth.
In Thailand and other Asian countries, white elephants were regarded as holy and keeping a white elephant was very expensive due to the need to provide it with special food. Therefore, if a Thai King was dissatisfied with a subordinate, he would give him a white elephant to take care of.
The first known reference to the phrase "white elephant" being used in the sense it is today was in G.E. Jews bury's "Letters" in 1851.
"BREAK A LEG "
The phrase "break a leg" is used to wish someone luck, especially before a performance.
This phrase originated in the 1920s in British theatres in response to the superstitious belief among performers that it was bad luck to wish someone well before a performance.
One theory is that the term "break a leg" started as an inside joke within one of the theatres as an alternative to wishing a performer good luck and spread from there.
A second theory is that the term "break a leg" came from an ancient English term that meant to take a bow and that the phrase, therefore, originated as a way to say you hoped the performer made it to the end of the performance in order to bow and receive applause.
"GIVE A COLD SHOULDER "
The term "give a cold shoulder" means to be deliberately unfriendly to someone and ignore them.
This phrase can be traced back to the early 1800s. It was said that visitors that were welcome in a home were given a hot meal while those that were not welcome were given a cold shoulder, which was known as the coldest and toughest part of the meat.
"EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING "
The phrase "every cloud has a silver lining" means that there is some good aspect to every bad situation.
The first reference to clouds and silver linings is found in John Milton's 1634 book "Comus: A Mask Presented at Ludlow Castle." These terms were used together often in literature after Milton's use.
The first use of this phrase in today's familiar form occurred in Victorian England in an edition of The Dublin Magazine within a review of Mrs. S. Halls' novel "Marian."
"ONCE IN A BLUE MOON"
The phrase "once in a blue moon" now refers to something that happens very rarely, but used to refer to something absurd.
The first known use of the term "blue moon" to indicate something absurd was in an anti-clerical pamphlet which referred to priests making statements, such as saying the moon was blue, and expecting those statements to be believed as true, regardless of how absurd they were.
In 1821, Pierce Egan used the phrase "once in a blue moon" to refer to something that happens very rarely in his book "Real Life in London," which is the first known use of the term with the currently accepted meaning.
"CROCODILE TEARS "
To weep "crocodile tears" is to put on an insincere show of sorrow.
This phrase is related to the phenomenon of crocodiles shedding tears while eating, which is not related to sadness or sorrow, but a biological process.
The origin of this phrase can be traced back to the 14th century in a book called "The Travels of Sir John Mandeville" which refers to crocodiles killing men and weeping while they ate them.
The earliest use of the phrase in its modern form is found in "Life and Acts of Edmund Grindal," written by John Strype in 1710.
" CALM BEFORE THE STORM "
The phrase "calm before the storm" refers to a quiet and peaceful period before a crisis or other serious incident.
This phrase was first used by sailors who observed a phenomenon in which the weather became eerily calm just before a storm hit.
This calm is related to a meteorological process in which a low-pressure vacuum is created by a storm's need for warm, moist air as fuel.
The phrase has been used since the 1700s and became part of the everyday English language in the 1800s.
" CAT GOT YOUR TONGUE "
The phrase "cat got your tongue" refers to a person being at loss of words.
One possible origin of this phrase is the use of a whip called the "Cat-o’-nine-tails" for flogging. It is believed that the pain suffered during a flogging with this whip was so severe that the victim stayed quiet for a long time afterward.
Another possible origin is ancient Egypt, where the tongues of blasphemers and liars were cut out and fed to cats.
"BURY THE HATCHET "
The term "bury the hatchet" means to make peace with someone with whom one has previously had conflict.
The origins of this phrase go back to the early days of North America when Puritans and Native Americans were in conflict. During peace negotiations, the Native Americans would bury all weapons, such as hatchets, clubs, tomahawks, and knives, making them inaccessible during the negotiations.
"BREAK THE ICE "
The term "break the ice" means to begin a friendship or end a conflict.
This phrase originated before road transportation was widely developed, when ships were the main means of transportation for trade.
Sometimes, trade ships would get stuck in ice during the winter and require the receiving country to send out small ships to break the ice and clear the way, which was seen as a gesture of understanding and affiliation between the countries.
"BITE THE BULLET "
The phrase "bite the bullet" means to accept something that is unpleasant or difficult.
This phrase originated from the practice of military doctors having the patient bite down on a bullet during procedures when they ran out of anesthesia or didn't have time to administer it during battle.
The first known use of the phrase was in "The Light that Failed," published in 1891.
"THE WALLS HAVE EARS "
The phrase "the walls have ears" is used to warn a person to be careful of what they say because someone may be eavesdropping.
This phrase originated from the belief that there was a network of listening tubes in the walls of the Louvre Palace in France through which Queen Catherine de'Medici could listen to everything said in the palace in order to discover political secrets and plots.
" WAKING UP ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE BED "
The phrase "waking up on the wrong side of the bed" means beginning a day in a bad mood.
This phrase is related to a belief throughout history that the left side of anything is the "evil side."
Waking up on the left side of the bed was thought to be bad luck and therefore led to a bad day.
Based on this belief, people went as far as to push the left side of the bed against a wall to force themselves to get up on the right side of the bed.