Mary Jo Bellner Swartzberg
Ah! For the love of idioms! Here are some common and not so common sayings:
Pipe down—Will you please pipe down?
This phrase originated in the British Navy when the boatswain’s pipe (or whistle) gave commands for the sailors to pipe down in their hammocks in order to be quiet for the night.
Shake a stick at—I have had more problems than you can shake a stick at.
This idiom probably came from the early American frontiersmen who used sticks for counting livestock. If there are too many livestock to count, the frontiersman cannot keep up. Or it may well have originated from the actual act of threatening someone with a stick.
A sight for sore eyes—He is a sight for sore eyes.
This phrase is from the 1700s and it was first documented by Jonathan Swift in Polite Conversation, published in 1738. The line in Swift’s work is “The sight of you is good for sore eyes,” suggesting that someone’s appearance brings welcome relief from tension or worry.
All wet—The man is all wet.
Of course, this term means mistaken or completely wrong. It is slang and emanates from the 1920s. It could possibly be connected to someone who is drunk and who is unable to function properly. Its popularity evolved by referring to someone who is incorrect or misguided.
What in the Sam Hill?
This popular euphemism had its origin in the 19th century in America and was used as a way to avoid blasphemy. It also could have been influenced by the demon “Samiel” from the opera Der Freischütz, or just a slick way of substituting the word “hell.”
Carry a torch—She carried a torch for him.
This metaphor could have been linked to Greek/Roman wedding rituals, as brides would light hearths with wedding torches to symbolize the wedding union. In the early 1900s, this description evolved to mean harboring an unrequited love—a “smoldering flame in the heart.”
A diamond in the rough—Jackson is a diamond in the rough.
This term first appeared in print in John Fletcher’s 1624 play A Wife for a Month and noted a character in the play as “hard to cut as a rough diamond.” An uncut diamond, with its hidden brilliance, is dull and, basically, uneven. But a person who is unpolished and unrefined has great potential and can, with some development, shine. In 1776 the phrase was found in the publication Town & Country magazine in order to describe a promising actress who is unpolished.
Don’t take any wooden nickels.
Originating from the early 20th century, this idiom warns people to be cautious so as not to be cheated. During this time, wooden discs were used because of coin shortages. Having no real value, the wooden nickels symbolize worthlessness or deceit. Hence, this phrase urges people to check authenticity in any financial dealings.
Feel free to take these with a grain of salt or, alternatively, please read between the lines!