My six-month-old grandson is jumping in his Johnny Jump-Up next to me as I type. I look up and smile and talk to him now and then to let him know I am still aware of him. Once I look directly at him and I see an interesting expression on his face. He’s done this many times, just like every other baby that’s come along in my life. They watch you closely with an expression on their little faces that says, “What are you doing, how are you doing it…and how can I do it…like right now”. They are soaking everything in, figuring out how the world ticks. Today when I saw it, it was pretty intense, so it made me think of that old slogan, “Enquiring minds want to know.” The U.S. trademarked ad slogan used by the tabloid magazine “The National Enquirer” began taking over our minds in 1981. Funny how those slogans, especially if put to music, really stick. Also, sticking in our minds are sayings, proverbs, and idioms.
[Definition break: the definition of an idiom: "a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words" (e.g., raining cats and dogs, see the light, can’t hold a candle to).]
There are thousands of old sayings, idioms, and proverbs, some with rather startling beginnings like “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.” I came across the full meaning of this one years ago and it stuck because it was kind-of gross. What I’d read was that people used to only take a bath once a year, then they’d use the same tub and water. The father took his bath first and by the time all the family had gone through their turn, the water was so filthy it was no longer clear and there was a concern that the baby, who was last, would end up getting emptied out with the bathwater. The newest version I found said that in medieval times, when water was scarce, the family bathed using one tub of water…at least they had a good reason for using the same water – a water shortage is much more understandable than a lack of personal hygiene. I can’t imagine having a bath only once a year…
Many of our idioms or sayings are relatively easy to figure out the original meanings as they have maintained a similar meaning throughout the years. Take “Jack of all trades, master of none”. There’s logic to this one. My source said it began with only the first half being offered, which says someone is good at many things, but when the second part came along, it was more of a slur to the person it was said about. However, the original full proverb was: “Jack of all trades, master of none, though oftentimes better than master of one.” In this original proverb state, it flips the meaning around in favor of the jack of all trades. Do not beat yourself up if you think not mastering at least one thing is a bad thing. Keep doing what you need to do. Not everyone gets the opportunity to flourish in one field, but we all need to be able to do many everyday life things.
A few of our idioms stem from the sailors’ life, and some from Shakespearian plays, but wherever they started most come honestly from a sign of the times when they were first said. “Barking up the wrong tree” stemmed from hunting dogs who were literally barking up a wrong tree because they had lost their scent, but it still means the same thing only for humans it means we are pursuing a line of thought or course of action that is misguided or ill-advised.
Some sayings like “Call it a day” still have the same basic meaning but were morphed a little. The original saying was, “call it half a day” (1838) and was said when you left work before the workday was over. Now it can mean we are stopping a task, work or otherwise, either temporarily or completely. Much like, “Caught Red-Handed” a 15th century Scotland saying which is exactly what it implies. Being caught in a crime with red – or blood – covered hands. Then it was used regarding bloody crimes, now we say it whether there is a stolen item in our hands or blood. A crime is a crime whether there is blood involved or not.
From our sailors we got: “Turn a blind eye” (pretend you didn’t see something). When Admiral Nelson allegedly raised his telescope to his blind eye, so he wouldn’t be able to see a signal from a superior telling him to withdraw from the battle (Battle of Copenhagen - 1801), it created our modern version. “Know the ropes”, meaning someone who is skilled at their trade, is also one that has maintained its basic original meaning. Understanding how to handle the ropes in order to operate a sailing ship was an essential skill. We just use it in a broader sense. We also got, “Feeling under the weather” from our sailors. This one did change a bit in a sense. If a sailor was seasick, he would rest under the bow of the ship. This area protected the sailor from bad weather. Thus, they were “under the weather”. Now if we say it, we’re just feeling ill – or “not up to par” (not satisfactory or adequate).
Some idioms have lost a lot of their original status – thankfully as some are a little bloody or disgusting like dirty babies in filthy bathwater. Try “Kick the Bucket”. We use it loosely when someone dies. And that part is correct, however, it was used in the slaughter of cows. Buckets were placed under the cow to catch the blood. Often the cow would kick the bucket at the last minute as it was being hoisted up for slaughter. This would be one of the bloody and disgusting ones, if you happen to be a visual person.
Going on with those that were a bit different from current meanings. We say “Bite the bullet” to someone who keeps hesitating on doing a difficult task, whereas the origin is a bit more grizzly and painful. It started during war times when nurses had to perform surgeries without anesthesia. Patients literally bit on a bullet to distract themselves from the pain (I wonder how many teeth were broken in the process). Then there’s the morphing of “One for the road”. One last drink before you leave a party, etc., right? Nope. In the Middle Ages, execution-bound assailants were offered one last drink on their way to the executioner. I won’t likely use that idiom ever.
Do you even know what “Crocodile Tears” means? I grew up thinking it had to do with a person who was so sad, they were crying huge tears. (Funny how some of this stuff gets so warped – like the gossip whisper game.) However, it’s actually said to someone who is faking empathy with someone else. In a book, (The Travels of Sir John Mandeville) the author claimed that crocodiles shed tears while eating their prey – which is not in the least bit true – and it stuck as an idiom back in the 16th century for insincere grief.
One idiom I didn’t realize was an idiom or saying was “Honeymoon”. We see it as an alone-time trip people take after they get married, but in truth it was a tradition for newlyweds to drink honey in their beverages for a month (from full moon to full moon, I’m assuming - honey - moon) in order to stay fertile and increase the chances of good luck in the marriage.
The one I tend to use to this day, and then laugh at myself for doing it is, “Knock on wood”. In truth, this one is as much a superstition as an idiom. Its history is a mishmash muddle. The exact origin is not known. The earlier British version “touch wood” dates back to at least the 17th century in a proverb by John Heywood. (Did he take it from his name?) But its history is in the Latin “absit omen”, meaning “far be that omen from us”. Although, “knock on wood” is widely considered western folklore, it is also speculated as being part of Germany’s folklore. In Ireland when you knocked on wood you were thanking the leprechauns for giving you good luck. Most experts believe it could have started where and when trees were considered sacred spirits. The meaning hasn’t changed all that much as it’s still used to ward off bad luck – after you’ve said something positive that’s happening.
And then there’s one I grew up hearing, “By guess or by golly” and which I hadn’t thought of in a long time but that came out of my mouth the day after typing this all up – what does it mean anyway? I think we all know what “guess” means, but what does “by golly” mean? It is said to express mild surprise or wonder. So, “by guess or by golly”? Basically, when you don’t have much to work with, but you’re determined to try, you proceed without careful planning and rely on guesswork and luck. I’m assuming the “by golly” comes in when it works out okay – surprise and wonder at the success. Interestingly, I could not find a history on this one, except on the word “guess” which stems from Middle English “gessen” and might be Scandinavian in origin. Since my mother used to say it and we have some Scandinavian blood in us, perhaps the saying has been handed down – along with our great, great grandmother’s amaryllis bulbs.
I could keep typing for days as there are scads of these old sayings, so I’ll close it up in this paragraph. Some of our idioms and sayings are quite useful, like the proverb “He who hesitates is lost.” This is one that we could all remember. Not to jump ahead rashly, but also not to wait too long – say, I’m sorry, I love you, or jump into a new adventure, and so forth before it's too late. We would do well to learn from our forebearers and their mistakes, so we can avoid some ourselves. On the other hand, while it can be fun digging into these historical phrases, not knowing some of the original meanings is not so bad an idea. And then there’s the ridiculousness of the English language. One site I found said, “You can barely understand anything if you are just exposed to the English language.” Lol, I’m in total agreement – but that’s for another blog. There, their, and they’re…you/ewe get it, right/write?
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