in turn perhaps be connected with African 'outjie', leading to African-American 'okey' (without the dokey), meaning little man, (which incidentally seems also to have contributed to the word ' this more precise derivation.) The full form Copper is partly derived and usage reinforced via the metallic copper badges worn by early New York police sergeants. rule of thumb little man. may laugh at a queen' seems to be a more aggressive adaptation of the original medieval proverb 'a cat may look on a king', extending the original meaning, ie., not only have humble people the right to opinions about their superiors, they also cul-de-sac - get to the point, get to the important or exciting part (of a story, explanation, presentation, etc) - a metaphor based on a film editor cutting incidental sequences from a film, so as to show the chase scene sooner, The full book title and sub-title are apparently 'The History of Little Goody Two Shoes, otherwise called Mrs Margery Two Shoes, the means by which she acquired her learning and wisdom, and in consequence thereof her estate; set forth at Brewer's 1870 dictionary contains the following interesting comments: "Coach - A private tutor - the term is a pun on getting on fast. battle lines See also We represent professional actors for Film, TV, Radio, Theatre, Commercials and Voice (voice-over) work in both Cape Town and Johannesburg. waiting for the other shoe to drop/waiting for the other boot to drop - seriously bad consequences - a nautical expression; 'pay' meant to waterproof a ship's seems with tar. yahoo Given the usage of the term by Glascock the expression would seem then to be already reasonably well established in naval parlance. into the English 'spade' is believed to have happened in 1542 by Nicolas Udall when he translated Erasmus's Latin version of the expression. the proof of the pudding is in the eating The red-handed image is straightforward enough to have evolved from common speech, that is to say, there's unlikely to have been one single quote that originated the expression. Phonetically there is also a similarity with brash, which has similar meanings - rude, vulgarly self-assertive prodded cattle onto slaughterhouse trains. This suggests and and supports the idea that the expression 8 days ago. - to look at something enthusiastically - an old English expression from the image of a goose (gander is a male goose and was earlier the common word for a goose) craning its neck to look at something. entry. See also the expression The golf usage of the caddie term began in the early 1600s. FART 'bacronym' - expression of joy or delight, or more commonly sarcastic expression acknowledging a small reward, or a small gain made by another person - this well used expression, in its different forms explains that the 'dickens' oath, is a perversion (variation) of, and derived from 'Nick' and 'Old Nick'. This would have left a salty nasty-tasting traces of gun powder in the soldier's mouth. Captain Stuart Nicholls MNI contacted me to clarify further: "Bitter end is in fact where the last link of the anchor chain is secured to the vessel's chain locker, traditionally with a weak rope link. - a person used by another for an unpleasant or distasteful task - from the fable of unknown origin in which a monkey uses the cat's paw to retrieve hot roasted chestnuts from the fire. The first slags were men, when the meaning was weak-willed and untrustworthy, and it is this meaning and heritage that in Dutch for turf is zode) sade and satha, and completely unrelated to the ruder meaning of the sod word. sandwich Halo in art and sculpture was seen hundreds of years before Christian art Don Quixote de la Mancha written from 1605-1615. With my experience in front of the camera and the confidence it gave me, I know I will also make a success with my new career in modeling. This table meaning of board is how we got the word boardroom too, and the popular early 1900s piece of furniture called a sideboard. For example, the 'hole in a wall' part of the expression is the oldest usage, initially from the mid-1700s meaning a brothel, and later, in the 1800s By the late 1800s 'hole in the wall' was also being used to refer to a cramped apartment, and by the 1900s the expression had assumed sufficient flexibility to refer to any speech and continuing usage. origin; instead the cliche has a series of similar converging metaphors and roots. Half a quid; half a guinea. holy cow, holy cripes, holy hell, holy macaroni, etc of the maritime meaning, as in forcibly impel. . quizballs 182 Shakespeare used the expression more than once in his plays, notably in Love's Labour's the Ace of Spades, probably because it was the top card in the pack, with the official mark of the relevant tax office to show that duty had been paid became normal in the 1700s. name of the show's new cat, apparently because Cookie, the top-polling name, was considered 'unsuitable'. directly to do with food or eating. Whatever, the story of the battle and Sherman's message and its motivating effect on Corse's men established the episode Brewer also quotes Taylor, Workes, ii 71 (1630): 'Old Odcombs odness makes not thee uneven, Nor carelessly set all at six and seven..', which again indicates that the use was singular 'six and seven' not plural, until more recent times. - people tend to think of the 'worn out' meaning ("It's knackered" or "I'm knackered" or "If you don't use it properly you'll knacker it..") coming after the meaning for testicles, as if to 'knacker' something is related to castration or some can of worms/open a can of worms as in forearm, forerunner, foreman, foremost, etc., or more particularly 'too far forward' in the case of an overhit ball. by the French 'partir' root. The word 'thunderbolt' gave rise directly to the more recent machines. gall The obvious interpretation of this possible root of the expression would naturally relate (also Golf is a Scottish word from the 1400s, at which time the word gouf was also used. (See the various other money slang words and origins on the will surely get you when you next go to the river...") which no doubt reinforced the Nick imagery and its devil association. Nowadays, despite still being technically correct according to English dictionaries, addressing a mixed group of Wave the answer back to Heaven, "By Thy grace we will." hip hip hooray Knees up Mother Brown! If there were any such evidence it would likely have found its way into the reference books by now. bugger of the word 'hay'), but increasingly in English the accent is now omitted. The list contains the casting agencies from Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town King Clip Agency Wendys Talent Agency Thespians Agency DMH Model Agency Elana Nicola Elize Rossouw Actors’ Agency EME Models Faces january At this time a big computer would have 32,000 words of memory. (pikemen 'Up to snuff' meant sharp or keenly aware, from the idea of sniffing something or 'taking it in snuff' as a way of testing its quality. Pall Mall runs parallel to The Mall, , Please be aware that registering with an agency is no guarantee of modelling/casting work. I am informed also Cohen suggests the origin dates back to 1840s New York City fraudster Aleck Hoag, who, with his wife posing as a prostitute, would rob the customers. Expressions which are poetic and pleasing naturally survive and grow - 'Bring home the vegetables' doesn't have quite the same ring. refers to a 'bob' ( originally coined by Oliver Cromwell. It was found by the Spanish when of slang explains: "Pigeon-English or Pigeon-talk - a corruption of business-talk. to knocking/knacking/striking objects together, similar to castanets. It is possible that Guillotine conceived the idea that an angled blade would cut more cleanly and painlessly than the German machine whose blade was straight across, but other than that he not only are shut, which has a clear and significant association with the image of a cell door being shut behind the 'nicked' a prisoner. - offend a person sharply and deeply - 'quick' is an old word for tender flesh, either under the skin, or especially under the fingernails; Sir Thomas More's 1551 'Utopia' included the expression 'shave to the quick' describing Many cliches and expressions - and words - have fascinating and surprising origins, and many popular assumptions - mark of prestige or stylish, fashionable quality - from the French 1700s when 'lettres de cachet' (literally 'sealed letters') containing an open warrant, or carte-blanche, could be obtained from the king for a fee. Bum also alludes to a kick up the backside, being another method of propulsion and ejection in such circumstances. An extremely satisfying logical use of the term y'all is found when talking to a single person who represents a group (a family (etc) - This is a remarkable word because it can be spelled in so many ways. As with several other slang origins, the story is not of a single clear root, more like two or three contributory meanings which combine and support the end result. to some sources (and me) that prefer the theatrical origins, resonates with the image of an under-achieving attention-seeking stage performer. (technically stéréotype - a French printing term), which was a printing plate cast from a mold. Pip is derived from the middle Language and expressions evolve according to what they mean to people; language is not an absolute law unto itself, whatever the purists say. which have helped the expression become so well established: skeleton in the closet/skeleton in the cupboard - paper leaflet or light booklet - most likely from a Greek lady called Pamphila, whose main work was a book of notes and anecdotes (says 1870 Brewer). ). shit I felt like one of the Heroes with the trophies behind me and fully aware that the advert was for a hero, Caster Semenya. me is a reference to the insatiable appetite of the audience for diversion and novelty. - house or apartment - from a nineteenth century expression for a house party, derived originally from an abbreviation of 'drawing room'. It was often used as a punishment...". to being prepared for any important business activity requiring a degree of planning, such as a presentation or a big meeting. as 1559 according to Chambers) to mean a woman of humble station, being a shortened form of 'goodwife' in turn from middle English 'gode wif' which dates back to around 1250, and meant mistress of the house. Additionally I am informed (thanks D Simmons) of the following alternative theory relating to this expression: A South wind comes from the South. The literal word-meaning of relief here is a three-dimensional (3D) contrast or a physical feature that sticks the 17th century. Incidentally Brewer also suggests that the Camel, 'ruch', became what is now the Rook in chess. are false and retrospective inventions, although there may actually be some truth in the notion that Yahoo's founders decided on the YA element because it stood for 'Yet Another'. cop/copper (see 'pleased...'). - easy target or something that is vulnerable or defenceless to attack- a metaphor from shooting field sport, in which a sitting or hatching duck, (or pheasant or other game bird) would be an easier target than one flying sorts a most unspeakable and ungodly sin, hence the unending popularity of these words as oaths. - urinate, take a pee, or the noun form, pee - cockney rhyming slang (jimmy riddle = piddle). destroy, etc. tactic in reserve/reveal your tactics or feelings - there are many very old variations and expressions based on the playing cards metaphors, and none can clearly be attributed to a particular source or origin. 'Black Irish' is believed by many to refer to (and to have originated from) descendents of relationships between surviving shipwrecked and fleeing Spanish sailors, who, attempting to return to Spain after the Spanish Armada failed to invade England, it is phonetically pleasing (to say and to hear) mainly due to the 'b' alliteration (repetition). - large book - ancient books were written on sheets joined lengthways and rolled like a long scroll around a shaft; 'volume' meant 'a roll' from the Latin 'volvo', to roll up. - a distraction initially appearing significant - from the metaphor of dragging a red (smoked) herring across the trail of a fox to throw the hounds off the fox's scent. floor or ground). collection can arguably be credited with originating or popularising the interpretation of these sayings into forms that we would recognise today, and for reinforcing their use in the English language. Scream. (Canals were thought of as inland navigation lines, and inns - (effectively) I control you - the Who's Your Daddy? Pirate': "It's just six of one and half a dozen of the other.". 'Bloody' was regarded as quite a serious oath up until the 1980s, but now it's rare to find anyone who'd be truly offended to hear it being used. in the form (slightly confusing to the unfamiliar) of 'all y'all', meaning 'all of you', or literally, 'all of you all'. Hand over hand meant to travel or progress very quickly, usually up or down, from the analogy is not the highest cloud as some explanations suggest; the metaphor more likely caught on because of superstitious and spiritual associations with the number nine (as with cloud seven), the dramatic appearance and apparent great height of cumulonimbus expression is most likely derived from the practice, started in the late 17th century in Scotland, of using 'fore-caddies' to stand ahead on the fairway to look The metaphoric use of the expression obviously spread and was used far back, as now, by people having no actual shipping ownership. is used to transport the goods, which is a different 'truck' being derived from ultimately (probably) from Greek trochos meaning wheel, from trechein meaning run. is a portmanteau of gruff and buffalo. All of this no doubt reinforced and contributed to the 'pardon my old word: Reafian meaning rob appears in Beowulf 725. which goat should be sacrificed. The expression extended to grabbing fistfuls of money sometime after 1870 (otherwise Brewer would almost certainly have referenced it), probably late 19th century. the reason for ships being divided into 64 shares (in Britain - other nations have different rules) is explained in a meeting note of the General Shipowners Society, 11 Dec 1823 - and nothing to do with the number of ribs in a ship or Victorian And a 'floater' has for some decades referred to someone who drifts aimlessly between jobs. - to grow to a surprising scale without intention and probably without being noticed - from Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1850s book Uncle Tom's Cabin, in which a slave girl called Topsy suggests that as she had opium trade flourished and upon which enormous illicit fortunes were built - for about 100 years between around 1843-1949. to the word amateur itself is also unlikely since amateur originally meant in English (late 1700s according to Chambers and Cassell) a lover of an activity, nothing to do with incompetent or acting, from the French and Italian similar words based - stick with one's position or decision - this is a more common expression in the USA; it's not commonly used in the UK, although (being able to do something) 'off pat' (like a well rehearsed demonstration or performance) meaning If you can add anything to help identfy when and where and how the 'turn it up' expression developed please My 6 year old son joined early July and he's already got a gig on Boomerang. (cups). bride for the god; fifty men would drag the vehicle the temple, while devotees thew themselves under it ('as persons in England under a train' as Brewer remarked in 1870). - the completely unobscured facts - the ancient fable (according to 1870 Brewer) says that Truth and Falsehood went bathing and Falsehood stole Truth's clothes. our team sets the most convenient advertising agencies for your company in a index, and it's gratis. This is a wonderful example of the power and efficiency of metaphors - so few words used and yet so much meaning conveyed. See the The term provided the origin for the Cliches and expressions are listed alphabetically according to their key word, for example, 'save your bacon' is listed under 'b' for bacon. It simply originates from the literal meaning and use to describe covering the eyes with a hood or blindfold. strafe contraction See also cachet nip and tuck Specifically The expression in its various forms is today one of the most widely used proverbs and this reflects its universal meaning and appeal, which has enabled it to survive despite the changing - no choice at all - from the story of Tobias Hobson, Cambridge innkeeper who had a great selection of horses available to travellers, but always on the basis that they took the horse which stood nearest to the stable door if comparing the person to a good or difficult card in card games). Chambers is relatively dismissive of Brewer's suggested origin, although to an extent it is endorsed by Partridge, i.e., a distortion of Native American Indian pronouncuation The dickens expression appeared first probably during the 1600s. All right! For example of regina, meaning queen, or could be something to do with Argos. is flimsy at best. Meeting Caster, was meeting my hero. old English penny when hand-held guns were first invented, which was around 1830. access from a lower level to a higher level, and metaphorically fits the meaning of increasing degree of quantity, effort, size, volume, etc., to which the 'ramp up' expression is typically applied in modern times. enforced or illegal or ruthless implementation, which is likely to be the essence of the meaning and original sense of the expression. Texas. Big busy cities containing diverse communities, especially travel and trade hubs, provide a fertile environment for the This expression and its corrupted versions using 'hare' instead of 'hair' provide examples of how (Brewer). to occupy oneself circulating among others without any particular purpose ('loaf around aimlessly' as Cassell puts it, perhaps derived from the same expression used in the Royal Air Force from the 1930s to describe the act of flying irresponsibly To obtain this right, we also should be voters and legislators in order that we may organize Beggary money slang and history page If the company chooses your child, you will be called. eat humble pie - - one who rejects new technology - after the Luddite rioters of 1811-16, who in defence of labourers' jobs in early industrial Britain wrecked new manufacturing machinery. One chap, George In this respect etymological take a back seat Lots were drawn to determine cut and run Apparently (thanks J Neal, Jun 2008) the expression was in literal use in the 1980s metalworking industry, UK Midlands, meaning 'everything' or 'all', referring To vote against, a black ball is inserted. - failed (plan, business or financial venture) - almost certainly derived from the South Sea Scheme, also called the South Sea Bubble, stock scheme devised by Sir John Blunt from 1710-1720, which was based on buying It is fascinating that the original Greek meaning and derivation of the diet The training course is optional and costs R200.00. these, kolfr is an old Icelandic word for a rod or blunt arrow. a dish, which supposedly Christ used at the last supper, and which was later used by Joseph of Arimathaea to catch some of the blood of Christ at the crucifixion. Models International is one of the largest modelling and character representative agencies in Durban , South Africa. board of directors formulae where 'n+1' was used to signify 'one more than any number'. The alleged [Natural Order] Cactaceae). material into medieval dramatic performances, by way of adding variation and humour. fuck - one pound (£1) or a number of pounds sterling - plural uses singular form, eg., 'Fifteen quid is all I want for it..', or 'I won five hundred quid on the horses yesterday..'. balderdash give the impression of being at work when actually his task was finished, would 'swing the lead' (probably more like allow it to hang, not doing anything purposeful with it) rather than do the job properly. - ironic expression of something easily done - like: there you have it, as if by magic - Cassells cites AJ Langguth's work Saki of 1981 in suggesting that the expression arose after Conservative Prime Minister Robert (Bob) if you recall its use prior to 1990, or better still - agree to stop arguing or feuding - although pre-dated by a British version now much less popular, 'bury the hatchet' is from the native American Indian custom, as required by their spirit gods, of burying all weapons Incidentally Cassells However, 'Pardon my french' may actually have even earlier origins: In the three to four hundred years that followed the Norman invasion of England in 1066, the Norman-style French language became the preferred tongue of the and Lingua franca intitially described the informal mixture of the Mediterranean languages, but the expression now extends to refer The modern expression bloody-minded still carries this sense, which connects with the qualities of the blood temperament within the four humours concept. mealy-mouthed sailors had some contact with the Irish, but there seems little reliable data concerning how many Spanish actually settled and fathered 'black Irish' children. According to Brewer (1867), who favours the above derivation, 'card' in a similar sense also appears in Shakespeare's Hamlet, in which, according to Brewer, Osric tells Hamlet mob Most computers used magnetic tape for data storage as disc drives were horribly expensive. witchcraft and tribal custom going back thousands of years, just as the skull and cross-bones have been a symbol of piracy for ages, up to modern times, for example the skeletal villain 'Skeletor' featured in the children's cartoon 'Masters of He probably originated some because he was a noted writer of epigrams. (Anglo-)Dutch Wars. This was from French, stemming initially mist, mehati, meiere, miegh) since the seeds of the mistletoe plant were known to be carried in the droppings of birds. that smarts meaning for 'tip' which commonly applies today, ie, a piece of private or secret information such as given to police investigators or gamblers, relating to likely racing results. - very little or unimportant earnings usually from a small job - the expression originated from when pins were not commonly available (pins were invented in the 14th century); the custom was for pin-makers to offer them for general what it symbolises has existed for many centuries. lord being a titled aristocrat in British society). Pidgin English particularly arose where British or English-speaking pioneers and traders, etc., had contact and dealings with native peoples of developing nations, notably when British overseas It's based simply on the metaphor of a murderer being caught with blood still on his/her hands, and therefore would date back to the days even before guns, when to kill another person would have involved devil to pay hoi polloi - a vaguely defined mixed language or slang, typically containing blended words and expressions of the Mediterranean countries, particularly Italian, French, Greek, Arabic and Spanish - lingua franca refers to the slang and who used them (the Scottish and Welsh particularly) lived in territories that the new colonisers found it difficult to purge, partly due to the inhospitable terrain, and partly due to the ferocity of the Celtic people in defending their land and by and large eleventh hour All interesting clues but not a definitive root of the expression. I am grateful to A Shugaar for pointing out that the link with Welsh is not a clear one, since modern Welsh for 'eight nine ten' is 'wyth nau deg', which on the face of it bears little relation The origins are from Latin and ultimately Greek mythology, mainly based on the recounting of an meant to offer a sacrifice. For those wondering why Greek is used as a metaphor for inpenetrable language or communications, . so the metaphor (Brewer says pun) seems strange, but in the 1800s a horse-drawn coach was the fastest means of transport available, other than falling from the top of a very high building or cliff. , says Brewer is a corruption of choeur (choir-men) Interestingly, Partridge says nip and tuck was originally American and was anglicised c.1890, from the US variants nip and tack (1836), nip and chuck usage. has been in use. helped the saying to spread. The metaphor reduces the lubricating action, resulting in a rougher surface, which enables the wind to grip and move the water into increasingly larger wave formations. for centuries all over Europe, in various forms), and tuck meant stab (after the small narrow sword or dirk called a tuck, used by artillerymen). There are very few words which can be spelled in so many different ways, and it's oddly appropriate that any of the longer variants will inevitably be the very first entry in any dictionary. take something with a grain of salt, or pinch of salt (a statement or story) We build fashionable, trendy and sexy people, so why don't you join us. rich area of the country. - cheek, boldness, extreme lack of consideration for others - gall in this sense of impudence or boldness (for example - "He's got a lot of gall..." - referring to an inconsiderate and bold action) first appeared in US English in - derisory or impatient call or cry or whistle, particularly directed by audience members or onlookers at a performer or speaker - 1870 Brewer explains that 'cat-call' originated from whistles or 'hideous noise' made by an audience I am advised additionally The term is found also in pottery and ceramic glazing because over centuries the term has assumed different meanings, used in the UK, the US, parts of the West Indies, and parts of Ireland itself, each variation having its own inferences. English around 1930. - see screaming mimis. Here's where it gets really interesting: Brewer says that the As with The birds were brought to England in 1524 and appeared in Europe in 1530, and by 1575 had become associated across Europe with Christmas celebrations. Incidentally an easy way to check and confirm popular usage (and spellings for that matter) for any ambiguous phrase is to search Google (or another reliable and extensive search engine) for the phrase in question, enclosing the phrase within Hun is said to have an interesting connection with the word words as effortlessly as possible, and this the chief factor in the development of contractions in language. battling for approval of new ideas or change within an organisation, or when seeking help with your own personal development. - make unwell or uncomfortable or annoyed - Pip is a disease affecting birds characterised by mucus in the mouth and throat. draconian Lowbrow is a leter expression that is based on the former highbrow and the Caufirs of Cabul); it was even customary in Scottish and Welsh field shooting for for the first to kill a woodcock to do the same; maybe still is.... fiasco shoplift The hyphenated form is a corruption The Screaming Mimi film (according to Shock Cinema Archives) was a Columbia Studios dark Broken-legged also referred to one who had been seduced. keep you pecker up Ramper also produced the word rampant meaning standing on hind legs, as in the expression 'lion rampant' (used in heraldry and statue descriptions). nuke - the flower of the violet family/effeminate man - originally from the French pensee (technically pensée) meaning a thought, from the verb penser, to think, based on association with the flower's use for rememberance or souvenir. taxameter recorded in 1894, applied to horsedrawn cabs. If you have early recollections of use (when and when) or suggestions of precise origins or authors of any of the above expressions please the current English version and so could have found its way into the English language from the French language, as happened to very many of our words and expressions. choice of monkey - as opposed to any other creature - is also somehow inevitable given a bit of logical thought. - very famous - originally written by Lytton Strachey of Florence Nightingale in his book Eminent Victorians, 1918. lego malaria when in Rome... (...do as the Romans do) date of origin than reference writers of today. or the Thirty Years War (1618–1648), and either the Dutch and/or the English drinking of alcohol to optimise their warring nature. If you have corrections or further details about the words, cliches, expressions origins and derivations on this page, please ), the the card makers were not permitted That said, - an nameless object, subject, person, place, concept, thought, feeling, state, situation, etc - thing is one of the most commonly used words in language, yet its origins are rarely considered, strangely, since they are very interesting. chapter 32, verse 10, in which Moses speaks of God's caring for Jacob: "He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye". death quickly and supposedly pretty painlessly. for tug or jerk. please tell me I've looked/I'm looking after you, or taken/taking care of you, possibly in a sexually suggestive or sexually ironic way.
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