Bard's own work, but he wasn't averse to stealing a good line occasionally and a few of these were 'popularised

by' rather than 'coined by' Shakespeare. A countenance more in sorrow than in anger

A Daniel come to judgement A dish fit for the gods A fool's paradise

Meaning
A state of happiness based on false hope.

Origin
An early phrase, first recorded in the Paston Letters, 1462: "I wold not be in a folis paradyce." Shakespeare later used it in Romeo and Juliet, 1592. Nurse: Now, afore God, I am so vexed, that every part about me quivers. Scurvy knave! Pray you, sir, a word: and as I told you, my young lady bade me inquire you out; what she bade me say, I will keep to myself: but first let me tell ye, if ye should lead her into a fool's paradise, as they say, it were a very gross kind of behavior, as they say: for the gentlewoman is young; and, therefore, if you should deal double with her, truly it were an ill thing to be offered to any gentlewoman, and very weak dealing.

A foregone conclusion A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse A ministering angel shall my sister be A plague on both your houses A rose by any other name would smell as sweet A sea change A sorry sight

Meaning

A regrettable and unwelcome aspect or feature. Now also used to mean something or someone of untidy appearance.

Origin
From Shakespeare's Macbeth, 1605: MACBETH: Hark! Who lies i' the second chamber? LADY MACBETH: Donalbain. MACBETH: This is a sorry sight. [Looking on his hands] LADY MACBETH: A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight.

Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio All corners of the world All one to me All that glitters is not gold / All that glisters is not gold

Meaning
A showy article may not necessarily be valuable.

Origin
The original form of this phrase was 'all that glisters is not gold'. The 'glitters' version of the phrase long ago superseded the original and is now almost universally used. Shakespeare is the best-known writer to have expressed this idea. The original Shakespeare editions of The Merchant of Venice, 1596, have the line as 'all that glisters is not gold'. 'Glister' is usually replaced by 'glitter' in renditions of the play: MOROCCO: O hell! what have we here? A carrion Death, within whose empty eye There is a written scroll! I'll read the writing. All that glitters is not gold; Often have you heard that told:

Many a man his life hath sold But my outside to behold: Gilded tombs do worms enfold. Had you been as wise as bold, Young in limbs, in judgment old, Your answer had not been inscroll'd: Fare you well; your suit is cold. The Bard was by no means the first to suggest that 'all that glitters/glisters is not gold'. The 12th century French theologian Alain de Lille wrote "Do not hold everything gold that shines like gold". In 1553, we have Thomas Becon, in The relikes of Rome: "All is not golde that glistereth." George Turberville, in Tragical tales, (and other poems), 1587, wrote that "All is not gold that glistringly appeere." The 'glitters' version of this phrase is so long established as to be perfectly acceptable - especially as 'glisters' and 'glitters' mean the same thing and are essentially synonymous. Only the most pedantic insist that 'all that glisters is not gold' is correct and that 'all that glitters is not gold', being a misquotation, however cobweb-laden, , should be shunned. John Dryden was quite happy to use 'glitters' as long ago as 1687, in his poem, The Hind and the Panther: For you may palm upon us new for old: All, as they say, that glitters, is not gold.

All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players All's well that ends well

Meaning
A risky enterprise is justified so long as it turns out well in the end.

Origin
This is, of course, best known from the Shakespeare play, but it was a proverb before it was a play title. John Heywood included it in A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the Englishe tongue, 1546: Lovers live by love, ye as larkes live by leekes Saied this Ales, muche more then halfe in mockage. Tushe (quoth mine aunte) these lovers in dotage Thinke the ground beare them not, but wed of corage

They must in all haste, though a leafe of borage Might by all the substance that they can fell. Well aunt (quoth Ales) all is well that endes well. Shakespeare was well acquainted with Heywood's work and wrote All's Well That Ends Well in 1601. It is not only as the title of the play, but line appears in the text too. HELENA: Yet, I pray you: But with the word the time will bring on summer, When briers shall have leaves as well as thorns, And be as sweet as sharp. We must away; Our wagon is prepared, and time revives us: All's well that ends well; still the fine's the crown; Whate'er the course, the end is the renown.

An ill-favoured thing sir, but mine own And shining morning face, creeping like a snail unwillingly to school And thereby hangs a tale As cold as any stone

Meaning
Very cold.

Origin
From Shakespeare's Henry V, 1598: Hostess: Nay, sure, he's not in hell: he's in Arthur's bosom, if ever man went to Arthur's bosom. A' made a finer end and went away an it had been any christom child; a' parted even just between twelve and one, even at the turning o' the tide: for after I saw him fumble with the sheets and play with flowers and smile upon his fingers' ends, I knew there was but one way; for his nose was as sharp as a pen, and a' babbled of green fields. 'How now, sir John!' quoth I 'what, man! be o' good cheer.' So a' cried out 'God, God, God!' three or four times. Now I, to comfort him, bid him a' should not think of God; I hoped there was no need to trouble himself with any such thoughts yet. So a' bade me lay more clothes on his feet: I put my

hand into the bed and felt them, and they were as cold as any stone; then I felt to his knees, and they were as cold as any stone, and so upward and upward, and all was as cold as any stone. Shakespeare used various 'as cold as' similes, including 'as cold as a snowball' and 'as cold as if I had swallowed snowballs'.

As dead as a doornail

Meaning
Dead - devoid of life (when applied to people, plants or animals). Finished with - unusable (when applied to inanimate objects).

Origin
This is old - at least 14th century. There's a reference to it in print in 1350: "For but ich haue bote of mi bale I am ded as dorenail." Shakespeare used it in King Henry VI, Part 2, 1592: CADE: Brave thee! ay, by the best blood that ever was broached, and beard thee too. Look on me well: I have eat no meat these five days; yet, come thou and thy five men, and if I do not leave you all as dead as a doornail, I pray God I may never eat grass more. As 'X' as 'Y' similes refer to some property and then give an example of something well-known as exhibiting that property, e.g. 'as white as snow'. Why door-nails are cited as a particular example of deadness isn't clear. Door-nails are the large-headed studs that were used in earlier times for strength and more recently as decoration. The practice was to hammer the nail through and then bend over the protruding end to secure it. This process, similar to riveting, was called clenching. This may be the source of the 'deadness', as such a nail would be unusable afterwards.

As good luck would have it As merry as the day is long As pure as the driven snow

Meaning

Entirely pure.

Origin

'Driven snow' is snow that has blown into drifts and is untrodded and clean. Examples of the precise text 'as pure as [the] driven snow' aren't found in print until around the start of the 19th century; nevetheless, we have to thank Shakespeare for this popular simile. The complete phrase 'as pure as the driven snow' doesn't appear in Shakespeare's writing, but it almost does, and he used snow as a symbol for purity and whiteness in several plays. In The Winter's Tale, 1611: Autolycus: Lawn as white as driven snow. In Macbeth, 1605: Malcolm: Black Macbeth will seem as pure as snow. Of course, the tradition of brides wearing white in many cultures stems from the association between the colour and purity. This was referred to as early as the 1400s, as in John Lydgate's poetry for example, circa 1435: Alle cladde in white, in tokne off clennesse, Lyche pure virgynes. An alternative derivation of this simile has been proposed, which originates from an altogether different source. Mediaeval tanners used animal faeces in the leather tanning process specifically dogs' droppings, to which they gave the incongruous name 'pure'. Some have speculated that pure referred to the white form of the said stools that used to be more commonly seen and that 'as pure as the driven snow' comes from that association. It doesn't; the 'pure' name came from the purification of the raw leather caused by the enzymes present in the excrement and has nothing to do the 'as pure as driven snow'.

At one fell swoop Bag and baggage

Meaning

All of one's possessions.

Origin
The phrase is of military origin. Bag and baggage referred to the entire property of an army and that of the soldiers in it. To 'retire bag and baggage' meant to beat an honourable retreat, surrendering nothing. These days, to 'leave bag and baggage' means just to clear out of a property, leaving nothing behind. The phrase is ancient enough that the earliest citation isn't in contemporary English. Rymer's Foedera, 1422, has: "Cum armaturis bonis bogeis, baggagiis. The earliest reference in English that most would understand is in John Berners', 'The firste volum of John Froissart', 1525: "We haue with vs all our bagges and baggages that we haue wonne by armes." Shakespeare later used it in As You Like It, 1600: "Let vs make an honorable retreit, though not with bagge and baggage, yet with scrip and scrippage."

Beast with two backs

Meaning
Partners engaged in sexual intercourse.

Origin

This modern-sounding phrase is in fact at least as early as Shakespeare. He used it in Othello, 1604:

Iago: "I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs." Shakespeare may have been the first to use it in English, although a version of it appears in Rabelais' Gargantua and Pantagruel, circa 1532. This was translated into English by Thomas Urquhart and published posthumously around 1693: "In the vigour of his age he married Gargamelle, daughter to the King of the Parpaillons, a jolly pug, and well-mouthed wench. These two did oftentimes do the two-backed beast together, joyfully rubbing and frotting their bacon 'gainst one another."

Beware the ides of March Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks Brevity is the soul of wit

Meaning
There's no briefer way of expressing this thought than Shakespeare's; making further explanation redundant.

Origin
From Shakespeare's Hamlet, 1602: LORD POLONIUS This business is well ended. My liege, and madam, to expostulate What majesty should be, what duty is, Why day is day, night night, and time is time, Were nothing but to waste night, day and time. Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit, And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief: your noble son is mad: Mad call I it; for, to define true madness, What is't but to be nothing else but mad? But let that go.

But screw your courage to the sticking-place But, for my own part, it was Greek to me Come the three corners of the world in arms Come what come may Comparisons are odorous Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war

Dash to pieces Discretion is the better part of valour Double, double toil and trouble, fire burn, and cauldron bubble Eaten out of house and home Et tu, Brute Even at the turning of the tide Exceedingly well read Eye of newt and toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog Fair play

Meaning
Properly conducted conditions for a game, giving all participants an equal chance. Also used more widely to mean fairness and justice in contexts other than games.

Origin
Shakespeare coined this phrase and used it in several of his plays; for example, The Tempest, 1610: MIRANDA: Yes, for a score of kingdoms you should wrangle, And I would call it, fair play. The term migrated into 'fair dinkum', which is well-known as an Australian phrase but may have travelled there from England. An unambigously Australian term meaning the same thing as 'fair play' is the more recent 'fair go'. This is first recorded in the Australian author Lewis Stone's book Jonah, 1911: "Get set!--get set!" cried the boxer, lolling in his seat with a nonchalant air; and in a twinkling a bright heap of silver lay in front of each player, the wagers made with the gaffers opposite. The spinner handed his stake of five shillings to the boxer, who cried "Fair go!"

Fancy free

Meaning
Without any ties or commitments.

Origin
From Shakespeare's A Midsummer Nights Dream, 1598: OBERON: That very time I saw, but thou couldst not,

Flying between the cold moon and the earth, Cupid all arm'd: a certain aim he took At a fair vestal throned by the west, And loosed his love-shaft smartly from his bow, As it should pierce a hundred thousand hearts; But I might see young Cupid's fiery shaft Quench'd in the chaste beams of the watery moon, And the imperial votaress passed on, In maiden meditation, fancy-free. The extended term 'footloose and fancy-free' is 20th century in origin.

Fie, foh, and fum, I smell the blood of a British man Fight fire with fire For ever and a day Frailty, thy name is woman

Meaning
Alluding to the alleged inherent weakness of character of women.

Origin
From Shakespeare's Hamlet, 1602: Must I remember? why, she would hang on him, As if increase of appetite had grown By what it fed on: and yet, within a month Let me not think on't - Frailty, thy name is woman! A little month, or ere those shoes were old With which she follow'd my poor father's body... Hamlet is angry that his mother, Gertrude, has married his uncle Claudius within a month of his father's death. The speech generalizes the attribution of weakness of character from one particular woman to womankind.

Foul play

Meaning
Dishonest or treacherous behaviour; also violent conduct.

Origin

'Foul play' is a 16th century idiom. Nowadays we often use this phrase in regard to 'fouls' that are committed in sports, i.e. actions which are outside the particular sports' rules. This is itself quite an old usage; for example, from boxing - The Sporting Magazine, 1797: "His antagonist having struck him two foul blows." ... and from billiards - The Field, January 1882: "Thus, at billiards, if a player makes a foul stroke and scores, his adversary has the option of not enforcing the penalty." These were preceded by Shakespeare's use, and probably his coinage, of the phrase in a nonsporting context, simply to mean 'unfair behaviour'; for example, Love's Labours Lost, 1588: BIRON: Honest plain words best pierce the ear of grief; And by these badges understand the king. For your fair sakes have we neglected time, Play'd foul play with our oaths. Shakespeare used this phrase in several plays, including Henry IV, The Tempest and Pericles, Prince of Tyre.

Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears Good men and true Good riddance Green eyed monster Hark, hark! the lark at heaven's gate sings He will give the Devil his due

Meaning
Literally, pay the devil what you owe him. Used figuratively to mean 'give back what you owe', either money or favours.

Origin
From Shakespeare's Henry IV Part 1, 1597: Constable: I will cap that proverb with 'There is flattery in friendship.' Orleans: And I will take up that with 'Give the devil his due.'

Heart's content

High time

Meaning
The time that something is due (bordering on overdue) to be done. For example, "It's beginning to get dark. It's high time we got started on putting up the tent". This is distinct from the similar 'a high time', meaning 'a happy and jolly time'. For example, "the party went really well. A high time was had by all". This phrase has also been used to mean 'a heated argument', but that meaning is unused and archaic now. Origin (High time) 'High time' derives from the allusion to the warmest time of day - when the sun is highest in the sky. High noon is another way of saying it. Shakespeare used it in his Comedy of Errors, 1590: ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE: There's none but witches do inhabit here; And therefore 'tis high time that I were hence. She that doth call me husband, even my soul Doth for a wife abhor. But her fair sister, Possess'd with such a gentle sovereign grace, Of such enchanting presence and discourse, Hath almost made me traitor to myself: But, lest myself be guilty to self-wrong, I'll stop mine ears against the mermaid's song. Origin (A high time) 'High times' comes from the same root as 'high days and holidays', i.e. days of religious note and festivals. High in that sense has been used in English since the middle ages, although there are few references to it in print until the 19th century, as in this from the Canadian newspaper, The British Colonist, 1858: "The Johns had a high time, drinking brandy and eating fried hog."

His beard was as white as snow

Meaning

Pure white. What better to symbolise whiteness than snow? Not only the intesity of colour on a bright winter's day, but also the purity of untrodden snow is summoned up by the simile. Shakespeare used this association to good effect in as pure as the driven snow.

Origin
We have to bring out the big guns for the origin of this one. Chaucer, Shakespeare and the Bible all contain versions of white as snow. From Shakespeare's Hamlet, 1602: ... What if this cursed hand Were thicker than itself with brother's blood, Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens To wash it white as snow? ... The King James Version of the Bible, 1611, has this in Daniel 7:9: I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. They are slightly superseded by the little-known English author Michael Drayton, in his Idea, the shepheards garland, 1593: "Her skin as soft as Lemster wooll, As white as snow on peakish hill, Or Swanne that swims in Trent." The 'peakish hills' that he refers to there are the hills of the Derbyshire Peak District. I can see these from the window as I type and they certainly get very white when the winter snow arrives. We might imagine that 'as white as snow' was the precursor to 'snow-white'. The fairy tale was collected by the Brothers Grimm in the 19th century, but the term snow-white is much earlier and pre-dates as white as snow by several hundred years. It is recorded in Old English from circa 1000 and was used in the 14th century by Geoffrey Chaucer in The Canterbury Tales - The Second Nun's Tale: Valerian said, "Two crownes here have we, Snow-white and rose-red, that shine clear, Both snow-white and as white as snow were in common use by Shakespeare's day. So much so that a single word was coined to convey the same meaning. This was recorded by Henry Cockeram in his The English dictionarie, or an interpreter of hard English word, 1623, where he defines the word 'nixious' as meaning 'as white as snow'.

Hoist by your own petard

Hot-blooded

Meaning
Having a passionate nature, or being inclined to quick temper.

Origin
Score another for the Bard of Avon. Shakespeare was fond of combining simple words into expressions of poetic imagery (sorry sight, fancy free, primrose path, to list just a few) - he was a consummate poet of course. 'Hot-blooded', or a Shakespeare wrote it 'hot-bloodied', first appears in The Merry Wives of Windsor, 1600: Falstaff: The Windsor bell hath struck twelve; the minute draws on. Now, the hot-bloodied-Gods assist me! The Dutch word 'heetbloedig', meaning 'passionate; hot-tempered' is recorded from 1619 (as heetbloedigh). It may be that Shakespeare got the word from the Netherlands but, given the dates and his track record, it is more likely that the expression travelled in the other direction.

Household words How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child

Meaning
Literal meaning - it is especially painfull to raise an ungrateful child.

Origin
From Shakespeare's King Lear, 1605 LEAR: It may be so, my lord. Hear, nature, hear; dear goddess, hear! Suspend thy purpose, if thou didst intend To make this creature fruitful! Into her womb convey sterility! Dry up in her the organs of increase; And from her derogate body never spring A babe to honour her! If she must teem, Create her child of spleen; that it may live, And be a thwart disnatured torment to her! Let it stamp wrinkles in her brow of youth; With cadent tears fret channels in her cheeks; Turn all her mother's pains and benefits

To laughter and contempt; that she may feel How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is To have a thankless child! Away, away!

I bear a charmed life I have not slept one wink I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips I will wear my heart upon my sleeve If music be the food of love, play on

Meaning
Orsino is asking for more music because he is frustrated in his courtship of Countess Olivia. He muses that an excess of music might cure his obsession with love, in the way that eating too much remove's one's appetite for food. Music plays an important part in Shakespeare's plays and is often used to carry the plot. It's reasonable to surmise that he did believe it the be 'the food of love'.

Origin
From Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, 1602: DUKE ORSINO: If music be the food of love, play on; Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, The appetite may sicken, and so die. That strain again! it had a dying fall: O, it came o'er my ear like the sweet sound, That breathes upon a bank of violets, Stealing and giving odour! Enough; no more: 'Tis not so sweet now as it was before. O spirit of love! how quick and fresh art thou, That, notwithstanding thy capacity Receiveth as the sea, nought enters there, Of what validity and pitch soe'er, But falls into abatement and low price, Even in a minute: so full of shapes is fancy That it alone is high fantastical.

In a pickle

Meaning

In a quandary or some other difficult position.

Origin
The earliest pickles were spicy sauces made to accompany meat dishes. Later, in the 16th century, the name pickle was also given to a mixture of spiced, salted vinegar that was used as a preservative. The word comes from the Dutch or Low German pekel, with the meaning of 'something piquant'. Later still, in the 17th century, the vegetables that were preserved, for example cucumbers and gherkins, also came to be called pickles. The 'in trouble' meaning of 'in a pickle' was an allusion to being as disoriented and mixed up as the stewed vegetables that made up pickles. This was partway to being a literal allusion, as fanciful stories of the day related to hapless people who found themselves on the menu. The earliest known use of pickle in English contains such an citation. The Morte Arthure, circa 1440, relates the gory imagined ingredients of King Arthur's diet: He soupes all this sesoun with seuen knaue childre, Choppid in a chargour of chalke-whytt syluer, With pekill & powdyre of precious spycez. [He dines all season on seven rascal children, chopped, in a bowl of white silver, with pickle and precious spices] The figurative version of the phrase, meaning simply 'in a fix' or, in the almost identical 19th century phrase 'in a stew', arrives during the next century. Thomas Tusser's Five Hundreth Pointes of Good Husbandrie, 1573, contains this useful advice: Reape barlie with sickle, that lies in ill pickle. Presumably, barley that wasn't in ill pickle, i.e. the corn that was standing up straight, would be cut with the larger and more efficient scythe. There are a few references to ill pickles and this pickle etc. in print in the late 16th century, and Shakespeare was one of the first to use in a pickle, in The Tempest, 1610: ALONSO: And Trinculo is reeling ripe: where should they Find this grand liquor that hath gilded 'em? How camest thou in this pickle? TRINCULO: I have been in such a pickle since I saw you last that, I fear me, will never out of my bones: I shall not fear fly-blowing. A return to the more literal interpretation of the phrase came about in the late 1700s. The Duke of Rutland had toured Britain and wrote up his experiences in a travelogue - Journal of a Tour to

the Northern Parts of Great Britain, 1796. He was present at the disinterment of the 350 year-old body of Thomas Beaufort, which he claimed to have been pickled and 'as perfect as when living': The corpse was done up in a pickle, and the face wrapped up in a sear cloth.

Just nine years later the most celebrated personage ever to have been literally in a pickle - Admiral Horatio Nelson, met his end, although some pedants might argue that, being preserved in brandy, he found himself in more of a liquor than a pickle.

In my mind's eye, Horatio

Meaning
One's visual memory or imagination.

Origin
The concept of us having an 'eye in our mind' is ancient and dates back to at least the 14th century, when Chaucer used it in The Man of Law's Tale, circa 1390: "It were with thilke eyen of his mynde, With whiche men seen, after that they been blynde." The first actual mention of mind's eye comes in 1577 when Hubert Languet used it in a letter. This was subsequently printed in The Correspondence of Sir Philip Sidney and Hubert Languet, 1845: "What will not these golden mountains effect ... which I dare say stand before your mind's eye day and night?" The term probably became known through the work of Shakespeare. He uses it in the bestknown of all plays - Hamlet, 1602, in a scene where Hamlet is recalling his father: HAMLET: Thrift, thrift, Horatio! the funeral baked meats Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables.

Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven Or ever I had seen that day, Horatio! My father! - methinks I see my father. HORATIO: Where, my lord? HAMLET: In my mind's eye, Horatio.

In stitches In the twinkling of an eye

Meaning
In an instant.

Origin
This is recorded by Robert Manning of Brunne, in Handlyng synne, 1303: "Yn twynkelyng of an ye" It is also used in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 15:52 (King James Version): In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. It was later used by Shakespeare in The Merchant Of Venice, 1596: "I'll take my leave of the Jew in the twinkling of an eye."

Is this a dagger which I see before me? It beggar'd all description It is meat and drink to me Lay it on with a trowel Lie low

Meaning
Keep out of sight; bide one's time.

Origin

There are many citations of variants of this little phrase dating back to the 13th century. Shakespeare used it in its present form in Much Ado About Nothing, 1599: ANTONIO: If he could right himself with quarreling, Some of us would lie low.

More recently the phrase has been adapted as the name of inflatable mattresses - marketed in the UK as Li-Los.

Like the Dickens Love is blind

Origin
This was coined by Shakespeare and was quite a favourite line of his. It appears in several of his plays, including Two Gentlemen of Verona, Henry V and The Merchant Of Venice; for example, this piece from The Merchant Of Venice, 1596: JESSICA: Here, catch this casket; it is worth the pains. I am glad 'tis night, you do not look on me, For I am much ashamed of my exchange: But love is blind and lovers cannot see The pretty follies that themselves commit; For if they could, Cupid himself would blush To see me thus transformed to a boy. Modern-day research supports the view that the blindness of love is not just a figurative matter. A research study in 2004 by University College London found that feelings of love suppressed the activity of the areas of the brain that control critical thought.

Make your hair stand on end Men's evil manners live in brass; their virtues we write in water

Origin
From Shakespeare's Henry VIII, 1612: GRIFFITH: Noble madam, Men's evil manners live in brass; their virtues

We write in water. May it please your highness To hear me speak his good now? The line was alluded to on Keats' tombstone - Here lies one whose name was writ in water.

Milk of human kindness Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows More fool you More honoured in the breach than in the observance Much Ado about Nothing

Meaning
A great deal of fuss over nothing of importance.

Origin
This phrase is sometimes shortened just to 'much ado'. It is of course from Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing, 1599. He had used the word ado, which means business or activity, in an earlier play - Romeo and Juliet, 1592: "Weele keepe no great adoe, a Friend or two."

My salad days Neither a borrower nor a lender be

Meaning
Literal meaning.

Origin
From Shakespeare's Hamlet, 1602: LORD POLONIUS: Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.

Night owl

Meaning

A person who is active late at night.

Origin

'Nightowl' was originally just a synonym for 'owl' and has been used as such since at least 1581, when Bell and Foxe included it it their translated work Against Jerome Osorius. That seems rather tautological as owls are predominantly nocturnal and, in an apparent general acceptance of that view, the literal use of the word is now rather rare. The figurative use of the term, i.e. as a reference to people rather than owls, also began in the 16th century. Shakespeare used it in 1594 in the narrative poem The Rape of Lucrece: This said, his guilty hand pluck'd up the latch, And with his knee the door he opens wide. The dove sleeps fast that this night-owl will catch: Thus treason works ere traitors be espied. The Bard didn't give up on the literal usage though. It appears, in contexts which make the literal reference to a bird clear, in both Richard II, 1593: "For nightowles shreeke, where mounting larkes should sing." and in Twelfth Night, 1602:

No more cakes and ale? Now is the winter of our discontent O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo Off with his head

Meaning
Literal meaning. That is, 'chop off his head'. It is now usually used humorously as a means of mildly reproaching someone.

Origin

Shakespeare used the phrase many times in his plays and I can find no record of any earlier usage; for example, in Henry VI Part III, 1592: QUEEN MARGARET: Off with his head, and set it on York gates; So York may overlook the town of York. Lewis Carroll became the best-known user of the phrase when he included it in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, (published 1865), The Queen of Hearts shrieks the phrase several times in the story - in fact she doesn't say a great deal else: The players all played at once without waiting for turns, quarrelling all the while, and fighting for the hedgehogs; and in a very short time the Queen was in a furious passion, and went stamping about, and shouting' Off with his head!' or 'Off with her head!' about once in a minute.

Oh, that way madness lies Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more Out of the jaws of death

Pound of flesh

Meaning
Something which is owed that is ruthlessly required to be paid back.

Origin

This of course derives from Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, 1596. The insistence by Shylock of the payment of Antonio's flesh is the central plot device of the play: SHYLOCK: The pound of flesh which I demand of him Is deerely bought, 'tis mine, and I will haue it. The figurative use of the phrase to refer to any lawful but nevertheless unreasonable recompense dates to the late 18th century.

Primrose path

Meaning
The pleasant route through life, of pleasure and dissipation.

Origin
This phrase was coined by Shakespeare, in Hamlet, 1602. It is evidently a simple allusion to a path strewn with flowers. Ophelia: I shall the effect of this good lesson keep, As watchman to my heart. But, good my brother, Do not, as some ungracious pastors do, Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven; Whiles, like a puff'd and reckless libertine, Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads, And recks not his own rede. Ophelia is warning her brother take his own advice and not reject the difficult and arduous path of righteousness that leads to Heaven in favour of the easy path of sin. Shakespeare later used 'the primrose way', which has the same meaning, in Macbeth. This variant is hardly ever used now.

Rhyme nor reason Salad days Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything Screw your courage to the sticking place

Meaning
Be firm and resolute.

Origin
This line is from Shakespeare's Macbeth, 1605: Lady Macbeth: 'We fail! But screw your courage to the sticking-place, and we'll not fail.'

Send him packing Set your teeth on edge Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Short shrift Shuffle off this mortal coil Smooth runs the water where the brook is deep Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em Something is rotten in the state of Denmark Star crossed lovers Stiffen the sinews Stony hearted

Meaning
Cruel and unfeeling.

Origin
The phrase is first recorded in 1569, in Thomas Underdown's translation of the thiopian History of Heliodorus: " There is no man so stoany harted, but he shal be made to yeelde with our flatteringe allurmentes." Shakespeare picked it up and used it in Henry IV Part I , 1597 FALSTAFF I am accursed to rob in that thief's company: the rascal hath removed my horse, and tied him I

know not where. If I travel but four foot by the squier further afoot, I shall break my wind. Well, I doubt not but to die a fair death for all this, if I 'scape hanging for killing that rogue. I have forsworn his company hourly any time this two and twenty years, and yet I am bewitched with the rogue's company. If the rascal hath not given me medicines to make me love him, I'll be hanged; it could not be else: I have drunk medicines. Poins! Hal! a plague upon you both! Bardolph! Peto! I'll starve ere I'll rob a foot further. An 'twere not as good a deed as drink, to turn true man and to leave these rogues, I am the veriest varlet that ever chewed with a tooth. Eight yards of uneven ground is threescore and ten miles afoot with me; and the stony-hearted villains know it well enough: a plague upon it when thieves cannot be true one to another!

Such stuff as dreams are made on The course of true love never did run smooth The crack of doom The Devil incarnate The game is afoot The game is up

Meaning
The original meaning was 'the game is over - all is lost'. More recently it has come to be used to mean ' we have seen through your tricks - your deceit is exposed'.

Origin
From Shakespeare's Cymbeline, 1611: Euriphile, Thou wast their nurse; they took thee for their mother, And every day do honour to her grave: Myself, Belarius, that am Morgan call'd, They take for natural father. The game is up.

The quality of mercy is not strained The Queen's English

Meaning
The language of the United Kingdom.

Origin
Shakespeare used the phrase in The Merry Wives of Windsor, 1600, but it was in common use before that. 'The King's English' is used when the United Kingdom has a king.

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune The smallest worm will turn, being trodden on There's method in my madness Thereby hangs a tale This is the short and the long of it

Meaning
The substance; the plain truth.

Origin
From Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor, 1600: MISTRESS QUICKLY: Marry, this is the short and the long of it; you have brought her into such a canaries as 'tis wonderful. The best courtier of them all, when the court lay at Windsor, could never have brought her to such a canary.

This is very midsummer madness

Origin
From Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, 1602.

This precious stone set in the silver sea, this sceptered isle Though this be madness, yet there is method in it Thus far into the bowels of the land To be or not to be, that is the question

Meaning
Is it better to live or to die?

Origin
To be or not to be is probably the best-known line from all drama or literature. Certainly, if anyone is asked to quote a line of Shakespeare this is the one that first comes to mind for most people. It is, of course, from Shakespeare's play Hamlet, 1602 (Shakespeare's actual title is - The tragedie of Hamlet, prince of Denmarke): HAMLET: To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep; No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep; To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause: there's the respect That makes calamity of so long life; For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law's delay, The insolence of office and the spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, The undiscover'd country from whose bourn No traveller returns, puzzles the will And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all; And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought, And enterprises of great pith and moment With this regard their currents turn awry, And lose the name of action.--Soft you now! The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons Be all my sins remember'd. What Hamlet is musing on is the comparison between the pain of life, which he sees as inevitable (the sea of troubles - the slings and arrows - the heart-ache - the thousand natural shocks) and the fear of the uncertainty of death and of possible damnation of suicide. Hamlet's dilemma is that although he is dissatisfied with life and lists its many torments, he is unsure what death may bring (the dread of something after death). He can't be sure what death has in store; it may be sleep but in perchance to dream he is speculating that it is perhaps an experience worse than life. Death is called the undiscover'd country from which no traveller returns. In saying that Hamlet is acknowledging that, not only does each living person discover death for themselves, as no one can return from it to describe it, but also that suicide os a oneway ticket. If you get the judgment call wrong, there's no way back.

The whole speech is tinged with the Christian prohibition of suicide, although it isn't mentioned explicitly. The dread of something after death would have been well understood by a Tudor audience to mean the fires of Hell. The speech is a subtle and profound examining of what is more crudely expressed in the phrase out of the frying pan into the fire. - in essence 'life is bad, but death might be worse'.

To gild refined gold, to paint the lily To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub Too much of a good thing Truth will out Under the greenwood tree Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown

Meaning
A person with great responsibilities, such as a king, is constantly worried.

Origin
From Shakespeare's Henry IV. Part II, 1597. KING HENRY IV: How many thousand of my poorest subjects Are at this hour asleep! O sleep, O gentle sleep, Nature's soft nurse, how have I frighted thee, That thou no more wilt weigh my eyelids down And steep my senses in forgetfulness? Why rather, sleep, liest thou in smoky cribs, Upon uneasy pallets stretching thee And hush'd with buzzing night-flies to thy slumber, Than in the perfumed chambers of the great, Under the canopies of costly state, And lull'd with sound of sweetest melody? O thou dull god, why liest thou with the vile In loathsome beds, and leavest the kingly couch A watch-case or a common 'larum-bell? Wilt thou upon the high and giddy mast Seal up the ship-boy's eyes, and rock his brains In cradle of the rude imperious surge And in the visitation of the winds, Who take the ruffian billows by the top, Curling their monstrous heads and hanging them With deafening clamour in the slippery clouds,

That, with the hurly, death itself awakes? Canst thou, O partial sleep, give thy repose To the wet sea-boy in an hour so rude, And in the calmest and most stillest night, With all appliances and means to boot, Deny it to a king? Then happy low, lie down! Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.

Up in arms

Meaning
Roused; incensed.

Origin
The original usage of 'up in arms' was entirely literal. To be 'in arms' or 'at arms' was to be equipped with weapons and armour. It isn't clear why 'arms' was chosen as the name for weaponry. It may be as simple as a sword or club being seen as an extention of the arm. 'Armour' is just a form of defensive weaponry that a soldier was clad in. Like 'vesture', meaning 'that which a person is dressed in', i.e. clothes, the 'ure' part may be translated as something like 'collection of'. The spelling would be more properly 'armure', which is how it was spelled in early texts; for example: Robert of Gloucester's Metrical Chronicle, 1297: He & hys armure...

The style and decoration of armour was how knights were distinguished from one another in battle. This was important, as knights were more often captured and later ransomed rather than killed. Heraldic arms were the formalised development of that identity. A family's 'Coat of Arms' was originally a actual decorated coat, worn by a knight when in battle. In the romantic poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, circa 1340, Gawain is described as being dressed "With ryche cote armure".

There are many phrases in English that refer to 'arms' - 'man at arms', 'firearms', 'to arms!', bear arms', and 'up in arms' adds to that list. It is merely the more active form of 'in arms', in that it indicates that a soldier wasn't just equipped for a fight, he was on his feet and ready for it. The term 'up in arms' began to appear in print in the 1590s. Who coined it isn't entirely clear, although it does sound Shakespearian and the Bard did use it in more than one play of the early 1590s - Henry VI Part II: The princely Warwick, and the Nevils all, Whose dreadful swords were never drawn in vain, As hating thee, are rising up in arms: And now the house of York, thrust from the crown By shameful murder of a guiltless king And lofty proud encroaching tyranny, Burns with revenging fire; whose hopeful colours Advance our half-faced sun, striving to shine, Under the which is writ 'Invitis nubibus.' The commons here in Kent are up in arms: and Richard III: March on, march on, since we are up in arms; Another contender is Sir Thomas More, who used the term in a work dated circa 1590: A number poore artificers are up In arms. The date of writing of More's piece and of both of Shakespeare's plays in debatable, so the author can't be definitively decided.

Vanish into thin air

Meaning
Disappear without trace.

Origin
Shakespeare came close to this phrase in Othello, 1604: Clown: Then put up your pipes in your bag, for I'll away. Go; vanish into air; away! and closer still in The Tempest, 1610:

Prospero: These our actors, as I foretold you, were all spirits and are melted into air, into thin air It seems clear that Shakespeare coined the terms thin air (which has been widely used since the 17th century by a diverse collection of authors, including John Milton (1671), William Blake (1800) and Ed McBain (1977) and vanish into air, used by lesser-known author; James Hogg, in his work Mountain Bard, 1807. Shakespeare didn't put the two together to make vanish into thin air though. The first use I can find of that phrase, which is clearly an adaptation of Shakespeare's terms, is in The Edinburgh Advertiser, April 1822, in a piece about the imminent conflict between Russia and Turkey: The latest communications make these visions "vanish into thin air."

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers We have seen better days Wear your heart on your sleeve What a piece of work is man What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions

Origin
From Shakespeare's Hamlet, 1602: Claudius: O, this is the poison of deep grief; it springs All from her father's death. O Gertrude, Gertrude, When sorrows come, they come not single spies But in battalions. First, her father slain: Next, your son gone; and he most violent author Of his own just remove: the people muddied, Thick and unwholesome in their thoughts and whispers, For good Polonius' death; and we have done but greenly, In hugger-mugger to inter him: poor Ophelia Divided from herself and her fair judgment, Without the which we are pictures, or mere beasts: Last, and as much containing as all these, Her brother is in secret come from France; Feeds on his wonder, keeps himself in clouds, And wants not buzzers to infect his ear With pestilent speeches of his father's death; Wherein necessity, of matter beggar'd, Will nothing stick our person to arraign In ear and ear. O my dear Gertrude, this,

Like to a murdering-piece, in many places Gives me superfluous death.

Where the bee sucks, there suck I While you live, tell truth and shame the Devil! Who wooed in haste, and means to wed at leisure Wild goose chase

Meaning
A hopeless quest.

Origin

This phrase is old and appears to be one of the many phrases introduced to the language by Shakespeare. The first recorded citation is from Romeo and Juliet, 1592: Romeo: Switch and spurs, switch and spurs; or I'll cry a match. Mercutio: Nay, if thy wits run the wild-goose chase, I have done, for thou hast more of the wildgoose in one of thy wits than, I am sure, I have in my whole five. Our current use of the phrase alludes to an undertaking which will probably prove to be fruitless - and it's hard to imagine anything more doomed to failure than an attempt to catch a wild goose by chasing after it. Our understanding of the term differs from that in use in Shakespeare's day. The earlier meaning related not to hunting but to horse racing. A 'wild goose chase' was a chase in which horses followed a lead horse at a set distance, mimicking wild geese flying in formation. The equine connection was referred to in another early citation, just ten years after Shakespeare - Nicholas Breton's The Mother's Blessing, 1602: "Esteeme a horse, according to his pace, But loose no wagers on a wilde goose chase." That meaning had been lost by the 19th century. In Grose's Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, 1811, he defines the term much the way we do today: "A tedious uncertain pursuit, like the following a flock of wild geese, who are remarkably shy."

The 1978 film 'The Wild Geese' alluded to the phrase in its title. This refers back to Irish mercenaries who 'flew' from Ireland to serve in various European armies in the 16th to 18th centuries. The plot of the film involved a group of mercenaries embarking on a near-impossible mission. Of course, the near-impossible is no problem for action heroes and they caught their prey.

Woe is me

Meaning
I am distressed; sad; grieved.

Origin
This occurs in the Bible, Job 10:15 in the form 'woe unto me'. Job is one of the oldest books in the Old Testament, early versions of which date from about 1200BC, making the phrase 3,200 years old in its original language. The first occurrence of it in English would have been Wycliffe's Bible translation in 1382. Job 10:15: If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction; Shakespeare also used it in Hamlet, 1602. The Bible has several instances of the 'woe is me' version of the phrase: Psalms 120:5: Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar! Isaiah 6:5: Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Jeremiah 4:31: For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.

Phrases and sayings that have a nautical origin

Many phrases that have been adopted into everyday use originate from seafaring - in particular from the days of sail. Virtually all of these are metaphorical and the original nautical meanings are now forgotten. That association of travel and metaphor is significant in that the word metaphor derives from ancient Greek for 'to carry' or 'to travel'. The influence of other languages and other cultures is evident in many of the long list of English phrases that have nautical origins. It is an undoubted fact that seafaring is also the source of more false etymology than any other sphere. This can be attributed to the attractiveness of the romantic image of horny-handed sailors singing shanties and living a hearty and rough life at sea. After all, it sounds plausible that 'cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey' comes from brass ship's fittings and that POSH means 'Port out, starboard home', but neither of these is correct. CANOE, the Committee to Ascribe a Naval Origin to Everything, doesn't really exist, but the number of these folk myths makes it seem as though they do.. It is lucky for us, in our endeavours to distinguish truth from falsehood, that activities at sea have been scrupulously recorded over the centuries, in insurance records, newspaper accounts and, not least, in ships' log books. The term log-book has an interesting derivation in itself. An early form of measuring a ship's progress was by casting overboard a wooden board (the log) with a string attached. The rate at which the string was payed out as the ship moved away from the stationary log was measured by counting how long it took between knots in the string. These measurements were later transcribed into a book. Hence we get the term 'log-book' and also the name 'knot' as the unit of speed at sea.

A list of phrases that derive from seafaring

Many phrases are falsely claimed to be of a nautical origin. The list below are those with documentary evidence to support the claim of an association with the sea: A shot across the bows All at sea

Meaning
In a state of confusion and disorder.

Origin
This is an extension of the nautical phrase 'at sea'. It dates from the days of sail when accurate navigational aids weren't available. Any ship that was out of sight of land was in an uncertain position and in danger of becoming lost. 'At sea' has been in use since the 18th century, as here, in Sir William Blackstone's Commentaries on the laws of England, 1768: "If a court of equity were still at sea, and floated upon the occasional opinion which the judge who happened to preside might entertain of conscience in every particular case." The earliest reference to 'all at sea' in print that I can find is from Travel and adventure in southeast Africa, 1893, by Frederick C. Selous: "I was rather surprised to find that he seemed all at sea, and had no one ready to go with me."

Anchors aweigh Batten down the hatches Between the Devil and the deep blue sea

Meaning
In difficulty, faced with two dangerous alternatives.

Origin
The phrase was originally 'Between the Devil and the deep sea'. The sea turned blue much later and the phrase became well-known via the title of a popular song. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea was written by Ted Koehler and Harold Arlen, and recorded by Cab Calloway in 1931, although that version of the phrase may have been circulating earlier. What's the source of the original phrase? Well, we would really like to know. CANOE, the Committee to Ascribe a Nautical Origin to Everything, would have us believe that it has a nautical origin (well, they would wouldn't they?). In her book, 'When a loose cannon flogs a dead horse there's the devil to pay', Olivia Isil unambiguously attributes a nautical origin to the phrase. Set against that there's the explanation that this is from the usual meaning of Devil, i.e. the supreme spirit of evil. If it's that Devil we are talking about then the origin is straightforward the Devil is bad and falling in the deep sea is bad, so when caught between the two we would be in difficulty.

People who like that explanation can point back to Greek mythology for an earlier version of the idea of being caught between evil and the sea. Homer's Odyssey refers to Odysseus being caught between Scylla (a six-headed monster) and Charybdis (a whirlpool). To explain the nautical theory we'll need to define some sailing terminology. That's always dangerous ground for landlubbers and usually results in some horny-handed sailing type writing in to say that we don't know our scuppers from our square-knots, but here goes anyway... "Devil - the seam which margins the waterways on a ship's hull". This definition is from Henry Smyth's Sailor's Word-Book: An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, 1867. That definition wasn't entirely clear to me, but a correspondent who describes himself as 'an engineer and vessel constructor', clarified it this way: "Devil - the seam between the deck planking and the topmost plank of the ship's side". This seam would need to be watertight and would need filling (caulking) from time to time. On a ship at sea this would presumably require a sailor to be suspended over the side, or at least stand at the very edge of the deck. Either way it is easy to see how that might be described as 'between the devil and the deep sea'. Incidentally, another term for filling a seam is paying. Those that like nautical origins also give this as the source for the Devil to pay, although the evidence is against them on that one. The first recorded citation of 'the Devil and the deep sea' in print is in Robert Monro's His expedition with the worthy Scots regiment called Mac-keyes, 1637: "I, with my partie, did lie on our poste, as betwixt the devill and the deep sea." The seafaring theory is plausible at least, but does it really hold water? Two factors count against it. Firstly, it doesn't really explain the meaning. The devil on a ship isn't inherently dangerous. Secondly, does the phrase pre-date the nautical term 'devil'? We've no evidence to show the word in that context until over two hundred years after the first sighting of the phrase. If the phrase really does pre-date the word then the nautical derivation, by that route at least, is clearly incorrect. The onus falls on the nautical believers to provide the evidence.

CANOE don't quite convince with this one. On balance it seems wise to stay on dry land and stick with the Devil we know.

Broad in the beam By and large

Meaning
On the whole; generally speaking; all things considered.

Origin
Many phrases are wrongly ascribed a nautical origin just because they sound like mariner's lingo. This one really is and, like many such nautical phrases, it originated in the days of sail. To get a sense of the original meaning of the phrase we need to understand the nautical terms 'by' and 'large'. 'Large' is easier, so we'll start there. When the wind is blowing from some compass point behind a ship's direction of travel then it is said to be 'large'. Sailors have used this term for centuries; for example, this piece from Richard Hakluyt's The Principall Navigations, Voiages, and Discoveries of the English Nation, 1591: "When the wind came larger we waied anchor and set saile." When the wind is in that favourable large direction the largest square sails may be set and the ship is able to travel in whatever downwind direction the captain sees fit. 'By' is a rather more difficult concept for landlubbers like me. In simplified terms it means 'in the general direction of'. Sailors would say to be 'by the wind' is to face into the wind or within six compass points of it. The earliest known reference to 'by and large' in print is from Samuel Sturmy, in The Mariners Magazine, 1669: "Thus you see the ship handled in fair weather and foul, by and learge."

To sail 'by and large' required the ability to sail not only as earlier square-rigged ships could do, i.e. downwind, but also against the wind. At first sight, and for many non-sailors I'm sure second and third sight too, it seems impossible that a sailing ship could progress against the wind. They can though. The physics behind this is better left to others. Suffice it to say that it involves the use of triangular sails which act like aeroplane wings and provide a force which drags the ship sideways against the wind. By the use of this and by careful angling of the rudder the ship can make progress towards the wind. The 19th century windjammers like Cutty Sark were able to maintain progress 'by and large' even in bad wind conditions by the use of many such aerodynamic triangular sails and large crews of able seamen.

Chock-a-block

Chock-a-block
Meaning
Crammed so tightly together as to prevent movement.

Origin
This term is old and has a nautical origin. Chock: The derivation of chock isn't entirely clear but the word is thought to have come from chock-full (or choke-full), meaning 'full to choking'. This dates back to the 15th century and is cited in Morte Arthur, circa 1400: "Charottez chokkefulle charegyde with golde."

This meaning was later used to give a name to the wedges of wood which are used to secure moving objects - chocks. These chocks were used on ships and are referred to in William Falconer's, An universal dictionary of the marine, 1769: "Chock, a sort of wedge used to confine a cask or other weighty body..when the ship is in motion."

Block: This is where seafaring enters into the story. A block and tackle is a pulley system used on sailing ships to hoist the sails. It might be expected that 'chock-a-block' is the result of wedging a block fixed with a chock. That doesn't appear to be the case. The phrase describes what occurs the system is raised to its fullest extent - when there is no more rope free and the blocks jam tightly together. Frederick Chamier's novel The Life of a Sailor, 1832 includes this figurative use of the term: "Here my lads is another messmate..." - What, another!" roared a ruddy-faced midshipman of about eighteen. "He must stow himself away, for we are chock-a-block here." We might expect to find a reference to it in relation to ship's equipment before any figurative use, but the earliest I've found is in Richard H. Dana Jr's Two years before the mast, 1840: "Hauling the reef-tackles chock-a-block." Chock-a-block also spawned an abbreviated version in the 20th century - chocka (or chocker). This is WWII UK military slang meaning 'fed-up or disgruntled' - as defined in Hunt and Pringles' Service Slang, 1943: "Chocker, this is the sailor's way of saying he is fed up or browned off."

Close quarters Copper-bottomed Cut and run Edging forward Fathom out Full to the gunwales

Get underway Give a wide berth Go by the board Hand over fist Hard and fast

Meaning
Rigidly adhered to - without doubt or debate.

Origin
This is a nautical term. A ship that was hard and fast was simply one that was firmly beached on land. The term must have been well-known by the early 19th century as it was use in a figurative sense then; for example, The [London] Times, January 1820: "She was laid before the fire, at about a yard distance, and was hard and fast asleep." The Sailor's Word-Book, William Henry Smyth's 1867 nautical dictionary, defines the term: "Hard and fast. Said of a ship on shore."

High and dry In the offing Know the ropes Loose cannon On your beam ends Panic stations Plain sailing Push the boat out Shipshape and Bristol fashion Shake a leg Shiver my timbers Slush fund Taken aback

Meaning
Surprised or startled by a sudden turn of events.

Origin

'Aback' means in a backward direction - toward the rear. It is a word that has fallen almost into disuse, apart from in the phrase 'taken aback'. Originally 'aback' was two words: 'a' and 'back', but these became merged into a single word in the 15th century. The word 'around' and the now archaic 'adown' were formed in the same way. 'Taken aback' is an allusion to something that is startling enough to make us jump back in surprise. The first to be 'taken aback' were not people though but ships. The sails of a ship are said to be 'aback' when the wind blows them flat against the masts and spars that support them. A use of this was recorded in the London Gazette in 1697: "I braced my main topsails aback."

If the wind were to turn suddenly so that a sailing ship was facing unexpectedly into the wind, the ship was said to be 'taken aback'. An early example of that in print comes from an author called Eeles in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, 1754: "If they luff up, they will be taken aback, and run the hazard of being dismasted." Note: 'to luff' is to bring the head of a ship nearer to the wind. The figurative use of the phrase, meaning surprised rather than physically pushed back, came in the 19th century. It appeared in The Times in March 1831: "Whigs, Tories, and Radicals, were all taken aback with astonishment, that the Ministers had not come forward with some moderate plan of reform." Charles Dickens also used it in his American Notes in 1842: "I don't think I was ever so taken aback in all my life."

Tell it to the marines

Meaning
A scornful response to a tall and unbelieved story.

Origin
The US Marine Corps are probably the best-known marines these days and this Americansounding phrase is often thought to refer to them. This isn't an American phrase though and, although it has been known there since the 1830s, it originated in the UK and the marines in question were the Royal Marines. The first marines in an English-speaking country were The Duke of York and Albany's Maritime Regiment of Foot, formed in 1664, in the reign of Charles II. Charles I of Spain had established a similar marine corps - the Infantera de Armada (Navy Infantry) in 1537 but, being from a non English-speaking country, that corps are hardly likely to be the source of the phrase. The Duke of York's men were soldiers who had been enlisted and trained to serve on-board ships. The recruits were considered green and not on a par with hardened sailors, hence the implication that marines were naive enough to believe ridiculous tales, but that sailors weren't. Such a tall tale is often quoted as the source of this phrase. It is said King Charles II made a remark to Samuel Pepys in which he mocked the marines' credulity in their belief in flying fishes. That's a nice story, but it has been shown to be a hoax that was perpetrated in the 1900s by the novelist W. P. Drury - a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the Royal Marines. Most of the early citations give a fuller version of the phrase - "You may tell that to the marines, but the sailors will not believe it". This earliest reference I can find to it that uses the short version that is used today comes from the transcription of a journal that was written by John Marshall Deane, a private in the Foot Guards. His journal was written in 1708 and was transcribed and printed in 1846, under the title of A Journal of the Campaign in Flanders. The preface, which was the work of the transcriber rather than Deane and so must be dated as 1846 rather than 1708, includes this: [The commanding officer] if a soldier complained to him of hardships which he could not comprehend, would be very likely to recommend him to "tell it to the marines"! The longer version of the phrase is found earlier, in John Davis's The Post-Captain, or, The wooden walls well manned comprehending a view of naval society and manners, 1804: "He may tell that to the marines, but the sailors will not believe him."

The bitter end

Meaning
To the limit of one's efforts - to the last extremity.

Origin
Bitter has been an adjective meaning acrid or sour tasting since the year 725 AD at least. The word was in common use in the Middle Ages and Shakespeare uses it numerous times in his

plays and poems, as do many other dramatists. The phrase 'the bitter end' would seem, fairly obviously, to come directly from that meaning. But not so fast. Enter, stage left, Captain Smith. Here's what he has to say, in his publication Seaman's Grammar, 1627, which is the earliest citation of the phrase in print: "A Bitter is but the turne of a Cable about the Bits, and veare it out by little and little. And the Bitters end is that part of the Cable doth stay within boord." As you might have deduced, a bitt is a post fastened in the deck of a ship, for fastening cables and ropes. When a rope is played out to the bitter end, it means there is no more rope to be used. But again, not so fast. Folk etymologists are those who say something is true with no more justification than that they would like it to be true. They are thickest on the ground in the area of military and especially naval attributions. People seem to love a sailor's yarn, and anything with a whiff of the sea is seized on with enthusiasm. So much so that more thoughtful etymologists have dreamed up the inventive acronym CANOE - the Committee to Ascribe a Naval Origin to Everything. So, is this one from CANOE or not? We like to be definitive and, although the naval origin does seem to have a good case, it isn't conclusive. This time we'll sit on the fence and let you decide.

The cut of your jib Three sheets to the wind Tide over Walk the plank

A list of 122 everyday phrases that have a biblical origin

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

Meaning
It's better to have a small real advantage than the possibility of a greater one.

Origin

This proverb refers back to mediaeval falconry where a bird in the hand (the falcon) was a valuable asset and certainly worth more than two in the bush (the prey). The first citation of the expression in print in its currently used form is found in John Ray's A Hand-book of Proverbs, 1670, which he lists it as: A [also 'one'] bird in the hand is worth two in the bush By how much the phrase predates Ray's publishing isn't clear, as variants of it were known for centuries before 1670. The earliest English version of the proverb is from the Bible and was

translated into English in Wycliffe's version in 1382, although Latin texts have it from the 13th century: Ecclesiastes IX - A living dog is better than a dead lion. Alternatives that explicitly mention birds in hand come later. The earliest of those is in Hugh Rhodes' The Boke of Nurture or Schoole of Good Maners, circa 1530: "A byrd in hand - is worth ten flye at large."

John Heywood, the 16th century collector of proverbs, recorded another version in his ambitiously titled A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the Englishe tongue, 1546: "Better one byrde in hande than ten in the wood." The Bird in Hand was adopted as a pub name in England in the Middle Ages and many of these still survive. The term bird in hand must have been known in the USA by 1734, as that is the date when a small town in Pennsylvania was founded with that name.

A broken heart KJV, Psalms 34:18 - The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. A cross to bear KJV, Luke 14:27 - And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. A drop in the bucket

A fly in the ointment A graven image KJV, Deuteronomy 5:8 - Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth. A house divided against itself cannot stand A labour of love

Meaning
Work undertaken for the pleasure of it or for the benefit of a loved one.

Origin
This phrase has a biblical origin and appears in Thessalonians and Hebrews (King James Version). Thessalonians 1:2, 1:3: We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; Hebrews 6:10: For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. Shakespeare didn't use the expression 'labour of love' in any of his works but it is possible that the writers of the KJV were familiar with his play Love's Labours Lost, 1588, and that they adapted the expression from that title.

A law unto themselves KJV, Romans 2:14 - For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves. A leopard cannot change its spots

A man after his own heart A multitude of sins A nest of vipers A peace offering KJV, Leviticus 3:6 - And if his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering unto the LORD be of the flock; male or female, he shall offer it without blemish. A sign of the times KJV, Matthew 16:3 - And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? A soft answer turns away wrath KJV, Proverbs 15:1 - A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. A thorn in the flesh

Meaning
A persistent difficulty or annoyance.

Origin
From the Bible, 2 Corinthians 12:7 (King James Version): And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

A two-edged sword KJV, Proverbs 5:4 - But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. A voice crying in the wilderness KJV John 1:23 - He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

A wolf in sheep's clothing

Meaning
Someone who hides malicious intent under the guise of kindliness.

Origin

The cautionary advice that one cannot necessarily trust someone who appears kind and friendly has been with us for many centuries. Both Aesop's Fables and the Bible contain explicit references to wolves in sheep's clothing. On the face of it, Aesop must have originated the phrase, as his tales are much older than any biblical text. The question is, when did the phrase first become part of the English language? In the version of Aesop's Fables that is best known to us today is George Fyler Townsend's 1867 translation. Townsend gives the Wolf in Sheep's Clothing fable this way: Once upon a time a Wolf resolved to disguise his appearance in order to secure food more easily. Encased in the skin of a sheep, he pastured with the flock deceiving the shepherd by his costume. In the evening he was shut up by the shepherd in the fold; the gate was closed, and the entrance made thoroughly secure. But the shepherd, returning to the fold during the night to obtain meat for the next day, mistakenly caught up the Wolf instead of a sheep, and killed him instantly. The King James Version of the Bible, 1611 gives this warning, in Matthew 7:15: Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. The earliest English version of that biblical text is in John Wyclif's translation in 1382: Be ye war of fals prophetis, that comen to you in clothing is of scheep, but withynneforth thei ben as wolues of raueyn. Aesop's Fable version may be an earlier example in English. Aesop (620560 BC) is credited with creating the fables that bear his name and, whether he was the author or not, they are certainly pre-Christian. They were much translated before the first English version, which was Caxton's translation into Middle English, 1484. Caxton doesn't use the phrase, nor even

reproduces the fable in the form we now know. His version has a dog, rather than a wolf, masquerading as a sheep. It appears that the oldest explicit reference to the tale of a wolf dressed in a sheep skin, in print in English, is in Wycliffe's Bible. Where the writers of the Bible got the story from is anyone's guess. The cautionary tale wouldn't have been new to them. Some form of the tales that we now know as Aesop's Fables would have been in circulation in the Middle East at the time the Bible was recorded.

All things must pass All things to all men Am I my brother's keeper? An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth

Meaning
The notion that for every wrong done there should be a compensating measure of justice.

Origin
From the Code of Hammurabi. Hammurabi was King of Babylon, 1792-1750BC. The code survives today in the Akkadian language. Used in the Bible, Matthew 5:38 (King James Version): Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.

As old as Methuselah As old as the hills As white as snow As you sow so shall you reap

Meaning
Your deeds, good or bad, will repay you in kind.

Origin

From the Bible, Galatians VI (King James Version): Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Ashes to ashes dust to dust At his wits end

At one's wits' end

Meaning
Perplexed; unable to think what to do.

Origin
From the Bible, Psalms 107:27 (King James Version): They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end.

Baptism of fire KJV, Matthew 3:11 - I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire. Be fruitful and multiply KJV, Genesis 1:22 - And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. Beat swords into ploughshares

Beat swords into ploughshares

Meaning
Turn to peaceful pursuits and away from war.

Origin
From the Bible, Isaiah II (King James Version): They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Bite the dust Blessed are the peacemakers Born again KJV, John 3:3 - Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Breath of life KJV, Genesis 2:7 - And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. By the skin of your teeth By the sweat of your brow KJV, Genesis 3:19 - In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. Can a leopard change its spots? Cast bread upon the waters KJV, Ecclesiastes 11:1 - Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Cast the first stone Coat of many colours Don't cast your pearls before swine

Meaning
Items of quality offered to those who aren't cultured enough to appreciate them.

Origin
This expression is usually expressed in the negative proverbial form - 'don't cast your pearls before swine', and is found in the Bible, Matthew 7:6, first appearing in English bibles in Tyndale's Bible, 1526: Nether caste ye youre pearles before swyne. It had existed in the language for some time before that, in various forms. It may have migrated from France, as it is found in a Middle French text from 1402 as 'jeter des perles aux pourceaux'. It is also found in Middle English, in Langland's Piers Plowman, which is of uncertain date, but appeared around the same time: Nolite mittere, Man, margerie perlis Among hogges... The biblical text is generally interpreted to be a warning by Jesus to his followers that they should not offer biblical doctrine to those who were unable to value and appreciate it.

Dust to dust KJV, Genesis 3:19 - In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. Eat drink and be merry

Origin
From the Bible, Ecclesiastes VIII 15 (King James Version): To eat, and to drink, and to be merry

Eye to eye KJV, Isaiah 52:8 - Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion. Faith will move mountains Fall from grace Fat of the land

KJV, Genesis 45:18 - And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land. Feet of clay KJV, Daniel 2: 31-33 - His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Fight the good fight Fire and brimstone KJV, Genesis 19: 24-26 - Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven. Flesh and blood

Meaning
One's flesh and blood may refer to one's family, or may denote all mankind. It is also used to denote the living material of which people are composed.

Origin
The earliest usage of this phrase relates to the general 'mankind' usage. This comes from an Old English translation of the Bible - the Anglo-Saxon Gospels, Matthew XVI 17, circa 1000: Hit ye ne onwreah flaesc ne blod. The later King James Version lists this passage as: And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

For everything there is a season Forbidden fruit

Meaning
A prohibited article.

Origin

Forbidden fruit originates from the Garden of Eden bible story. The biblical 'forbidden fruit' was of course the apple. In the story the type of fruit isn't actually mentioned God forbade Adam and Eve to touch the fruit of the tree of knowledge. It is widely interpreted as being an apple though and the 'Adam's apple' is named after the fruit which is supposed to have stuck in Adam's throat. Genesis 2:9 (King James Version) And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. The term began to be used figuratively in the 17th century. In 1663, Heath used it in his Flagellum; or, the Life and Death of Oliver Cromwell: "The stealing and tasting of the forbidden fruit of Soveraignty."

Forgive them for they know not what they do From strength to strength Get thee behind me Satan Gird your loins KJV, 1 Kings 18:46 And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. Give up the ghost

Go the extra mile KJV, Matthew 5:41 - And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Good Samaritan Harden your heart KJV, Exodus 4:21 - And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go. He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword KJV, Matthew 26:52 - Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Heart's desire KJV, Psalms 21:2 - Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah. Holier than thou KJV, Isaiah 65:5 - Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day. How are the mighty fallen In the beginning was the word In the twinkling of an eye It's better to give than to receive Labour of love Lamb to the slaughter Land of Nod Law unto themselves KJV, Romans 2:14 - For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves.

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone Let not the sun go down on your wrath Let there be light Letter of the law KJV, 2 Corinthians 3:6 - Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. Living off the fat of the land Love of money is the root of all evil

Meaning
Literal meaning.

Origin
Often misquoted as 'money is the root of all evil'. Originates in the Bible, Timothy 6:10 (King James Version): For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Love thy neighbour as thyself Man does not live by bread alone KJV, Deuteronomy 8:3 - And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. Manna from Heaven KJV, Exodus 16:15 - And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat. Many are called but few are chosen

My cup runneth over My heart's desire KJV, Psalms 21:2 - Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah. No rest for the wicked Nothing new under the sun KJV, Ecclesiastes 1:9 - The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. O ye, of little faith Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings Patience of Job KJV, James 5:11 - Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. Peace offering KJV, Leviticus 3:6 - And if his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering unto the LORD be of the flock; male or female, he shall offer it without blemish. Pearls before swine Physician heal thyself Pride goes before a fall KJV, Proverbs 16:18 - Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Put words in one's mouth KJV, II Samuel 14:3 - And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth. Put your house in order KJV, II Kings 20:1 - In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.

Red sky at night; shepherds' delight Reap the whirlwind KJV, Hosea 8:7 - For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk; the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up. See eye to eye KJV, Isaiah 52:8 - Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion. Set your teeth on edge KJV, Jeremiah 31:30 - But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge. Sign of the times KJV, Matthew 16:3 - And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? Skin of your teeth Soft answer turns away wrath KJV, Proverbs 15:1 - A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. Sour grapes KJV, Jeremiah 31:30 - But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge. Spare the rod and spoil the child Strait and narrow Sufficient unto the day KJV, Matthew 6:34 - Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Sweat of your brow

KJV, Genesis 3:19 - In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. Swords into ploughshares Tender mercies KJV, Psalms 25:6 - Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old. The apple of his eye

Meaning
Originally meaning the central aperture of the eye. Figuratively it is something, or more usually someone, cherished above others.

Origin
'The apple of my eye' is exceedingly old and first appears in Old English in a work attributed to King Aelfred (the Great) of Wessex, AD 885, entitled Gregory's Pastoral Care. Shakespeare used the phrase in A Midsummer Nights Dream, 1600: Flower of this purple dye, Hit with Cupids archery, Sink in apple of his eye It also appears several times in the Bible, for example, Deuteronomy 32:10 (King James Version, 1611) He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. and Zechariah 2:8: For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. The phrase was known from those early sources but became more widely used in the general population when Sir Walter Scott included it in the popular novel Old Mortality, 1816: "Poor Richard was to me as an eldest son, the apple of my eye."

The blind leading the blind The bread of life The breath of life KJV, Genesis 2:7 - And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. The ends of the earth The fat of the land KJV, Genesis 45:18 - And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land. The fly in the ointment The fruits of your loins The land of Nod The letter of the law KJV, 2 Corinthians 3:6 - Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. The love of money is the root of all evil The patience of Job KJV, James 5:11 - Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. The powers that be The root of the matter The salt of the earth The skin of your teeth The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak

Meaning

A statement of the difficulty in living up to the high moral standards that one has set oneself.

Origin
From the Bible, Matthew 26:41 (King James Version): Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

The strait and narrow The sweat of your brow KJV, Genesis 3:19 - In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. The wages of sin is death

Meaning
Sinners will be cast into everlasting torment.

Origin
From the Bible, Romans 6:23 (King James Version): For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The way of all flesh KJV, Genesis 6:12 - And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. The wisdom of Solomon KJV, Luke 11:31 - The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. The writing is on the wall There's nothing new under the sun

KJV, Ecclesiastes 1:9 - The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Thorn in the flesh Thou shalt not kill Three score and ten

Meaning
The span of a life. In the days that this was coined that was considered to be seventy years.

Origin
Threescore used to be used for sixty, in the way that we still use a dozen for twelve, and (occasionally) score for twenty. It has long since died out in that usage but is still remembered in this phrase. Threescore goes back to at least 1388, as in this from John Wyclif's Bible, Leviticus 12, at that date: "Thre scoor and sixe daies." There are numerous uses of 'threescore' in the Bible. Most of them refer to its simple meaning as the number sixty, for example: "...threescore and ten bullocks, an hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt offering to the Lord." There is a use of it that refers to the span of our lives, in Psalms 90: The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. As with many other Biblical phrases, this was picked up by Shakespeare. In Macbeth, 1605, we have: Threescore and ten I can remember well: Within the volume of which time I have seen Hours dreadful and things strange; but this sore night Hath trifled former knowings. It's an odd fact that, although Shakespeare took numerous phrases and examples of imagery from the Bible, the word Bible doesn't appear in any of his plays.

To everything there is a season Wash your hands of the matter KJV, Matthew 27:24 - When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Way of all flesh KJV, Genesis 6:12 - And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. What God has joined together let no man put asunder Weighed in the balance KJV, Job 31:6 - Let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine integrity. White as snow Wheels within wheels KJV, Ezekiel 1:16 - The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. Wisdom of Solomon KJV, Luke 11:31 - The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. Woe is me Wolf in sheep's clothing Writing is on the wall You reap what you sow

Meaning
Your deeds, good or bad, will repay you in kind.

Origin
From the Bible, Galatians VI (King James Version): Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

French Phrases
Here's a list of French phrases and sayings that are used in English often enough to have become part of the language. Many of these relate to those French preoccupations, fashion and food. la carte la mode Agent provocateur Aide-de-camp Aide-mmoire Aprs-ski Art dco On the menu, with each dish priced. Fashionable; also, in the USA, with ice cream. 'Provocative agent' - a spy employed to induce or incite a suspected person or group to commit an incriminating act. An officer who assists a general in his military duties. An aid to memory. Socializing after a skiing session. Also a name of a type of footwear worn after removing ski boots. 'Decorative art' - a style of art originating in Paris in the early 20th century. An

eclectic and glamourous artform, taking in aspects of Cubism and geometric industrial design. Art nouveau 'New art' - a style of art developed towards the end of the 19th century. It is characterized by ornamentation based on organic or foliate forms and by its asymmetric and curvaceous lines. To the contrary. Often used with an arch or rather camp form of delivery.
To be conversant with; familiar with. 'With gratings' - in French, anything that is grated onto a food dish. In English, specifically 'with cheese'.

Au contraire
Au fait Au gratin

Au naturel Au pair Au revoir Avant garde

Belle poque Bte noire Billet doux Bon apptit Bon mot Bon vivant Bon voyage

Undressed or 'in a natural state'. A young foreigner, usually female, who undertakes domestic tasks in exchange for accommodation. Farewell for the time being. Sometimes given in English in the jokey au reservoir version. The pioneers or innovators in art in a particular period. Also, a military term, meaning vanguard or advance guard.
'Beautiful era' - the golden age of art and culture in France in the early 20th century. A pet peeve. A thing or person found particularly unwelcome and to be avoided. A short love letter or note. 'Good appetite' - "Enjoy your food". Clever, witty remark. 'Good liver' - a person who enjoys life, especially 'wine, women and song'. Have a good trip.

a ne fait rien (or sans faire rien)

Caf au lait

It doesn't matter - often deliberately mispronounced in English as 'San fairy Ann'.

Coffee with milk.

Carte blanche

Having free rein to choose whatever course of action you want.

Cause clbre

An issue arousing widespread controversy or debate. An English invention, rarely used in France.

C'est la vie Chaise longue

That's life or such is life. Often used in disappointed resignation following some bad fortune. 'Long chair' - a form of sofa with an elongated seat long enough to support the legs. Often erroneously called a chaise lounge in the USA. This isn't the derivation of either the noun or verb lounge, which both long pre-date the invention of chaise longues.

Charg d'affaires A diplomat, temporarily in charge of business.

Cherchez la femme Cinma vrit

Cordon bleu

Literally, "look for the woman." A form of filmmaking that combines documentary-style techniques to tell a story.
High quality, especially of cooking.

Cordon sanitaire A political or medical buffer zone.

Coup d'tat

An abrupt overthrow of a government through unconstitutional means, for example, by force, or by occupation of government structures during the leader's absence.
Originally a blow by which one condemned or mortally wounded is 'put out of his misery'. Figuratively, a finishing stroke, one that settles or puts an end to something. 'Burnt cream' - baked custard with a carmelized crust A flan. A custard dessert with a layer or caramel on top.

Coup de grce

Crme brle Crme caramel

Crme de la crme
Cri de coeur

The best of the best. Literally the cream of the cream.

'Cry of the heart' - a heartfelt cry of anguish.

Cul-de-sac Dj vu De rigueur Double entendre

A thoroughfare that is closed at one end - a blind alley. Also, figuratively, a venture leading to no successful outcome. The feeling of having seen or experienced something before. Literally 'already seen'. Obligatory or expected, especially with reference to fashion. A word or phrase that has a double meaning - one of which is often vulgar or sexual in nature. A staple form of British toilet humour - Carry On films would

be virtually silent without it; for example, see 'gone for a P' in wee-wee.
Du jour 'Of the day' - as in 'soup du jour' ('soup of the day').

minence grise A powerful adviser or decision-maker who operates secretly or unofficially. Literally 'grey eminence'. Enfant terrible Literally, a "terrible child". It is sometimes used to describe unruly children. More commonly, it is used in relation to adults who cause trouble by unorthodox or ill-considered speech or behaviour - especially those who have habitually done this from an early age.
In a group; all together. In passing.

En masse En passant

En route En suite Esprit de corps

On the way. Part of a set, especially a series of rooms that adjoin each other forming a suite. The regard entertained by the members of a group, especially a military unit, for the honour and interests of the group as a whole. Literally, 'spirit of the corps'. An irreversible action that has happened before those affected by it knew of its existence. A social blunder, causing embarrassment or loss of reputation. Literally, a 'false step'.
A bleak cinematographic style, usually dark visually and in storyline terms.

Fait accompli Faux pas

Film noir

Femme fatale
Fleur de Lis

A dangerously attractive woman.

The heraldic lily; a device supposed by some to have originally represented an iris, by others the top of a sceptre, of a battle-axe or other weapon.

Force majeure Grand prix Haute couture Haute cuisine

Hors de combat Hors d'oeuvres

Irresistible force or overwhelming power. The premier events of several sports, especially the races in the Formula I motor racing championship. Literally, 'grand prize'. 'High sewing' - trend-setting high fashion. Also, the collective name for the leading dressmakers and designers. High class cooking. Literally, 'upper kitchen'.
'Out of combat' - unable to fight. An extra dish served as a relish to whet the appetite, normally at the start of a meal.

Je ne sais quoi

An indescribable or inexpressible something. Literally, 'I know not what'.

Joie de vivre Laissez-faire

A feeling of healthy enjoyment of life; exuberance, high spirits. The principle that government should not interfere with the action of individuals. Also, more generally, a policy of indulgence towards the actions of others. Literally, 'let (people) do (as they think best)'. This isn't actually widely adopted into English. I include it here in the hope that it might become so. It means - thinking of a suitable retort or remark after the opportunity to make it has passed. Literally, 'the wit of the staircase'.
Seasickness.

L'esprit de l'escalier
Mal de mer

Mardi gras Mnage trois

Mot juste

The last day of the Carnival or pre-Lenten season. Literally, 'Fat Tuesday', called Shrove Tuesday in the UK. 'Household of three' - three people in a sexual relationship.
Exactly the right word or expression.

Merci beaucoup Thank you very much.

N'est-ce pas?

Is it not so?

Noblesse oblige The responsibility conferred by rank. Literally, 'noble rank entails responsibility'.
Nom de guerre A name assumed by individuals engaged in a military enterprise or espionage, usually in order to conceal their true identity. Literally, 'war name'.

Nom de plume
Nouveau riche

An assumed name under which a person writes or publishes. Literally, 'pen name'.
'Newly rich' - a snobbish term for a persoon who has come into money but has not developed the manners expected of wealthy people.

Nouvelle cuisine A form of cooking of the mid 20th century that emphasized lightness and decorative form. Objet d'art Papier mch An 'art object'. A material used for scultural artwork and craftwork. Literally 'mashed paper'.

Par excellence Pas de deux

Pre-eminently supreme - above all others. Impossible to avoid the corny 'father of twins' joke here. The real meaning is a dance (typically a ballet), and in extended use a partnership, between two people.

Petit four Petit mal Petit point

A small dessert - usually a dainty cake. 'Small illness' - a mild epilepsy. Small stitching, used in needlepoint.

Pice de rsistance Pied--terre Prt--porter Pot-pourri

The best part or feature of something, especially of a meal. A second home, typically an apartment in the city. Ready-to-wear clothing. A mixture of dried petals of different flowers mixed with spices, kept in a jar for its perfume. Also, a stew made from a variety of meats cooked together. By extension, any collection of miscellaneous items. What a horrible thing. This is frequently used sardonically, when the 'horror' is trivial. What is this? The thing that is central to our existence. Literally, 'reason for being'.
Please respond (to my message). Literally the abbreviation of 'Rpondez, s'il vous plat'.

Quelle horreur Qu'est-ce que c'est? Raison d'tre

RSVP

Sacr bleu

This general mild exclamation of shock is the archetypal French phrase, as viewed by the English. No portrayal of a stage Frenchman in an English farce could be complete without a character in a beret and striped jumper, shrugging his shoulders and muttering 'Sacr bleu!'. Literally, 'holy blue', which refers to the colour associated with the Virgin Mary. Coolness, indifference. Literally, 'cold blood'. Social grace; means know-how in French. Please. Literally, 'if it pleases you'. 'Soup of the day' - the soup offered by a restaurant that day. A full-course meal offering a limited number of choices and served at a fixed price in a restaurant or hotel. A private meeting between two people. Literally, 'head-to-head'.
At once.

Sang-froid Savoir-faire S'il vous plat Soupe du jour Table d'hte Tte--tte
Tout de suite

Tour de force Trompe l'il

A masterly stroke or feat of strength or skill. Literally, 'feat of strength'. An art technique involving high levels of realism in order to create the illusion that the depicted objects are real rather than paintings. Literally, 'trick the eye'.

Vis--vis Vive la diffrence.

Vol-auvent

In a position facing another. Literally 'face to face'. Often now used in the sense of 'in relation to'. Long live the difference (between male and female).
A small, light savoury pastry. Literally 'flight of the wind'.

Zut alors

A general exclamation. Like Sacr bleu, this is more likely to be spoken by pretend Frenchmen than by real ones.

Latin Phrases
Here's a list of Latin phrases and sayings that are used in English often enough to have become part of the language. Note: Please don't mail us with requests for translations to/from Latin - we don't do Latin translations. A priori Ad absurdum Ad hoc Ad infinitum Ad nauseam Alma Mater Alter ego Annus horribilis Agnus Dei Aqua pura Aqua vitae
Ars longa, vita brevis

From what comes before. To the point of absurdity. For this purpose. Without limit - endlessly. To a sickening extent. One's old school (literally 'bounteous mother'). Other (alternative) self. A horrible year. Lamb of God. Pure water. Alcoholic spirit, e.g. brandy/whisky. Literally 'water of life'.
Skill takes time to acquire, but life is short.

Ave Maria Carpe diem Caveat emptor Cogito ergo sum Corpus Christi

Hail Mary. Seize the day (More literally translated as 'enjoy the day, pluck it when it is ripe'). Let the buyer beware. I think, therefore I am. The body of Christ.

De facto Dei Gratia E Pluribus Unum Et cetera (etc.) Et tu, Brute Ex libris Gloria in excelsis deo Habeas corpus In absentia In camera In flagrante delicto In loco parentis In vitro Ipso facto Magnum opus Mea culpa Nolens volens Post partum
Praemonitus, praemunitus

In fact - in reality. By the grace of God. One from many. And the rest. And you, Brutus. 'Out of the books', i.e. from the library. Glory to God in the highest. You must have the body (in court). In one's absence. In private chamber. In the act of committing an offence. In the place of a parent. In a test tube (literally 'in glass'). By that very fact. A great work. My fault. Willingly or unwillingly (see also, willy-nilly). After childbirth.
Forewarned is forearmed.

Modus operandi (m.o.) Mode of operating.

Prima facie Pro bono Opus Dei Quid pro quo Quo vadis? Rigor mortis Semper fidelis Sine qua non Status quo Sub judice Tempus fugit

At first sight; on the face of it. Without charge - for the public good. The work of God. Something for something, i.e. a favour for a favour. Where are you going? The rigidity of death. Always faithful. Indispensable. The current state of affairs. Before a court. Time flees.

Terra firma Urbi et orbi Veni vidi vici Vice versa Vivat Regina Vox populi

Solid ground. To the city and to the globe. I came, I saw, I conquered. The other way around. Long live the queen. The voice of the people.

English Proverbs
Nothing defines a culture as distinctly as its language, and the element of language that best encapsulates a society's values and beliefs is its proverbs. The graphic to the right shows the words that are used in English proverbs, with the size of each word indicating how often it occurs (click for a bigger image). It's interesting to note that the two most common words in English proverbs are 'good' and 'never'. A bit of armchair psychology leads to the conclusion that, if proverbs really do reflect belief, then the English are (or at least were when these proverbs were coined) inclined to be virtuous but negative - not so far from the truth perhaps? Proverbs are short and pithy sayings that express some traditionally held truth. They are usually metaphorical and often, for the sake of memorability, alliterative.

A list of most of the commonly-used proverbs in the English language, with links to the meaning and origin of many of them.
Many proverbs have been absorbed into English having been known earlier in other languages. The list here is specifically of English proverbs and the dates given are those when the proverb first appeared in English. A cat may look at a king A chain is only as strong as its weakest link A change is as good as a rest A dog is a man's best friend A drowning man will clutch at a straw

Meaning
Try any route to get out of a desperate situation, no matter how unlikely it is to succeed.

Origin
It is only since the mid-19th century that we have been clutching at straws. Even more recently, the 'grasp at straws' version has become commonplace, especially in the USA. Prior to that, desperate people would 'catch at a straw'. That usage of 'catch' was commonly used in mediaeval England, by which was meant 'obtain/achieve'; for example, John Wycliffe used it in his 1382 translation of the Bible into English, in 1 Timothy 6:12: Stryve thou a good strif of feith, catche everlastyng lyf

By the 17th century, in the King James Version, this had migrated to: Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life Our present day ambitions are more prosaic and we only use that sense of 'catch' now to catch trains, buses and, occasionally, colds. A straw was chosen as the height of futility as a means of rescue. Being, as it was, a flimsy and virtually valueless waste product, it was often used as a synonym for the most unimportant and trifling of objects. 'Don't give/care a straw' was an indication of indifference, a 'man of straw' was an insubstantial adversary, and to 'condemn someone to straw' was to declare them ready for the madhouse. 'To clutch at straws' is now used as a figurative phrase, to describe any desperate situation. When the expression was coined it specifically referred to drowning. The notion of a drowning man anxiously seeking 'any port in a storm' was first expressed by Sir Thomas More, in A Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation, 1534: A man in peril of drowning catchest whatsoever cometh next to hand... be it never so simple a stick. More used the imagery on several occasions, but didn't mention straw in any of them. The 'catch at a straw' version of the proverb is first recorded in the English cleric John Prime's Fruitful and Brief Discourse, 1583: We do not as men redie to be drowned, catch at euery straw. The metaphor expresses futility rather well. Straws do float, but a drowning man would have to be pretty much out of other ideas if he put any reliance on it bearing his weight. Moving on to the 19th century, 'catch' has fallen from favour and we find an early mention of the current 'clutch at straws' version in The New-York Mirror, 1832: ... as drowning men clutch at straws.

On to the 21st century and you no longer need to be drowning or desperate to clutch at straws - straw clutch bags have become fashion items.

A fish always rots from the head down A fool and his money are soon parted

A friend in need is a friend indeed

Meaning
This is one of the phrases in the language that is interesting because there are various interpretations of the meaning. Firstly, is it 'a friend in need is a friend indeed' or 'a friend in need is a friend in deed'. Clearly, that would have a bearing on the meaning. The 'in need' is also open to interpretation - is it 'a friend (when you are) in need' or 'a friend (who is) in need'. If the former, then the phrase means: 'someone who helps you when you are in need is a true friend'. If the latter, it is 'someone who needs your help becomes especially friendly in order to obtain it'. So, that gives us four options: 1. A friend, (when you are) in need, is indeed a true friend. ('indeed') 2. A friend, (when you are) in need, is someone who is prepared to act to show it ('in deed') 3. A friend, (who is) in need, is indeed a true friend. ('indeed') 4. A friend, (who is) in need, is someone who is prepared to act to show it ('in deed') The original meaning can be resolved to some degree by the documentary evidence - see below. Nevertheless, there is no unambiguous right or wrong here and this is a phrase that we probably infer the meaning of from context when we first hear it. Whichever of the above options we initially elect for will cement our understanding of the phrase; probably forever, if the vehemence of the mutually contradictory mails I get on this subject are anything to go by.

Origin
A version of this proverb was known by the 3rd century BC. Quintus Ennius wrote: 'Amicu certus in re incerta cernitur'. This translates from the Latin as 'a sure friend is known when in difficulty'. The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations lists it as existing in English from the 11th century. The earliest version I can find is from Caxton's Sonnes of Aymon, 1489: "It is sayd, that at the nede the frende is knowen." The morality play Everyman also contains similar lines. The play's date is uncertain and scholars place it as 'late 15th century', which could be before Caxton's work: Fellowship: Sir, I say as I will do in deed. Everyman: Then be you a good friend at need; By the 16th century, when the proverb was recorded in John Heywood's A Dialogue Conteynyng Prouerbes and Epigrammes, 1562:

Prove [i.e. test] thy friend ere [before] thou have need; but, in-deed A friend is never known till a man have need. Before I had need, my most present foes Seemed my most friends; but thus the world goes So, what does that evidence indicate in terms of original meaning? Ennius' text is ambiguous and, being a later translation, can't be considered the original source of the phrase in English. Caxton's version is also unhelpful. The Everyman play is clearer in its intent and supports interpretation 2. Heywood's verse can't be considered the original meaning as the other citations predate. It is worth considering though as Heywood was an indefatigable recorder of proverbs, as understood in England in the 16th century. It is safe to say that, whatever view we have now, in 1562 either 1 or 2 was the accepted meaning. Neither 3 nor 4 appear to be supported by early texts and, as they aren't widely held today either, it seems safe to discount them. On the balance of evidence, interpreation 2, i.e. 'a friend, when you are in need, is someone who is prepared to prove their friendship by their deeds', has the best claim to be the original meaning of the phrase. A search of web-based material shows that 'a friend in need is a friend indeed' has about twice the public currency as 'a friend in need is a friend in deed'. Those who stand up for the latter are probably correct, but they will have a hard time changing the mind of the 'indeed' contingent.

A golden key can open any door A good beginning makes a good ending A good man is hard to find A house divided against itself cannot stand A house is not a home A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step A leopard cannot change its spots A little knowledge is a dangerous thing

Meaning
A small amount of knowledge can mislead people into thinking that they are more expert than they really are.

Origin
'A little knowledge is a dangerous thing' and 'a little learning is a dangerous thing' have been used synonymously since the 18th century.

The 'a little learning' version is widely attributed to Alexander Pope (1688 1744). It is found in An Essay on Criticism, 1709, and I can find no earlier example of the expression in print: A little learning is a dangerous thing; drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring: there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again. The similarity of the two phrases is demonstrated by what appears to be an impromptu coining of 'a little knowledge is a dangerous thing' in a piece in The monthly miscellany; or Gentleman and Lady's Complete Magazine, Vol II, 1774, in which the writer misquoted Pope: Mr. Pope says, very truly, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing." Both Pope's original verse and the misquotation of it were predated by an anonymous author, signing himself 'A B', in the collection of letters published in 1698 as The mystery of phanaticism: "Twas well observed by my Lord Bacon, That a little knowledge is apt to puff up, and make men giddy, but a greater share of it will set them right, and bring them to low and humble thoughts of themselves.

Again, there is a degree of misquotation here, as what 'my Lord Bacon', the English politician and philosopher Francis Bacon, Viscount St Alban, actually said, in The Essays: Of Atheism, 1601, was: "A little philosophy inclineth mans mind to atheism; but depth in philosophy bringeth mens minds about to religion."

So, who coined the phrase? It appears to have been a group effort. Bacon can be credited with the idea, Pope with the 'learning' version and the mysterious 'A B' with the 'knowledge' version.

A little learning is a dangerous thing A little of what you fancy does you good A man who is his own lawyer has a fool for his client A miss is as good as a mile A new broom sweeps clean A nod's as good as a wink to a blind horse A penny saved is a penny earned

A penny saved is a penny earned

Meaning
It is as useful to save money that you already have as it is to earn more.

Origin
The original form of this proverb used 'got' or 'gained' instead of 'earned'. That is recorded as early as the 17th century, in George Herbert's Outlandish Proverbs, circa 1633: A penny spar'd is twice got. The notion appears to have been that, by declining to spend a penny and to save one's money instead, you are a penny up rather than a penny down, hence 'twice got'. Similarly, football teams, who get three points for a win, class games against their nearest rivals in the league table a 'six-pointer'. That's not great arithmetic, but it does make a good proverb. The current format of the phrase began, with the 'gained' usage, soon afterwards; for example, this piece from Thomas Fuller's, The history of the worthies of England, circa 1661: By the same proportion that a penny saved is a penny gained, the preserver of books is a Mate for the Compiler of them. Not much later again and we find a 'got' usage, as in Edward Ravenscroft's Canterbury Guests, 1695: This I did to prevent expences, for..A penny sav'd, is a penny got. The first usage of the current form of the phrase is sometimes attribute to Benjamin Franklin. That attribution is without foundation and printed examples began in the 19th century. 'A penny saved is a penny earned' was printed in an edition of the Pall Mall Magazine in

September 1899.

A person is known by the company he keeps A picture paints a thousand words

A penny saved is a penny earned

Meaning
It is as useful to save money that you already have as it is to earn more.

Origin
The original form of this proverb used 'got' or 'gained' instead of 'earned'. That is recorded as early as the 17th century, in George Herbert's Outlandish Proverbs, circa 1633: A penny spar'd is twice got. The notion appears to have been that, by declining to spend a penny and to save one's money instead, you are a penny up rather than a penny down, hence 'twice got'. Similarly, football teams, who get three points for a win, class games against their nearest rivals in the league table a 'six-pointer'. That's not great arithmetic, but it does make a good proverb. The current format of the phrase began, with the 'gained' usage, soon afterwards; for example, this piece from Thomas Fuller's, The history of the worthies of England, circa 1661: By the same proportion that a penny saved is a penny gained, the preserver of books is a Mate for the Compiler of them. Not much later again and we find a 'got' usage, as in Edward Ravenscroft's Canterbury Guests, 1695: This I did to prevent expences, for..A penny sav'd, is a penny got. The first usage of the current form of the phrase is sometimes attribute to Benjamin Franklin. That attribution is without foundation and printed examples began in the 19th century. 'A penny saved is a penny earned' was printed in an edition of the Pall Mall Magazine in September 1899.

A place for everything and everything in its place A poor workman always blames his tools A problem shared is a problem halved

A prophet is not recognized in his own land A rising tide lifts all boats A rolling stone gathers no moss

Meaning
Someone who does not settle in one place rarely prospers.

Origin

This proverb refers to what is well-known about mosses and lichens that they are slow-growing organisms that don't thrive on disturbance. A sure way to prevent a colony of moss from growing on a stone is to move it about. As with all proverbs, it isn't the literal meaning that conveys the meaning but the metaphor. A rolling stone refers to a wanderer, unable to settle to any job or lifestyle and is therefore characterised as unreliable and unproductive. That notion was known to the ancient world and Greek and Latin versions of the phrase are cited by Erasmus in the third volume of his collection of Latin proverbs - Adagia, 1508. The proverb may have come into colloquial English before then, although early records are incomplete. We do know that it was known by 1546, when John Heywood published A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the Englishe tongue: The rollyng stone neuer gatherth mosse. Heywood's claim in the title to include all the proverbs in English is a little overstated, but Dialogue is the most comprehensive early collection and the source of many previously unrecorded proverbs. They were assembled from various sources, including Erasmus' Adages and from his own collecting amongst the Tudor populace. By the early 17th century, a 'rolling stone' was referred to as a type of wastrel - one who would amount to nothing. In A dictionarie of the French and English tongues, 1611, Randle Cotgrave listed the French word 'rodeur' and gave it this definition in English: Rodeur: A vagabond, roamer, wanderer, street-walker, highway-beater; a rolling stone, one that does nought but runne here and there, trot up and downe, rogue all the country over.

Quite a good name for a rock band you might think and Brian Jones thought just that when he formed the eponymous blues/rock band in 1962. Despite what appears to be Mick Jagger's impressively dogged attempt to sleep with most of the models in London and despite his long-standing friendship with Kate Moss, journalists have not yet had occasion to wheel out the inevitable headline 'Rolling Stone gathers Moss'.

A soft answer turneth away wrath A stitch in time saves nine

Meaning
A timely effort will prevent more work later.

Origin
This is nothing to do with rips in the fabric of the space-time continuum, as some have ingeniously suggested. The meaning of this proverb is often requested at the Phrase Finder Discussion Forum, so I'll be explicit. The question usually asked is "saves nine what"? The stitch in time is simply the sewing up of a small hole in a piece of material and so saving the need for more stitching at a later date, when the hole has become larger, Clearly, the first users of this expression were referring to saving nine stitches.

The Anglo Saxon work ethic is being called on here. Many English proverbs encourage immediate effort as superior to putting things off until later; for example, 'one year's seeds, seven year's weeds', 'procrastination is the thief of time' and 'the early bird catches the worm'. The 'stitch in time' notion has been current in English for a very long time and is first recorded

in Thomas Fuller's Gnomologia, Adagies and Proverbs, Wise Sentences and Witty Sayings, Ancient and Modern, Foreign and British, 1732: "A Stitch in Time May save nine." Fuller, who recorded a large number of the early proverbs in the language, wrote a little explanatory preamble to this one: "Because verses are easier got by heart, and stick faster in the memory than prose; and because ordinary people use to be much taken with the clinking of syllables; many of our proverbs are so formed, and very often put into false rhymes; as, a stitch in time, may save nine; many a little will make a mickle. This little artiface, I imagine, was contrived purposely to make the sense abide the longer in the memory, by reason of its oddness and archness." As far as is known, the first person to state unambiguously that 'a stitch in time saves nine', rather than Fuller's less confident 'may save nine', was the English astronomer Francis Baily, in his Journal, written in 1797 and published in 1856 by Augustus De Morgan: After a little while we acquired a method of keeping her [a boat] in the middle of the stream, by watching the moment she began to vary, and thereby verifying the vulgar proverb, '"A stitch in time saves nine."

A swarm in May is worth a load of hay; a swarm in June is worth a silver spoon; but a swarm in July is not worth a fly A thing of beauty is a joy forever

Meaning
Literal meaning.

Origin

From John Keats' epic poem, Endymion, 1818: A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness; but still will keep

A bower quiet for us, and a sleep Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

A trouble shared is a trouble halved A volunteer is worth twenty pressed men A watched pot never boils A woman's place is in the home

Meaning
Literal meaning.

Origin
This notion has been expressed in a variety of forms by numerous people over the ages, all of them men, of course. The proper proverbial place for a woman is usually expressed as 'the home' but is and has been also said to be 'the family' and 'the kitchen'. The ancient Greeks got in there first. The playright Aeschylus, in Seven Against Thebes, 467 B.C., wrote: Let women stay at home and hold their peace. Of course, Aeschylus wrote in Greek and the above is a much later translation. The unambiguous nature of the thought being expressed doesn't leave much room for interpretation and we can be assured that the English version says pretty much what the Greek dramatist originally said. Moving into sources written in English, we find Thomas Fullers Gnomologia: Adagies and Proverbs, 1732: A Woman is to be from her House three times: when she is Christened, Married and Buried. Again, rather an unequivocal view of where women should spent their time. It isn't until the 19th century that we begin to see examples of the 'A woman's place...' form. The Edinburgh Magazine and Literary Miscellany, Volume 97, 1825 had a 'family' version: A woman's place is in the bosom of her family; her thoughts ought seldom to emerge from it. In 1832, The New Sporting Magazine, Volume 3, included the earliest example of 'a woman's place is in the home' that I can find in print: A woman's place is her own home, and not her husband's countinghouse.

A 'kitchen' variant is found in Hetty Morrison's early feminist tract My Summer in the Kitchen, 1878: Accepting ourselves at the valuation of such men as these, that woman's place is in the kitchen, or, to word it more ambitiously, that "woman is the queen of the home," the right I ask for is that we be allowed to reign undisputed there. Times change and with them our proverbs. In November 1970, Time magazine printed a piece titled Newcomers in the House. Bella Abzug campaigned for office in the US Congress using the slogan "This womans place is in the House... the House of Representatives."

A woman's work is never done A word to the wise is enough Absence makes the heart grow fonder Absolute power corrupts absolutely Accidents will happen (in the best-regulated families). Actions speak louder than words Adversity makes strange bedfellows After a storm comes a calm All good things come to he who waits

Meaning
Literal meaning - in praise of patience.

Origin
Used, but probably not originated by Violet Fane (1843-1905) in her poem Tout vient qui sait attendre. 'Ah, all things come to those who wait,' (I say these words to make me glad), But something answers soft and sad, 'They come, but often come too late.'

All good things must come to an end All is grist that comes to the mill All publicity is good publicity All roads lead to Rome All that glisters is not gold All the world loves a lover All things come to those who wait All things must pass

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy All you need is love All's fair in love and war All's for the best in the best of all possible worlds All's well that ends well A miss is as good as a mile An apple a day keeps the doctor away

Meaning
Literal meaning.

Origin

It isn't often that I get the opportunity to list Wales as the source of a commonplace English phrase. There's a fair chance that this little maxim originated there as the earliest known example of its use in print makes that claim. The February 1866 edition of Notes and Queries magazine includes this: "A Pembrokeshire proverb. Eat an apple on going to bed, And you'll keep the doctor from earning his bread." A number of variants of the rhyme were in circulation around the turn of the 20th century. In 1913, Elizabeth Wright recorded a Devonian dialect version and also first known record of the version we use now, in Rustic Speech and Folk-lore: "Ait a happle avore gwain to bed, An' you'll make the doctor beg his bread; or as the more popular version runs: An apple a day Keeps the doctor away." Apples have a good claim to promote health. They contain Vitamin C, which aid the immune system and phenols, which reduce cholesterol. They also reduce tooth decay by cleaning one's teeth and killing off bacteria. It has also been suggested by Cornell University researchers that the quercetin found in apples protects brain cells against neuro-degenerative disorders like Alzheimer's Disease. Apples may be good for us but it wasn't their precise medicinal properties that were being exalted when this phrase was coined. In Old English the word apple was used to describe any round fruit that grew on a tree. Adam and Eve's forbidden fruit, which they ate in the Garden of Eden, is often described as an apple but, in the 1611 King James Version of the Bible, it is just

called 'a fruit'.

An army marches on its stomach An Englishman's home is his castle An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure Another day, another dollar Any port in a storm April showers bring forth May flowers As you make your bed, so you must lie upon it As you sow so shall you reap Ask a silly question and you'll get a silly answer Ask no questions and hear no lies Attack is the best form of defence Bad money drives out good Bad news travels fast Barking dogs seldom bite Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Meaning
Literal meaning

Origin
This saying first appeared in the 3rd century BC in Greek. It didn't appear in its current form in print until the 19th century, but in the meantime there were various written forms that expressed much the same thought. In 1588, the English dramatist John Lyly, in his Euphues and his England, wrote: "...as neere is Fancie to Beautie, as the pricke to the Rose, as the stalke to the rynde, as the earth to the roote." Shakespeare expressed a similar sentiment in Love's Labours Lost, 1588: Good Lord Boyet, my beauty, though but mean, Needs not the painted flourish of your praise: Beauty is bought by judgement of the eye, Not utter'd by base sale of chapmen's tongues Benjamin Franklin, in Poor Richard's Almanack, 1741, wrote: Beauty, like supreme dominion Is but supported by opinion

David Hume's Essays, Moral and Political, 1742, include: "Beauty in things exists merely in the mind which contemplates them."

The person who is widely credited with coining the saying in its current form is Margaret Wolfe Hungerford (ne Hamilton), who wrote many books, often under the pseudonym of 'The Duchess'. In Molly Bawn, 1878, there's the line "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder", which is the earliest citation of it that I can find in print.

Beauty is only skin deep

Meaning
Physical beauty is superficial.

Origin
Proverb. First found in a work by Sir Thomas Overbury's, 1613: "All the carnall beauty of my wife, Is but skin deep." What his wife thought isn't recorded. There is a fanciful work attributed to Overbury called A true and historical relation of the poysoning of Sir Thomas Overbury, 1651. Perhaps she had him worried? 'Skin deep' is now also used to allude to anything superficial. An early use of this was also attributed to Overbury in 1613, in Ordinary Fencer Works, 1856: "His wounds are seldome above skin-deep."

Beggars should not be choosers Behind every great man there's a great woman

Meaning

Literal meaning.

Origin
This has been adopted as a feminist slogan. The origins are uncertain, but it's certainly much older than the Women's Movement of the 1960s/70s, which spawned other such slogans; for example, 'a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.' The first printed citation I can find is from the Texas newspaper The Port Arthur News, from February 1946. This was headed - "Meryll Frost - 'Most courageous athlete of 1945'": "As he received his trophy, the plucky quarterback unfolded the story of how he 'came back'. He said 'They say behind every great man there's a woman. While I'm not a great man, there's a great woman behind me.'" The use of the phrase in that quotation suggests it was well-known at the time, and may be much older than 1945. The use of the phrase received a boost in 1985 with the release of The Eurythmics' song Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves: Now, there was a time, when they used to say, that behind ev'ry great man, there had to be a great woman. But oh, in these times of change, you know that it's no longer true. So we're comin' out of the kitchen, 'cause there's something we forgot to say to you. We say, Sisters are doin' it for themselves

Better late than never

Meaning
To arrive or do something later than expected isn't good, but it is better than not at all.

Origin
This proverb is often expressed with a degree of sarcasm, apparently saying something positive but in fact merely remarking on someone's lateness. A teacher might say it to a child arriving late for school, for example. Geoffery Chaucer appears to have been the first person to have put the proverb into print, in The Yeoman's Prologue and Tale, Canterbury Tales, circa 1386:

Better safe than sorry Better the Devil you know than the Devil you don't Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all

Meaning
Literal meaning.

Origin

From Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem In Memoriam:27, 1850: I hold it true, whate'er befall; I feel it, when I sorrow most; 'Tis better to have loved and lost Than never to have loved at all.

Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness Better to remain silent and be thought a fool that to speak and remove all doubt Beware of Greeks bearing gifts Big fish eat little fish Birds of a feather flock together

Meaning
Those of similar taste congregate in groups.

Origin
This proverb has been in use since at least the mid 16th century. In 1545, William Turner used a version of it in his papist satire The Rescuing of Romish Fox: "Byrdes of on kynde and color flok and flye allwayes together."

The first known citation in print of the currently used English version of the phrase appeared in 1599, in The Dictionarie in Spanish and English, which was complied by the English lexicographer John Minsheu: Birdes of a feather will flocke togither. The phrase also appears in Benjamin Jowett's 1856 translation of Plato's Republic. Clearly, if it were present in the original Greek text then, at around 380BC, Plato's work would be a much earlier reference to it. What appears in Jowett's version is: Men of my age flock together; we are birds of a feather, as the old proverb says. Plato's text can be translated in other ways and it is safe to say it was Jowett in 1856, not Plato in 380BC, that considered the phrase to be old. The lack of any citation of it in English prior to the 16th century does tend to suggest that its literal translation wasn't present in The Republic a text that was widely read by English scholars of the classics well before the 16th century.

In nature, birds of a single species do in fact frequently form flocks. Ornithologists explain this behaviour as a 'safety in numbers' tactic to reduce their risk of predation. In language terms, it was previously more common to refer to birds flying together than flocking together and many early citations use that form, for example Philemon Holland's translation of Livy's Romane historie, 1600: "As commonly birds of a feather will flye together."

Blood is thicker than water

Meaning
So it is, but this proverb hasn't to do with measures of viscosity. The expression, meaning that family bonds are closer than those of outsiders.

Origin
This is first cited in Sir Walters Scott's work Guy Mannering; or the astrologer, 1815: "Weel, blude's thicker than water; she's welcome to the cheeses and the hams just the same."

Given Scott's facility for coining new phrases it may well be that this was his own work too. See also - phrases coined by Sir Walter Scott.

Boys will be boys Brevity is the soul of wit

Meaning
There's no briefer way of expressing this thought than Shakespeare's; making further explanation redundant.

Origin
From Shakespeare's Hamlet, 1602: LORD POLONIUS This business is well ended. My liege, and madam, to expostulate What majesty should be, what duty is, Why day is day, night night, and time is time, Were nothing but to waste night, day and time. Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit, And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief: your noble son is mad: Mad call I it; for, to define true madness, What is't but to be nothing else but mad? But let that go.

Business before pleasure Caesar's wife must be above suspicion Carpe diem (Pluck the day; Seize the day) Charity begins at home Cheats never prosper Children should be seen and not heard Cleanliness is next to godliness Clothes make the man Cold hands, warm heart Comparisons are odious Count your blessings Cowards may die many times before their death Crime doesn't pay Cut your coat to suit your cloth

Dead men tell no tales Devil take the hindmost Discretion is the better part of valour Distance lends enchantment to the view Do as I say, not as I do Do as you would be done by Do unto others as you would have them do to you

Meaning
Literal meaning.

Origin
This saying is one of the oldest notions known to man in that it is the basis of many of the ethical systems on which societies have been built. Many expressions of it in various versions have existed in the classic literature of Greece and Rome, as well as in Islamic, Taoist, Sikh and other religious texts. The English 'do unto others...' version is the biblical expression of it, and this appears in Matthew 7:12: (The Miles Coverdale Bible), 1535: Therfore what soeuer ye wolde that me shulde do to you, eue so do ye to them. This ys the lawe and the Prophetes. The importance of the belief was emphasised during the 17th century, when it began to be known as the Golden Law, or Golden Rule. Robert Godfrey called it that is Various injuries and abuses in chymical and galenical physick, 1674, using the more colloquial form 'do as you would be done by': Whilst forgetting that Golden Law do as you would be done by, they make self the center of their actions. Unrelated Golden Rules have also been specified as the name of precepts in other fields, notably mathematics and economics.

Don't bite the hand that feeds you Don't burn your bridges behind you Don't cast your pearls before swine Don't change horses in midstream Don't count your chickens before they are hatched Don't cross the bridge till you come to it Don't cut off your nose to spite your face Don't keep a dog and bark yourself

Meaning

Don't pay someone to do a task and then do it yourself.

Origin
The earliest citation of this proverb is Brian Melbancke's Philotimus: the warre betwixt nature and fortune, 1583: "It is smal reason you should kepe a dog, and barke your selfe."

Don't let the bastards grind you down Don't look a gift horse in the mouth Don't meet troubles half-way Don't put all your eggs in one basket Don't put the cart before the horse Don't put new wine into old bottles Don't rock the boat Don't spoil the ship for a ha'porth of tar Don't throw pearls to swine Don't teach your Grandma to suck eggs Don't throw the baby out with the bath water Don't try to walk before you can crawl Don't upset the apple-cart Don't wash your dirty linen in public Doubt is the beginning not the end of wisdom Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise

Meaning
Literal meaning.

Origin
The length and precision of this 18th century proverb leave little room for interpretation as to its meaning. Like many improving mottos, for example 'a rolling stone gathers no moss' and 'a stitch in time saves nine', it was an encouragement to hard, diligent work. The earliest record of it that I can find of it in print is in Poor Richard's Almanack, which was an annual journal published by Benjamin Franklin under the pseudonym of Poor Richard between 1732 and 1758. It included the usual almanac fare of maxims, poetry, weather predictions and astrological ravings. Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy wealthy and wise is found in the 1735 edition. There's good reason to believe that Franklin coined the expression himself; it is certainly in keeping with the numerous uplifting proverbs that were published in Poor Richard before they were seen elsewhere.

Given the social conventions of the day, Franklin wasn't especially bothered when women got to work. The typographic conventions of the day also involved the use of the long 's', which appears similar to a lowercase 'f'. Present day transcriptions lead us to believe that getting a good night's sleep will make us 'healthy, wealthy and wife'. At least Franklin avoided 'where the bee sucks, there suck I'. Later American commentators have had some fun at Franklin's expense. In 1928, Carl Sandburg suggested that 'Early to bed and early to rise and you never meet any prominent people'. In the New Yorker, February 1939, James Thurber turned it round with: Early to rise and early to bed makes a male healthy and wealthy and dead.

East is east, and west is west East, west, home's best Easy come, easy go Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die Empty vessels make the most noise Enough is as good as a feast Enough is enough Even a worm will turn Every cloud has a silver lining

Meaning
Every bad situation has some good aspect to it. This proverb is usually said as an encouragement to a person who is overcome by some difficulty and is unable to see any positive way forward.

Origin

John Milton coined the phrase 'silver lining' in Comus: A Mask Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634

I see ye visibly, and now believe That he, the Supreme Good, to whom all things ill Are but as slavish officers of vengeance, Would send a glistering guardian, if need were To keep my life and honour unassailed. Was I deceived, or did a sable cloud Turn forth her silver lining on the night? I did not err; there does a sable cloud Turn forth her silver lining on the night, And casts a gleam over this tufted grove. 'Clouds' and 'silver linings' were referred to often in literature from then onward, usually citing Milton and frequently referring to them as Milton's clouds. It isn't until the days of the uplifting language of Victori's England that we begin to hear the proverbial form that we are now familiar with - 'every cloud has a silver lining'. The first occurrence that is unequivocally expressing that notion comes in The Dublin Magazine, Volume 1, 1840, in a review of the novel Marian; or, a Young Maid's Fortunes, by Mrs S. Hall, which was published in 1840: As Katty Macane has it, "there's a silver lining to every cloud that sails about the heavens if we could only see it." 'There's a silver lining to every cloud' was the form that the proverb was usually expressed in the Victorian era. The currently used 'every cloud has a silver lining' did appear, in another literary review, in 1849. The New monthly belle assemble, Volume 31 include what purported to be a quotation from Mrs Hall's book - "Every cloud has a silver lining", but which didn't in fact appear in Marian, which merely reproduced Milton's original text.

Every dog has its day

Meaning
Every dog, and by implication every person, has a period of power or influence.

Origin
This phrase is recorded as being first uttered by no less a notable as Queen Elizabeth I. As Princess Elizabeth, in a letter to her brother and in response to his request for a picture of her, she wrote: Notwithstanding, as a dog hath a day, so may I perchance have time to declare it in deeds. The letter was published by John Strype in Ecclesiastical Memorials, 1550. It appears that Elizabeth was merely quoting what was in her day already a well-known proverb, although no record of it has been found that predates her writing it down.

John Heywood recorded the proverb in the 1562 edition of Proverbs and Epigrams and Shakespeare used it in Hamlet, 1603: Let Hercules himself do what he may, The cat will mew and dog will have his day.

Every Jack has his Jill Every little helps Every man for himself, and the Devil take the hindmost Every man has his price

Meaning
Money opens any door.

Origin
This notion must be as old as money itself. The first person who is known to have written it down is the English playwright John Lyly, in Euphues and his England, 1580: Who is so ignorant that knoweth not, gold be a key for euery locke, chieflye with his Ladye. The proverb was the basis of the 1969 British comedy The Magic Christian, in which characters played by Peter Sellars and Ringo Starr use large amounts of money to bribe people to humiliate themselves by doing things completely out of character.

Every picture tells a story Every stick has two ends Everyone wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die Everything comes to him who waits Failing to plan is planning to fail

Meaning
Literal meaning .

Origin
This modern-day proverb is widely attributed to Alan Lakein, the writer of several self-help books on time management from the 1970s onward. The quotation is certainly in the gung-ho, up and at 'em style of Lakein's and he may well have coined it. I can't find the source of the quotation in his published work, so 'attributed to' is the best I can do for now.

If Lakein did coin the expression, he must have done it before 1979, when it appearded in print in an article by Ron Watmough, in the Small Business section of the Canadian newspaper The Lethbridge Herald, May 1979.

Faint heart never won fair lady Fair exchange is no robbery Faith will move mountains Familiarity breeds contempt Feed a cold and starve a fever Fight fire with fire Finders keepers, losers weepers Fine words butter no parsnips First come, first served First impressions are the most lasting First things first Fish always stink from the head down Fish and guests smell after three days Flattery will get you nowhere Fools rush in where angels fear to tread For want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; and for want of a horse the man was lost Forewarned is forearmed Forgive and forget Fortune favours the brave From the sublime to the ridiculous is only one step Genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains

Meaning
Genius is largely the result of hard work, rather than an inspired flash of insight.

Origin

Few proverbial sayings can be attributed to a named individual.

In this case, we can name the coiner of the expression - the American inventor Thomas Alva Edison. Edison is first reported as saying "Genius is one per cent inspiration, ninety-nine per cent perspiration" sometime around 1902, in the September 1932 edition of Harper's Monthly Magazine. It is impossible to know at this remove whether the Harper's journalists were accurate in their attribution, although no one else appears to have uttered the words before they reported them in 1932. Edison may have come up with the neatest line but several others had expressed very similar thoughts before 1902. The Comte de Buffon (a.k.a. George-Louis Leclerc), 170788, was attributed with this line in Hrault de Schelles' Voyage Montbar, in 1803: Genius is only a greater aptitude for patience. Thomas Carlyle is widely reported to have coined the term "Genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains". What he actually said, in the History of Frederick the Great, written 185865, was: 'Genius' (which means transcendent capacity of taking trouble, first of all). Not to be outdone, that disciple of earnest endeavour John Ruskin wasn't to be left out. In Notes by Mr Ruskin on His Collection of Drawings by the late J. M. W. Turner, 1878, he made the observation that: I know of no genius but the genius of hard work.

Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration

Meaning
Genius is largely the result of hard work, rather than an inspired flash of insight.

Origin

Few proverbial sayings can be attributed to a named individual. In this case, we can name the coiner of the expression - the American inventor Thomas Alva Edison. Edison is first reported as saying "Genius is one per cent inspiration, ninety-nine per cent perspiration" sometime around 1902, in the September 1932 edition of Harper's Monthly Magazine. It is impossible to know at this remove whether the Harper's journalists were accurate in their attribution, although no one else appears to have uttered the words before they reported them in 1932. Edison may have come up with the neatest line but several others had expressed very similar thoughts before 1902. The Comte de Buffon (a.k.a. George-Louis Leclerc), 170788, was attributed with this line in Hrault de Schelles' Voyage Montbar, in 1803: Genius is only a greater aptitude for patience. Thomas Carlyle is widely reported to have coined the term "Genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains". What he actually said, in the History of Frederick the Great, written 185865, was: 'Genius' (which means transcendent capacity of taking trouble, first of all). Not to be outdone, that disciple of earnest endeavour John Ruskin wasn't to be left out. In Notes by Mr Ruskin on His Collection of Drawings by the late J. M. W. Turner, 1878, he made the observation that: I know of no genius but the genius of hard work.

Give a dog a bad name and hang him Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day... Give a man enough rope and he will hang himself Give credit where credit is due God helps those who help themselves

Good fences make good neighbours Good talk saves the food Good things come to those who wait Great minds think alike

Meaning
Literal meaning.

Origin
'Great minds think alike' isn't especially old as proverbs go, but the thought behind it dates from at least the early 17th century. The impressively named Dabridgcourt Belchier wrote this in Hans Beer-Pot, 1618: Though he made that verse, Those words were made before. Good wits doe jumpe. That citation uses 'jump' with a meaning long since abandoned in everyday speech, that is 'agree with; completely coincide'. Laurence Sterne repeated that usage in Tristram Shandy, 1761: Great wits jump: for the moment Dr. Slop cast his eyes upon his bag the very same thought occurred. The 'think alike' version wasn't found in print until some time after that. The earliest example that I have found is in Carl Theodor von Unlanski's biography The woful history of the unfortunate Eudoxia, 1816: It may occur that an editor has already printed something on the identical subject - great minds think alike, you know. Thomas Paine, the English-born revolutionary who became one of the founding fathers of the USA, like many today, had a different response to the idea that 'great minds think alike', i.e. "No, they don't". He expressed that opinion in the 1792 political pamphlet The Rights of Man, edition 2 : I do not believe that any two men, on what are called doctrinal points, think alike who think at all. It is only those who have not thought that appear to agree.

Half a loaf is better than no bread Handsome is as handsome does Hard cases make bad law Hard work never did anyone any harm Haste makes waste

He that goes a-borrowing, goes a-sorrowing He who can does, he who cannot, teaches He who fights and runs away, may live to fight another day He who hesitates is lost He who laughs last laughs longest He who lives by the sword shall die by the sword He who pays the piper calls the tune He who sups with the Devil should have a long spoon Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned Hindsight is always twenty-twenty History repeats itself Home is where the heart is Honesty is the best policy

Meaning
Literal meaning .

Origin
This proverb is first found in the writings of Sir Edwin Sandys, the English politician and colonial entrepreneur, who was prominent in the Virginia Company which founded the first English settlement in America, at Jamestown, Virginia. In Europae Speculum, 1599, Sandys wrote: Our grosse conceipts, who think honestie the best policie.

Hope springs eternal Horses for courses If anything can go wrong, it will If a job is worth doing it is worth doing well If at first you don't succeed try, try and try again If God had meant us to fly he'd have given us wings If ifs and ands were pots and pans there'd be no work for tinkers If it ain't broke, don't fix it If life deals you lemons, make lemonade If the cap fits, wear it If the mountain won't come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must go to the mountain

Meaning
If one's will does not prevail, one must submit to an alternative.

Origin

The full phrase 'If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain' arises from the story of Muhammad, as retold by Francis Bacon, in Essays, 1625: Mahomet cald the Hill to come to him. And when the Hill stood still, he was neuer a whit abashed, but said; If the Hill will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet wil go to the hil. Present uses of the phrase usually use the word 'mountain' rather than 'hill' and this version appeared soon after Bacon's Essays, in a work by John Owen, 1643: If the mountaine will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet will goe to the mountaine. The early citations use various forms of the spelling of the name of the founder of the Islamic religion - Muhammad, Mahomet, Mohammed, Muhammed etc.

If the shoe fits, wear it If wishes were horses, beggars would ride If you can't be good, be careful If you can't beat em, join em If you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen If you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys If you want a thing done well, do it yourself Ignorance is bliss Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery In for a penny, in for a pound In the kingdom of the blind the one eyed man is king In the midst of life we are in death Into every life a little rain must fall It ain't over till the fat lady sings It goes without saying It is best to be on the safe side It is better to give than to receive It is easy to be wise after the event It never rains but it pours It takes a thief to catch a thief It takes all sorts to make a world It takes one to know one It takes two to tango It's all grist to the mill It's an ill wind that blows no one any good It's better to give than to receive It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all It's better to light a candle than curse the darkness It's better to travel hopefully than to arrive It's never too late

It's no use crying over spilt milk It's no use locking the stable door after the horse has bolted It's the early bird that catches the worm It's the empty can that makes the most noise It's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease Jack of all trades, master of none

Meaning
A man who can turn his hand to many things.

Origin
With any phrase that includes a name, it's natural to consider whether its the name of a real person. In this case, as was the case with many other literary Jacks - Jack the Lad, Jack Robinson, Jack Sprat, Jack Horner, Jack Frost, etc, Jack of all trades was a generic term rather than a living and breathing individual. In fact, the very long list of terms that include 'Jack' exceeds that of any other name in English and this reflects the fact that, as a derivative of the common name 'John', 'Jack' has been used just to mean 'the common man'. This usage dates back to the 14th century and an example is found in John Gower's Middle English poem Confessio Amantis, 1390: Therwhile he hath his fulle packe, They seie, 'A good felawe is Jacke'. We now use 'Jack of all trades, master of none' in a derogatory way. Originally, this wasn't the case and the label 'Jack of all trades' carried no negative connotation, the 'master of none' part being added later. Nevertheless, mediaeval Jacks were pretty much at the bottom of the social tree. The OED defines the generic meaning of the name Jack thusly: Jack - A man of the common people; a lad, fellow, chap; especially a low-bred or ill-mannered fellow, a 'knave' If 16th century commentators wanted to imply that a person was stretching their talents too thinly they resorted to the disparaging Latin term Johannes factotum ('Johnny do-it-all'). In 1592, the English writer and member of the literary establishment Robert Greene wrote a pamphlet entitled Groats-worth of Witte. In that he ventured the opinion that a new writer on the scene was: An upstart crow, beautified with our feathers, that supposes he is as well able to bumbast out a blanke verse as the best of you. Beeing an absolute Johannes fac totum, is in his owne conceit the onely Shake-scene in a countrey. Sadly for Greene's ongoing reputation the 'Upstart crow' was William Shakespeare.

Various trades were populated by Jacks - lumberjacks, steeplejacks for example, and sailors were Jack-tars.

For no especial reason, I've included a picture of three of my uncles who were steeplejacks. For the record, none of them was a Jack outside of work; they were Gilbert, Frank and Verdon. The name Jack was also added to many utilitarian objects which in some way took the place of a lad or man, for example: Smoke-jack (a roasting spit) Jack-plane (a basic carpenter's plane) Jack-screw (a lifting winch) Jack-frame (a carpenter's sawing horse) Boot-jack (for pulling off boots) Jack-engine (a miner's winch) Jack-file (a coarse file) There can't have been any trades in the Middle Ages that didn't make use of a jack of some sort. 'Jack of all trades' entered the language in 1612 when Geffray Minshull wrote of his experiences in prison in Essayes and characters of a prison and prisoners: Some broken Cittizen, who hath plaid Jack of all trades. The 'master of none' addition began to be added in the late 18th century. The headmaster of Charterhouse School, Martin Clifford, in a collection of notes on the poems of Dryden, circa 1677 wrote: Your Writings are like a Jack of all Trades Shop, they have Variety, but nothing of value.

In 1770, the Gentleman's Magazine offered the opinion that "Jack at all trades, is seldom good at any." The earliest example that I can find in print of the actual phrase 'Jack of all trades, master of none' is in Charles Lucas's Pharmacomastix, 1785: The very Druggist, who in all other nations in Europe is but Pharmacopola, a mere drugmerchant, is with us, not only a physician and chirurgeon, but also a Galenic and Chemic apothecary; a seller of druggs, medicines, vertices, oils, paints or colours poysons, &c. a Jack of all trades, and in truth, master of none. Maybe taking on 'all trades' wasn't wise but Jacks were often master craftsmen in their chosen trade. History books tell us that Cardinal Wolsey built Hampton Court Palace and that Charles Barry built the Houses of Parliament - don't believe it, it was Jack.

Judge not, that ye be not judged Keep your chin up Keep your powder dry Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone Laughter is the best medicine Least said, soonest mended Less is more Let bygones be bygones Let not the sun go down on your wrath Let sleeping dogs lie Let the buyer beware Let the dead bury the dead Let the punishment fit the crime Let well alone Life begins at forty

Meaning
Life begins to be better in one's middle age.

Origin
The notion that 'life begins at forty' is a 20th century one; prior to that it was more accurate to say 'death begins at forty' as most people didn't live much beyond that age. Life expectancy in mediaeval England was around 25 years and only reached forty sometime around the turn of the 20th century. By the 1930s many, in western societies at least, could expect a decent spell of reasonably affluent retirement, free from work and the responsibilities of childcare. Household gadgets like washing machines and vacuum cleaners were becoming more widely used and had begun to relieve women's drudgery and offer them increasing amounts of leisure

time as compared to their Victorian mothers. In 1932, the American psychologist Walter Pitkin published the self-help book Life Begins at Forty. Pitkin stated confidently: Life begins at forty. This is the revolutionary outcome of our New Era. Today it is half a truth. Tomorrow it will be an axiom. Pitkin is often credited with coining the phrase and, while it is true that his popular book was the cause of it becoming part of the language, he wasn't the first to express the idea, or even the phrase itself. The take-up of the idea was rapid and 'life begins at forty' appears many times in newspapers and other printed records from 1932 onwards. This was propelled further into the American consciousness in 1937 via a recording of the song 'Life begins at Forty', written by Yellen and Shapiro and sung by Sophie Tucker. However, we need to go back a way to find the origin of the phrase. The great 19th century German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer came close to it with his view: "The first forty years of life give us the text: the next thirty supply the commentary." In keeping with the reduction of the toil of domestic work and child rearing that began freeing up women's free time to some extent at the start of the 20th century, the first reference to life beginning at forty refers specifically to women. Mrs. Theodore Parsons was Physical Director of Schools in Chicago and, in 1912, wrote Brain Culture Through Scientific Body Building. It wasn't a runaway best-seller, but the arrival of the USA in the First World War in 1917 gave her views a new lease of life. In April of that year The Pittsburgh Press printed a feature on Mrs. Parsons and her no-nonsense opinions about the benefits of a brisk exercise programme that she acquired from her soldier husband (Mr. Theodore Parsons was, sadly, recently deceased - presumably from exhaustion): "The average woman does not know how to breathe, sit, stand or walk. Now I want women to train for the special duties which may devolve upon them in war time. Death begins at thirty, that is, deterioration of the muscle cells sets in. Attention to diet and exercise would enable men and women to live a great deal longer than they do today. The best part of a woman's life begins at forty."

What special duties Mrs. Parsons had in mind, stationed as she was in Chicago, isn't clear. The paper was good enough to include a graphic of the dynamic couple, demonstrating their method in action, so you can give it a try and see if it works. Life expectancy has continued to move on and forty now seems no age at all. In 1991, the New York Times printed this opinion: All our age benchmarks, which used to seem solid as rocks, have turned into shifting sands. 'Life begins at 40? More like 60'.

Life is just a bowl of cherries Life is what you make it Life's not all beer and skittles Lightning never strikes twice in the same place Like father, like son Little pitchers have big ears Little strokes fell great oaks Little things please little minds Live for today for tomorrow never comes Look before you leap

Meaning
Check that you are clear what is ahead of you before making a decision that you cannot go back on.

Origin
The intuitive notion that this phrase derives from the undeniable wisdom of checking a fence before jumping over it on horseback appears to be misguided. Such behaviour is and was common enough amongst riders to have been given a name, i.e. 'craning'. Nevertheless, the proverb as first recorded refers specifically to the rashness of leap unpreparedly into marriage. This proverb is first recorded in John Heywood's A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the Englishe tongue, 1546:

And though they seeme wives for you never so fit, Yet let not harmfull haste so far out run your wit: But that ye harke to heare all the whole summe That may please or displease you in time to cumme. Thus by these lessons ye may learne good cheape In wedding and all things to looke ere ye leaped The Miracles brought the idea up to date in 1960 with Smokey Robinson's Shop Around: Just because you've become a young man, now, There's still some things that you don't understand, now. Before you ask some girl for her hand, now, Keep your freedom for as long as you can, now. My mama told me, "You better shop around".

Love is blind

Origin
This was coined by Shakespeare and was quite a favourite line of his. It appears in several of his plays, including Two Gentlemen of Verona, Henry V and The Merchant Of Venice; for example, this piece from The Merchant Of Venice, 1596: JESSICA: Here, catch this casket; it is worth the pains. I am glad 'tis night, you do not look on me, For I am much ashamed of my exchange: But love is blind and lovers cannot see The pretty follies that themselves commit; For if they could, Cupid himself would blush To see me thus transformed to a boy. Modern-day research supports the view that the blindness of love is not just a figurative matter. A research study in 2004 by University College London found that feelings of love suppressed the activity of the areas of the brain that control critical thought.

Love makes the world go round Love thy neighbour as thyself Love will find a way Make hay while the sun shines Make love not war Man does not live by bread alone Manners maketh man Many a little makes a mickle Many a mickle makes a muckle

Many a true word is spoken in jest Many hands make light work March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers Marriages are made in heaven Marry in haste, repent at leisure Might is right Mighty oaks from little acorns grow Misery loves company Moderation in all things Monday's child is fair of face, Tuesday's child is full of grace, Wednesday's child is full of woe, Thursday's child has far to go, Friday's child is loving and giving, Saturday's child works hard for its living, And a child that's born on the Sabbath day Is fair and wise and good and gay. Money doesn't grow on trees Money is the root of all evil Money isn't everything Money makes the world go round Money talks More haste, less speed Music has charms to soothe the savage breast Nature abhors a vacuum Necessity is the mother of invention

Meaning
Difficult situations inspire ingenious solutions.

Origin
The author of this proverbial saying isn't known. It is sometimes ascribed to Plato, although no version of it can be found in his works. It was known in England, although at that point in Latin rather than English, by the 16th century. William Horman, the headmaster of Winchester and Eton, included the Latin form 'Mater artium necessitas' in Vulgaria, a book aphorisms for the boys of the schools to learn by heart, which he published in 1519. Roger Ascham came close to an English version of the phrase in Toxophilus: 1545: "Necessitie, the inuentour of all goodnesse." George Chapman also had a 'close but no cigar' moment with his tragic, two-part play The

Conspiracy and Tragedy of Charles, Duke of Byron, 1608: "The great Mother, Of all productions (graue Necessity)." The earliest actual usage of 'necessity is the mother of invention' that I can find in print is in Richard Franck's 'Northern Memoirs, calculated for the meridian of Scotland'. Originals of this text are difficult to locate, but it was republished in 1821, with a foreword by Sir Walter Scott. The frontispiece of the reprint shows the original to have stated that it was "writ in the year 1658". It contains this: Art imitates Nature, and Necessity is the Mother of Invention (as all authours in a n, doo saye). 1658 seems the best date we have as the birth of the phrase in English.

Of course, Frank Zappa gave this phrase an extra lease of life with the name of the US 1960s/70s rock/jazz/classical band The Mothers of Invention.

Needs must when the devil drives Ne'er cast a clout till May be out Never give a sucker an even break Never go to bed on an argument Never judge a book by its cover Never let the sun go down on your anger Never look a gift horse in the mouth Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today Never speak ill of the dead Never tell tales out of school Nine tailors make a man No man can serve two masters No man is an island No names, no pack-drill No news is good news No one can make you feel inferior without your consent No pain, no gain No rest for the wicked

Nothing is certain but death and taxes

Meaning
A rather fatalistic and sardonic proverb. It draws on the actual inevitability of death to highlight the difficulty in avoiding the burden of taxes.

Origin
Several famous authors have uttered lines to this effect. The first was Daniel Defoe, in The Political History of the Devil, 1726: "Things as certain as death and taxes, can be more firmly believed." Benjamin Franklin (1706-90) used the form we are currently more familiar with, in a letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy, 1789, which was re-printed in The Works of Benjamin Franklin, 1817: "'In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." Another thought on the theme of death and taxes is Margaret Mitchell's line from her book Gone With the Wind, 1936: "Death, taxes and childbirth! There's never any convenient time for any of them."

Nothing succeeds like success Nothing venture, nothing gain Oil and water don't mix Old soldiers never die, they just fade away Once a thief, always a thief Once bitten, twice shy One good turn deserves another One half of the world does not know how the other half lives One hand washes the other One man's meat is another man's poison One might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb One law for the rich and another for the poor One swallow does not make a summer One volunteer is worth ten pressed men One year's seeding makes seven years weeding Only fools and horses work Opportunity never knocks twice at any man's door Out of sight, out of mind

Meaning

The idea that something is easily forgotten or dismissed as unimportant if it is not in our direct view.

Origin
The use of 'in mind' for 'remembered' and 'out of mind' for 'forgotten' date back to the at least the 13th century. The earliest printed citation of a link with memory and the sight of something is in John Heywood's Woorkes. A dialogue conteynyng prouerbes and epigrammes, 1562, as reprinted by the Spenser Society, 1867: "Out of sight out of minde." The phrase is used as an example of the supposed comic results that early computer translation and speech recognition programmes came up with. The phrase 'out of sight, out of mind' was supposed to have been translated by a computer as 'invisible idiot', 'blind and insane' etc. This is on a par with 'computers can wreck a nice peach' (computers can recognise speech), which is also used as an example of how computers lack the general knowledge to compare with humans at speech recognition. These reports lack consistency and are too neat to be anything other than inventions. There's no evidence to support the stories but they do illustrate that although 'anyone can make a mistake, but to really foul things up you need a computer'. Even using recent (2007) programs to translate 'out of sight, out of mind' into Russian and then back to English the best they could do was 'from the sighting, from the reason'.

Parsley seed goes nine times to the Devil Patience is a virtue Pearls of wisdom Penny wise and pound foolish People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones Physician, heal thyself Possession is nine points of the law Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely Practice makes perfect Practice what you preach Prevention is better than cure Pride goes before a fall Procrastination is the thief of time Put your best foot forward Rain before seven, fine before eleven Red sky at night shepherd's delight; red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning Revenge is a dish best served cold Revenge is sweet Rob Peter to pay Paul

Meaning
To take from one merely to give to another; to discharge one debt by incurring another.

Origin
There's a text, first published in 1661, that purports to explain the origin of this expression Peter Heylyn's Ecclesia Restaurata: The lands of Westminster so dilapidated by Bishop Thirlby, that there was almost nothing left to support the dignity; for which good service he had been preferred to the see of Norwich, in the year foregoing. Most of the lands invaded by the great men of the court, the rest laid out for reparation to the church of St Paul - pared almost to the very quick in those days of rapine. From hence first came that significant by-word (as is said by some) of robbing Peter to pay Paul. A 350 year-old text claiming to explain the origin of a phrase is usually almost as good as a smoking gun for etymologists. Regrettably, Heylyn's understanding was flawed; the phrase was known long before 1661 and even before the birth of the 16th century cleric Thomas Thirlby. The ecclesiastical tome Jacob's well: an English treatise on the cleansing of man's conscience, circa 1450, includes the phrase in it's original form: To robbe Petyr & geve it Poule, it were non almesse but gret synne. The expression may be even earlier than 1450. John Wyclif's Selected English Works contains this text: Lord, hou schulde God approve that you robbe Petur and gif is robbere to Poule in ye name of Crist? There is however, some dispute as to the date of the above. It is reprinted in a Victorian book but the original is now lost. If it does indeed arise from Wyclif the date would be 1380. Others have speculated that a more realistic date is around 1500. The expression was well enough established in English for it to have been considered proverbial by John Heywood when he published A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the Englishe tongue in 1546: Rob Peter and pay Paul: thou sayest I do; But thou robbest and poulst Peter and Paul too The phrase was also in use in other European countries and was known in France by at least 1611, when Cotgrave produced A Dictionarie of the French and English Tongues: Dcouvrir Saint Pierre pour couvrir Saint Paul [Strip Peter to clothe Paul]

The precise date is not the only aspect of this phrase that is somewhat uncertain. Scholars also disagree as to the thinking of whoever coined it. Given that any two names would work in a 'rob X to pay Y' proverb, why choose Peter and Paul? It has been suggested that the primary reason for Peter and Paul is the alliteration, i.e. the same reason that Jack was paired with Jill when they went up the hill. That may well be part of the story, but there's surely more to it. The similarities between Saint Peter and Saint Paul go deeper than their sharing of the letter P. The expression was coined at a time when almost all English people were Christian and they would have been well used to hearing Peter and Paul paired together. They were both apostles of Christ, both martyred in Rome and shared the Feast Day on 29th June. This commemoration now passes by with little mention, but not so in mediaeval England. The essence of the meaning of 'rob Peter to pay Paul' is the pointlessness of taking from one only to give to another who was similar. There are many churches of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in England and throughout Europe. It may not be the case that, as Peter Heylyn asserted, that the phrase arose from the borrowing of money from one church to fund another, but from the familiarity of the notion of Peter and Paul being alike and inseparable.

Rome wasn't built in a day See a pin and pick it up, all the day you'll have good luck; see a pin and let it lie, bad luck you'll have all day See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil Seeing is believing Seek and ye shall find Set a thief to catch a thief Share and share alike Shrouds have no pockets Silence is golden Slow but sure Softly, softly, catchee monkey Spare the rod and spoil the child Speak as you find

Speak softly and carry a big stick Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me Still waters run deep Strike while the iron is hot Stupid is as stupid does Success has many fathers, while failure is an orphan Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves Talk is cheap Talk of the Devil, and he is bound to appear Tell the truth and shame the Devil That which does not kill us makes us stronger The age of miracles is past The apple never falls far from the tree The best defence is a good offence The best-laid schemes of mice and men gang aft agley The best things in life are free The bigger they are, the harder they fall The bottom line is the bottom line The boy is father to the man The bread always falls buttered side down The child is the father of the man The cobbler always wears the worst shoes The course of true love never did run smooth The customer is always right

The customer is always right

Meaning
The trading policy that states a company's keenness to be seen to put the customer first.

Origin

Several retail concern used this as a slogan from the early 20th century onward. In the USA it is particularly associated with Marshall Field's department store, Chicago (established in the late 19th century). The store is an icon of the city, although it is set to lose its name in 2006 when, following a takeover, it becomes renamed as Macy's. In the UK, Harry Gordon Selfridge (1857-1947) the founder of London's Selfridges store (opened in

1909), is credited with championing its use. The Wisconsin born Selfridge worked for Field from 1879 to 1901. Both men were dynamic and creative businessmen and it's highly likely that one of them coined the phrase, although we don't know which. Of course, these entrepreneurs didn't intend to be taken literally. What they were attempting to do was to make the customer feel special by inculcating into their staff the disposition to behave as if the customer was right, even when they weren't. The trading policy and the phrase were well-known by the early 20th century. From the Kansas City Star, January 1911 we have a piece about a local country store that was modelled on Field's/Selfridges: [George E.] "Scott has done in the country what Marshall Field did in Chicago, Wannamaker did in New York and Selfridge in London. In his store he follows the Field rule and assumes that the customer is always right." Whether the phrase was coined by Field or Selfridge it is fair to call it American. What we can't do is credit them with the idea behind it. In 1908 Csar Ritz (1850-1918), the celebrated French hotelier is credited with saying 'Le client n'a jamais tort' - 'The customer is never wrong'. That's not the phrase that people now remember, but it can hardly be said to be any different in meaning to 'the customer is always right'.

The darkest hour is just before the dawn The devil finds work for idle hands to do The devil looks after his own The early bird catches the worm The end justifies the means The exception which proves the rule The female of the species is more deadly than the male The fruit does not fall far from the tree The good die young The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world The husband is always the last to know The labourer is worthy of his hire The law is an ass The leopard does not change his spots The longest journey starts with a single step The more the merrier The more things change, the more they stay the same The only good Indian is a dead Indian The opera ain't over till the fat lady sings The pen is mightier than sword

Meaning

Literal meaning.

Origin

'The pen is mightier than the sword' was coined by Edward BulwerLytton in for his play Richelieu; Or the Conspiracy, 1839: True, This! Beneath the rule of men entirely great, The pen is mightier than the sword. Behold The arch-enchanters wand! - itself a nothing! But taking sorcery from the master-hand To paralyse the Caesars, and to strike The loud earth breathless! - Take away the sword States can be saved without it! Bulwer-Lytton may have coined the phrase but he was preceded by several others who expressed essentially the same idea: George Whetstone, in Heptameron of Civil Discourses, 1582, wrote "The dashe of a Pen, is more greevous than the counterbuse of a Launce." In Hamlet, 1602, Shakespeare gave Rosencrantz the line "... many wearing rapiers are afraid of goose-quills and dare scarce come thither." Robert Burton's The Anatomy of Melancholy, 1621 includes "From this it is clear how much more cruel the pen may be than the sword." Thomas Jefferson sent a letter to Thomas Paine in 1796, in which he wrote: "Go on doing with your pen what in other times was done with the sword."

The price of liberty is eternal vigilance The proof of the pudding is in the eating The road to hell is paved with good intentions The shoemaker's son always goes barefoot

The squeaking wheel gets the grease The truth will out The way to a man's heart is through his stomach There are more ways of killing a cat than choking it with cream There are none so blind as those, that will not see There are two sides to every question There but for the grace of God, go I There's a time and a place for everything

Meaning
The notion that everything should have a place to be stored in and that it should be tidily returned there when not in use.

Origin
This proverb is variously associated with Samuel Smiles, Mrs Isabella Beeton and Benjamin Franklin. The Oxford Book of Quotations dates it from the 17th century. That reference is usually accurate, although they supply no evidence for their assertion. If correct, it would predate all of the above notables. If it is that old, it has made herioc efforts to keep itself out of print. I can't find any printed citations that date from before the late 18th century. That comes in a story published by the Religious Tract Society in 1799 - The Naughty Girl Won: Before, however, Lucy had been an hour in the house she had contrived a place for everything and put everything in its place. Several other early citations are from nautical contexts; which isn't surprising considering the need to conserve space and promote tidiness aboard ship. Here's an example from Frederick Marryat's Masterman Ready; or the Wreck of the Pacific, 1842: "In a well-conducted man-of-war every thing is in its place, and there is a place for every thing." Slightly earlier, a modified version of the phrase was in use in the USA. This is from an item headed 'Brother Jonathan's Wife's Advice to her Daughter on her Marriage', in the Hagerstown Mail, Maryland, January 1841: "A place for everything and everything in time are good family mottos." The phrase is typical of the uplifting homilies that were promoted during the Victorian era (beginning 1837), e.g. 'cleanliness is next to godliness' (circa 1880s).

There's an exception to every rule

Meaning
Normally with these meanings and origins the meaning is well-understood or self-evident and the interesting aspect is how, where and when the phrase originated. This one is a little different - it's the meaning that is generally not understood. To the untutored ear it might appear to mean 'if there's a rule and I can find a counter-example to it, then the rule must be true'. This is clearly nonsense; for example, if our rule were 'all birds can fly', the existence of a flightless bird like a penguin hardly proves that rule to be correct. In fact it proves just the opposite. So, and here the maxim 'a little learning is a dangerous thing' comes into play, it has been suggested that it's an alternative meaning of the word prove that is the source of the confusion. Prove can mean several things, including 'to establish as true' and 'to put to trial or to test'. The second option is what is used in 'proving ground', 'the proof of the pudding is in the eating', etc. It could be argued then that the phrase means 'it is the exception that tests whether the rule is true or not'. In our example the existence of a bird that can't fly would put the 'all birds can fly' rule to the test (and find it wanting). That's all very well and most people would be happy to stop there. Unfortunately, when we go back to the legal origin of the phrase we see that it doesn't mean that at all. It's the word exception rather than prove that is causing the confusion here. By exception we usually mean 'something unusual, not following a rule'. What it means here though is 'the act of leaving out or ignoring'. If we have a statement like 'entry is free of charge on Sundays', we can reasonably assume that, as a general rule, entry is charged for. So, from that statement, here's our rule: You usually have to pay to get in. The exception on Sunday is demonstrating that the rule exists. It isn't testing whether the incorrect rule 'you have to pay' is true or not, and it certainly isn't proving that incorrect rule to be true.

Origin
It's a legal maxim, established in English law in the early 17th century. Written, as law was in those days, in Latin: Exceptio probat regulam in casibus non exceptis and is interpreted to mean exception confirms the rule in the cases not excepted

It has (slightly modified) examples in print going back to at least 1617: Collins: Indefinites are equivalent to vniversalls especially where one exception being made, it is plaine that all others are thereby cut off, according to the rule Exceptio figit regulam in non exceptis. While not the earliest citation, this, from Giovanni Torriano's Piazza universale di proverbi italiani, or A Common Place of Italian Proverbs, 1666, expresses the idea clearly: "The exception gives Authority to the Rule."

There's always more fish in the sea There's honour among thieves There's many a good tune played on an old fiddle There's many a slip 'twixt cup and lip There's more than one way to skin a cat There's no accounting for tastes There's no fool like an old fool There's no place like home There's no smoke without fire There's no such thing as a free lunch There's no such thing as bad publicity There's no time like the present There's none so blind as those who will not see There's none so deaf as those who will not hear There's nowt so queer as folk There's one born every minute There's safety in numbers They that sow the wind, shall reap the whirlwind Third time lucky Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones Those who sleep with dogs will rise with fleas Time and tide wait for no man

meaning
No one is so powerful that they can stop the march of time.

Origin
The origin is uncertain, although it's clear that the phrase is ancient and that it predates modern English. The earliest known record is from St. Marher, 1225:

"And te tide and te time at tu iboren were, schal beon iblescet." A version in modern English - "the tide abides for, tarrieth for no man, stays no man, tide nor time tarrieth no man" evolved into the present day version.

The notion of 'tide' being beyond man's control brings up images of the King Canute story. He demonstrated to his courtiers the limits of a king's power by failing to make the sea obey his command. That literal interpretation of 'tide' in 'time and tide' is what is now usually understood, but wasn't what was meant in the original version of the expression. 'Tide' didn't refer to the contemporary meaning of the word, i.e. the rising and falling of the sea, but to a period of time. When this phrase was coined tide meant a season, or a time, or a while. The word is still with us in that sense in 'good tidings', which refers to a good event or occasion and whitsuntide, noontide etc.

Time flies Time is a great healer Time is money Time will tell 'tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all To err is human; to forgive divine To every thing there is a season To the victor go the spoils To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive Tomorrow is another day Tomorrow never comes Too many cooks spoil the broth Truth is stranger than fiction Truth will out Two blacks don't make a white Two heads are better than one Two is company, but three's a crowd Two wrongs don't make a right Variety is the spice of life Virtue is its own reward Walls have ears Walnuts and pears you plant for your heirs Waste not want not What can't be cured must be endured What goes up must come down

What you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander When in Rome, do as the Romans do When the cat's away the mice will play When the going gets tough, the tough get going When the oak is before the ash, then you will only get a splash; when the ash is before the oak, then you may expect a soak What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over Where there's a will there's a way Where there's muck there's brass While there's life there's hope Whom the Gods love die young Why keep a dog and bark yourself? Women and children first Wonders will never cease Work expands so as to fill the time available Worrying never did anyone any good You are never too old to learn You are what you eat

You are what you eat

Meaning
The notion that to be fit and healthy you need to eat good food.

Origin

This phrase has come to us via quite a tortuous route. Anthelme Brillat-Savarin wrote, in Physiologie du Gout, ou Meditations de Gastronomie Transcendante, 1826: "Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es." [Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are]. In an essay entitled Concerning Spiritualism and Materialism, 1863/4, Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach wrote: "Der Mensch ist, was er it."

That translates into English as 'man is what he eats'. Neither Brillat-Savarin or Feuerbach meant their quotations to be taken literally. They were stating that that the food one eats has a bearing on what one's state of mind and health. The actual phrase didn't emerge in English until some time later. In the 1920s and 30s, the nutritionist Victor Lindlahr, who was a strong believer in the idea that food controls health, developed the Catabolic Diet. That view gained some adherents at the time and the earliest known printed example is from an advert for beef in a 1923 edition of the Bridgeport Telegraph, for 'United Meet [sic] Markets': "Ninety per cent of the diseases known to man are caused by cheap foodstuffs. You are what you eat." In 1942, Lindlahr published You Are What You Eat: how to win and keep health with diet.
That seems to be the vehicle that took the phrase into the public consciousness. Lindlahr is likely to have also used the term in his radio talks in the late 1930s (now lost unfortunately), which would also have reached a large audience.

The phrase got a new lease of life in the 1960s hippy era. The food of choice of the champions of this notion was macrobiotic wholefood and the phrase was adopted by them as a slogan for healthy eating. The belief in the diet in some quarters was so strong that when Adelle Davis, a leading spokesperson for the organic food movement, contracted the cancer that later killed her, she attributed the illness to the junk food she had eaten at college. Some commentators have suggested that the idea is from much earlier and that it has a religious rather than dietary basis. Roman Catholics believe that the bread and wine of the Eucharist are changed into the body and blood of Jesus (Transubstantiation). Is the phrase Catholic rather than catabolic? Archbishop Thomas Cranmer in 1549: We offer and present unto thee, O Lord, our selves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and living sacrifice unto thee; humbly beseeching thee that we, and all others who shall be partakers of this Holy Communion, may worthily receive the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son Jesus Christ, be filled with thy grace and heavenly benediction, and made one body with him, that he may dwell in us, and we in him. Transubstantiation certainly links food and the body, but there doesn't appear to be a clear link between the belief and the phrase. It's safe to assume the origin is more supper than supplication.

You can have too much of a good thing You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink You can't have your cake and eat it You can't get blood out of a stone You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs You can't make bricks without straw You can't run with the hare and hunt with the hounds You can't teach an old dog new tricks You can't judge a book by its cover You can't win them all You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar You pays your money and you takes your choice Youth is wasted on the young