Learn The History Behind These 66 Commonly Used Old Sayings

Meaning: Said to someone who remains silent when they are expected to speak.

Origin: There are two stories on how this saying came into being. The first one says that it could have come from a whip called “Cat-o’-nine-tails” that was used by the English Navy for flogging and often left the victims speechless. The second one may be from ancient Egypt, where liars’ tongues were cut out as punishment and fed to the cats.

Meaning: Be careful what you say as people may be eavesdropping.

Origin: The face Louvre Palace in France was believed to have a network of listening tubes so that it would be possible to hear everything that was said in different rooms. People say that this is how the Queen Catherine de’Medici discovered political secrets and plots.

Meaning: End a quarrel or conflict and become friendly.

Origin: During negotiations between Puritans and Native Americans men would bury all of their weapons, making them inaccessible.

Meaning: Loss of nerve or confidence.

Origin: This idiom originates from a military term, warriors who had frozen feet were not able to rush into battle.

Meaning: An important person, especially in a particular sphere

Origin: Back in the 18th century, the most important political figures would wear the biggest wigs, hence today influential people are called big wigs.

Meaning: Used to indicate that a person has been discovered in or just after the act of doing something wrong or illegal.

Origin: There was an old law stating that if someone butchered an animal that didn’t belong to him, he would only be punished if he was caught with blood on his hands. If one was caught with the meat but his hands were clean, he would not be punished.

Meaning: Rain very hard.

Origin: This idiom has two stories that try to explain its origin. The first explanation says that the origin of this phrase comes from Norse mythology, where cats would symbolise heavy rains and dogs were associated with the God of storms, Odin. The second version says that in 16th century England, houses had thatched roofs which were one of the few places where animals were able to get warm. Sometimes, when it would start to rain heavily, roofs would get slippery and cats and dogs would fall off, making it look like it’s raining cats and dogs!

Meaning: Family relationships and loyalties are the strongest and most important ones.

Origin: Even though many might think this saying means that we should put family ahead of friends, it actually meant the complete opposite. The full phrase actually was “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb,” and it referred to warriors who shared the blood they shed in battles together. These ‘blood brothers’ were said to have stronger bonds than biological brothers.

Meaning: Find fault with something that has been received as a gift or favor.

Origin: While buying a horse, people would determine the horse’s age and condition based on its teeth, and then decide whether they want to buy it or not. This is the reason why people use this idiom to say it is rude to look for flaws in a thing that was given to you as a gift.

Meaning: Be pursuing a mistaken or misguided line of thought or course of action.

Origin: This phrase refers to hunting dogs who chase their prey up a tree. Once it climbed the tree the dogs bark at them, yet sometimes the dogs would continue barking even if the prey was no longer there.

Meaning: Pretend not to notice.

Origin: It is believed that this phrase originates with naval hero Horatio Nelson, who used his blind eye to look through his telescope. This way he was able to avoid signals from his superior, who wanted him to withdraw from battle. He attacked, nevertheless, and was victorious.

Meaning: Decide to do something difficult or unpleasant that one has been putting off or hesitating over.

Origin: During battles there was no time to administer anesthesias while performing surgeries. Because of that, patients were made to bite down on bullets to distract themselves from the pain.

Meaning: A final drink before leaving a place.

Origin: During the middle ages, the condemned ones were taken through what today is known as Oxford Street to their execution. During this final trip, the cart would stop and they would be allowed to have one final drink before their death.

Meaning: A holiday spent together by a newly married couple.

Origin: According to tradition, a newly wed couple would have to drink a beverage with honey for an entire month for fertility and good luck.

Meaning: A possession that is useless or troublesome, especially one that is expensive to maintain or difficult to dispose of.

Origin: White elephants were considered to be sacred creatures in Thailand, yet they were also very hard to take care of. It is believed that Siamese kinds (now Thailand) would gift white elephants as a subtle form of punishment, since taking care of this animal would drive the recipient into financial ruin.

Meaning: Good luck!

Origin: It is believed that the phrase dates to World War I Germany and a saying used by German actors “Hals- und Beinbruch” which translates to “a broken neck and a broken leg.” Besides that, it still doesn’t make sense why would you wish someone to break a leg? Well, as it turns out, popular folklore down through the ages encouraged people to wish others bad luck since it was believed that wishing someone good luck would tempt evil spirits. So, you guessed it, people started wishing each other to break a leg in order for them not to break one!

Meaning: Reject or be deliberately unfriendly to.

Origin: This saying, that is currently considered to describe someone rude, was actually considered an act of politeness. During medieval times in England, after everyone was done feasting, the host would give his guests a cold piece of meat from the shoulder of beef or pork as a way of showing that it was time for everyone to leave.

Meaning: Used to claim the right to sit in the front passenger seat of a vehicle on a particular journey.

Origin: This expression refers to the passenger of an old fashioned stagecoach, who sat next to the driver with a shotgun to protect from attackers and robbers along the way. There is no evidence to suggest the expression was actually used in times of the ‘Wild West,’ but most likely came about much later on, when media and films began to romanticize the period.

Meaning: Tears or expressions of sorrow that are insincere.

Origin: Written in the 14th century, a book called “The Travels of Sir John Mandeville” recounts a knight’s adventures through Asia. In the book it says that crocodiles shed tears while eating a man they captured. Even though it is factually inaccurate, the phrase ‘crocodile tears’ found its way into Shakespeare’s work and became an idiom in the 16th century, symbolizing insincere grief.

Meaning: To die.

Origin: When killing a cow at slaughterhouses, people would place a bucket under the animal while it was positioned on a pulley. While trying to adjust the animal, the cow would kick out its legs and therefore kick the bucket before being killed.