Common phrases that you know the origin of ...

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2003-10-10 06:01pm

Ever wonder about the origin of phrases like, "Stop/turn on a dime" or "Eat crow"? Well, so do the rest of us. If you happen to know the history of a certain commonly-used expression that doesn't really make any literal sense, go ahead and post here.

RadiO · Post by **RadiO** » 2003-10-10 06:13pm

The admonishment "belt up!" as a common phrase may come from the Royal Flying Corps and its fellow air forces in WWI.
Pilots had to load the ammo belts for their aircrafts' machine guns themselves, by hand. This was tedious work, and so to tell somebody to 'belt up' carried a certain weight; a combination of 'shut up' and 'fuck off'.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-10-10 06:22pm

Giving someone/something "the whole nine yards" originates from WW2, in which several American fighters used belts of .50cal ammunition exactly 27 feet long. If a pilot fired all his ammo into a target he'd say he gave it the whole nine yards.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2003-10-10 06:28pm

http://www.straightdope.com

http://www.snopes.com

Andrew J. · Post by **Andrew J.** » 2003-10-10 08:46pm

Going "speak of the devil!" upon seeing something one has been talking about is a reference tp the old superstition that the devil would appear when you talked about him.

Chardok · Post by **Chardok** » 2003-10-10 08:59pm

I always wondered about why we say "God Bless you" When someone sneezes. I had always heard that it was because in times of yore, it was believed that when you sneezed, your soul was forced out of your body for a second, and that the devil could take it. Therefore, saying God Bless you Drove him away, rendering him unable to snatch said soul. What I heard was wrong, apparently.

The Straight Dope wrote:The custom of saying "God bless you" after a sneeze was begun literally as a blessing. Pope Gregory the Great (540-604 AD) ascended to the Papacy just in time for the start of the plague (his successor succumbed to it). Gregory (who also invented the ever-popular Gregorian chant) called for litanies, processions and unceasing prayer for God's help and intercession. Columns marched through the streets chanting, "Kyrie Eleison" (Greek for "Lord have mercy"). When someone sneezed, they were immediately blessed ("God bless you!") in the hope that they would not subsequently develop the plague. All that prayer apparently worked, judging by how quickly the plague of 590 AD diminished.

C'est la vie.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-10-10 09:18pm

Sea Skimmer wrote:Giving someone/something "the whole nine yards" originates from WW2, in which several American fighters used belts of .50cal ammunition exactly 27 feet long. If a pilot fired all his ammo into a target he'd say he gave it the whole nine yards.

That's actually one of many supposed origins of the term, there are so many variations on this that I doubt we'd find the one true version.

Another one is "worth its salt" which means to have someone/something be competent and a worthy investment. This dates back to when sodium chloride wasn't too easy to come by.

The Cleric · Post by **The Cleric** » 2003-10-10 10:12pm

Roman soldiers were paid in part with salt. I think that expresion is that old.

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2003-10-10 10:17pm

"Son of a gun."

(Yes, it came before 'son of a bitch.')

In early British Navy sailing ships, prostitutes would often accompany the sailors back on board while in harbor and sometimes go to sea. The offspring that would come from these events would be known as a 'son of a gun.' Often times, these orphaned children would only find work back on the ships that they were created on, helping on the gun deck. Hence, 'Son of a gun.'

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2003-10-10 10:17pm

StormTrooperTR889 wrote:Roman soldiers were paid in part with salt. I think that expresion is that old.

And the latin name for Salt is 'Salarium' (sp?), hence, salary.

El Moose Monstero · Post by **El Moose Monstero** » 2003-10-11 12:33am

Enough room to swing a cat.

May come from a ship design, given a name which could be shortened to cat (not a catermaran), and this ship was a small design, hence, if the dock was a small one, there was not enough room to swing a cat.

But that's a big may.

Tsyroc · Post by **Tsyroc** » 2003-10-11 12:53am

Referring to something that "sucks". Ie: "This sucks".

I've always felt that this came from the saying "sucks hind tit". Which is a bit of a farming reference in which a newborn animal has been been beaten out to the more accessible of it's mother's nipples and got stuck with the one that's hardest to get to and stay on. If this continues to happen on a regular basis the animal could end up being stunted and possibly die from not being able to get enough nourisment. Basically look at it as a less than ideal situation.

Now my dictionary says that the term "sucks" refers to oral sex. Considering that "blows" seems to be interchangeable with "sucks" that certainly seems to be how it's interpreted now but I think the shortening of the oral sex ("this sucks dick") references would have come more recently since I'm doubtful they've been in as common of usage for as long as a farming term that was stating fact and not actually vulgar.

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2003-10-11 06:56pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:
Sea Skimmer wrote:Giving someone/something "the whole nine yards" originates from WW2, in which several American fighters used belts of .50cal ammunition exactly 27 feet long. If a pilot fired all his ammo into a target he'd say he gave it the whole nine yards.
That's actually one of many supposed origins of the term, there are so many variations on this that I doubt we'd find the one true version.

I've heard 'whole nine yards' came from Scotsmen's kilts. Giving yourself the 'whole nine yards' meant belting yourself into one of the Great Kilts, which are nine yards long.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-10-11 07:05pm

That is the oldest origin, there are many though and I can't find the original, nor can anyone else it would seem.

Peregrin Toker · Post by **Peregrin Toker** » 2003-10-12 04:57am

In Northern Europe we say somebody look like "The Death From Lübeck" if they are really ugly.

This comes from Totentanz, ("Dance of Death") a stained-glass window mosaic found in a church in Lübeck, Germany.

This mosaic depicts The Grim Reaper dancing with a lot of people.

The mosaic is actually a "replica" of a carpet depicting exactly the same... but this carpet was lost during WW2.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2003-10-12 05:33am

"Bitch" refered originally to "Woman who was like a wolf", (could take care of herself and her kids.)

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2003-10-12 05:40am

The_Lumberjack wrote:Enough room to swing a cat.

May come from a ship design, given a name which could be shortened to cat (not a catermaran), and this ship was a small design, hence, if the dock was a small one, there was not enough room to swing a cat.

But that's a big may.

Actually I believe it comes from a reference to internal design. "Enough room to swing a cat" means that there was enough headroom on that deck for you to swing a cat 'o nine tails vertically.

Darth Fanboy · Post by **Darth Fanboy** » 2003-10-12 05:47am

"Rule of Thumb"

Because in the middle ages, on the sabbath, you weren't allowed to beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2003-10-12 05:59am

Darth Fanboy wrote:"Rule of Thumb"

Because in the middle ages, on the sabbath, you weren't allowed to beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.

Actually that was an English law from about the time of the Puritan revolution onwards which applied under all circumstances, and in the 19th century was often referenced in regard to cases of possible (excessive) abuse of wives by their husbands in the USA. In fairness the Puritans were demonstrating a great deal of advanced thinking here; in many countries there was no similiar law and you could beat your wife with anything that it took your fancy to beat your wife with.

Darth Fanboy · Post by **Darth Fanboy** » 2003-10-12 06:01am

Even better!

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2003-10-12 06:04am

So we can probably safely say that Pat Robertson, for instance, does not consider himself to support spouse-beating, but he just doesn't think the Rule of Thumb qualifies as anything but enlightened christian mercy.

...Sorry, I just had to add that.

Darth Fanboy · Post by **Darth Fanboy** » 2003-10-12 06:09am

Dont know if this counts

What is morning wood?

While many people will give you some goofy definition for morning wood that sounds like something out of a pornographic horror film, the true answer to the question "what is morning wood" is rather simple and mundane.

Morning wood has more swirls, knots, sap and other imperfections that make the lumber weak.

Normal wood has grain without swirls or knots. This type of wood is very strong and useful for construction.

Some people believe that the early morning dew and fog is responsible for morning wood.

Lumbermen for years have bemoaned the problems associated with morning wood. Many a lumberjack has delayed starting the days work-- out of fears he had morning wood.

While it is widely known that the best hours to be roaming about in the forest is early in the morning, this is the very worst time of the day to cut timber.

It is a biological fact that plant cells undergo certain changes as the daytime progresses along. For most species of tree, the cells in the wood fibers undergo some rather dramatic changes during the first few hours of the day.

As you can see from the photos at left, trees that were felled early in the morning have a very poor grain structure and are weaker when used in construction.

Nowadays, you rarely find morning wood. Most lumberjacks have discovered that a douse with some cold water typically eliminates the problem. By the time the lumber reaches the consumer, any morning wood has been culled out or doused with curative cold water.

For those who are determined to see some morning wood for themselves, they should seek out their local county building inspector and ask to see some samples of morning wood. Most county inspectors are glad to help educate the public .

Linky

Post by **haas mark** » 2003-10-12 06:45am

Well, apparently "fag" came from the word "faggot," meaning bundle of sticks during the Inquisition. Check SLAM for full story.

~ver

Lord Poe · Post by **Lord Poe** » 2003-10-12 11:47am

Doesn't the term "I have you over a barrel" mean literally that you've got your opponent bent over a barrel for a good Rogering?

Typhonis 1 · Post by **Typhonis 1** » 2003-10-12 12:07pm

Chick comes from the dictionary its shiort for chicken which was another name for a girl.