Job Discussion Forums

[leeroy]

Here's one I head the other day.

Back in the old days of Britain - people didn't have central heating. The roofs would be thatched, and for whatever reason they would hold rising from the house (from the fire, I suppose).

Domestic animals would sleep on the thatched roof as it was comfy and warm. This was nice, except when it rained. When it did, the animals would slip off. Hence "It's raining cats and dogs". I suppose it was, quite literally.

Another one...

Again, back the old days if you had a bit of cash to spare, you'd buy some pork and have it hanging up in your home for visitors to see. Hence, if your man could "bring home the bacon", he could earn a bit of cash. People would come round, and "chew the fat".

In boating, if there's a problem of some kind (can't remember the specifics), then a flag will be raised with a couple of large balls (as in, spheres). Hence, "It's gone balls-up".

OK, they could be complete rubbish. Even if they are though, they're nice stories.

So the stories behind idioms. Anyone else?

[bnix]

One of my favorite idioms is"eating humble pie"
Back in "the good old days"(?) ,after a succesful deer hunt,the peasants,hangers-on,etc.did not get the best cuts of the venison.That went to...you guessed it...the royalty.The lower orders had to be content with "umble pie"...made from the "umbles" the entrails and other offal from the deer. Since"umble" was close to"humble",the phrase eventually became "humble pie",since the people who ate "umble pie' were supposedly the "humble" members of society.

On the same subject-of course, many idioms no longer enjoy much current use(or NO use).I am wondering if there is such a thing around as a dictionary of obsolete and archaic idioms?

[aaronschwartz]

We have a Chinese English teacher who has written a book of English idioms with Chinese translations and Chinese idioms with English translations.

He walks around all day talking in idioms. You would not believe how he strings them together. Makes you start to believe in capitol punishment for minor crimes!

[bnix]

Ah,yeah.Remember, there is only one letter diffference between "idiom" and "idiot".

[aaronschwartz]

Funny you should mention that! I have silently called him the idiom idiot!!!!! Or, was that the idiot idiom?