Origin of Phrases

Knock on wood, Red letter day, The life of Riley

You probably know what these phrases mean, you may use them yourself. But why do they mean what they do? Phrases usually have meaning that goes beyond the words in the phrase. This page investigates how common phrases came to be.

So you think you're smart. Here is your chance to prove it. If you have a good explanation of a phrase origin, or a suggestion for a new phrase, send an email. If I like your submission I will add it to the list and give you credit.

Hot Origin of the Week

Dead ringer

Meaning: To look like someone else.

Example: She told me I was dead ringer for Dilbert. Is that good?

Origin: The definition of ringer, from which this phrase comes, is "substituted racehorse."
Unscrupulous racehorse owners have a fast horse and a slow horse that are nearly identical in appearance. They run the slow horse until the betting odds reached the desired level, then they substitute the ringer, who can run much faster. Dead, in this case means abrupt or exact, like in dead stop, or dead shot.
Thanks to Jim Hubbell

______________________________________________________________________

Hot Phrase of the Week

Clean your clock

Meaning: To deliver a thorough thrashing.

Example: If you don't get out of my favorite chair I will have to clean your clock.

Origin: If you know send email to morelandc@aol.com.

______________________________________________________________________

About Origin of Phrases -

Origin of Phrases is organized into three sections:

Home You are reading it now. Provides introduction and explanations.

Phrases with origins A list of phrases with origins already identified. Feel free to peruse by scrolling or using the index provided. If you have something to add to a phrase that already has the origin, please send email. Your input is welcome

Phrases seeking origins A list of phrases whose origins I am seeking. You can also navigate this list by scrolling or using the index. If you have information about a phrase origin, please send an email.

You can navigate the site through the menu bar at the top of each page.

I created this web site because I find the source of common phrases to be interesting. Everyday phrases are an integral part of our language, we hear and use them constantly. Common phrases are widely and frequently used, have well understood and generally agreed upon meaning - that is what makes them common.

The interesting piece of all this is that very often the widely understood meaning of the phrase seems to have nothing to do with the words that compose the phrase. Yet we use these phrases everyday, oblivious as to why.

Typically we can find sound and logical explanations for these phrases, and that often proves to be quite interesting, sometimes educational, and maybe a bit entertaining. That is what this site is all about.

My focus is on phrases that are popular in the US, that is American English phrases.

The origin of a given phrase is generally not known with certainty. I make no guarantee regarding the correctness of any phrase origins provided. In fact you will often find multiple possible origins offered. Although I do research suggested origins, the key is that origins must stand the test of reasonableness (as judged by me). In the end you must be the judge.

A number of books exist on the subject. In most cases these tend to be dry, academic research identifying dates and authors of when phrases first appear in printed materials. I tend not to include such uninteresting bits unless it adds to the explanation. Unless the reference helps to explain why the author chose to use that phrase then such reference is not likely to be relevant.

This is an effort at original research, not simply a collection of information culled from published books. My methodology is to tap a vast pool of knowledge - people who use the internet. By bringing together the tremendously diverse background and experience set of visitors, a high quality of phrase origins is being assembled.

In compiling this collection, I have observed some basic reasons why phrase meanings seem to deviate from the words that compose the phrase. I have organized the Phrases with Origins section into these categories. Some phrases fit into multiple categories, I have placed them in the single category that I think is best.

1) Some part of the phrase comes from a term or word that has meaning to a specialized group that is different from that understood by the general population. An example would be that "sheet" is a word sailors use for the ropes the control the position of sails relative to the wind.

2) The phrase once made sense, however makes reference to something that is now obsolete. The words in the phrase have stayed the same but the world has changed. An example is "Drop a dime" which was very clear years ago when pay phones once cost a dime.

3) The phrase makes sense only if you know some relatively obscure piece of information. An example is "blow off some steam" which is clear if you know that steam engines have blow off valves to control pressure and prevent explosions..

4) The phrase makes reference to a popular story or event. If you know the story, the phrase makes sense. An example is "battling windmills" which is clear if you know the story of Don Quixote.

5) The phrase is constructed to rhyme for entertainment value. The words may be nonsensical such as "even steven".

6) A word in the phrase has an obscure or foreign language definition or one that has fallen out of common usage, and is therefore not well known. An example would be "quick" which is defined as flesh.

7) The phrase has been altered from its original wording, this includes abbreviations and mispronunciations. An example is "on the wagon" which originally was "on the water wagon".

8) The last category are phrases that are reasonably obvious, these are the phrase I like to describe as "Dah"! But sometimes these are interesting so I include them anyway. Further, what is obvious to one person can be obscure to another. These phrase often provide analogies to the meaning. An example is "keep it under your hat".

I typically update this page about once per week, adding new phrases and origins. So if you like it, set a bookmark and visit often.

Enjoy.

*Meaning:*	To deliver a thorough thrashing.
*Example:*	If you don't get out of my favorite chair I will have to clean your clock.
*Origin:*	If you know send email to morelandc@aol.com.

Home	You are reading it now. Provides introduction and explanations.
Phrases with origins	A list of phrases with origins already identified. Feel free to peruse by scrolling or using the index provided. If you have something to add to a phrase that already has the origin, please send email. Your input is welcome
Phrases seeking origins	A list of phrases whose origins I am seeking. You can also navigate this list by scrolling or using the index. If you have information about a phrase origin, please send an email.