Where does the saying “to put one through a course of sprouts” come from and What does it mean?

where does the saying to put one through a course of sprouts come from and what does it mean

The saying “to put one through a course of sprouts” means to give one a thorough and disciplined course of training, or, by extension, to give one a grueling examination. What the source may have been cannot now be determined, though the Americanism is not much more than a hundred years old. The “sprouts” could … Read more

What does the expression “to fish in troubled waters” mean and Where does it come from?

what does the expression to fish in troubled waters mean and where does it come from

“Troubled waters” is itself an idiomatic phrase, used since the sixteenth century to mean mental perturbation or disquiet. And at about the same period our ancestors fished in the same kind of water; that is, they took advantage of another’s mental perturbation to gain something desirable for themselves. The earliest instance of use thus far … Read more

Where did the expression “to play ducks and drakes” come from and What does it mean?

where did the expression to play ducks and drakes come from and what does it mean

The expression “to play ducks and drakes” means to squander foolishly or carelessly. The allusion is to the ancient pastime of skipping stones over the water, in some places called “playing ducks and drakes” because the stones, skimming over the surface, arc supposed to resemble water fowl rising from a pond. Many stones, thrown even … Read more

What does the expression “to keep the ball rolling” mean and Where does it come from?

what does the expression to keep the ball rolling mean and where does it come from

The host or hostess, if properly conforming with the precepts of Emily Post, “keeps the ball rolling” at a dinner party or other occasion by maintaining conversation or relating some anecdote or by providing other entertainment that will keep the interest of the guests from flagging. The saying is of British origin, dating back to … Read more

Where does the phrase “to grease a person’s palm” come from and What does it mean?

where does the phrase to grease a persons palm come from and what does it mean

When you enrich someone with money in the hope or expectation of having a favor from him in return, you “grease his palm.” The present expression has been in vogue since the beginning of the eighteenth century, changed since the early sixteenth century only in the substitution of “palm” for “hand.” Our present form, however, … Read more

What does the phrase “like a Trojan” mean and Where does it come from?

what does the phrase like a trojan mean and where does it come from

According to legend, the people of Troy, especially those who accompanied Paris in his abduction of Helen, were endowed with prodigious strength, endurance, energy, and capacity. English acceptance of the legend dates back to the Benedictine chronicler of the fourteenth century, Ranulf Higden. But it was not until the nineteenth century that English and American … Read more

Where does the expression “to turn turtle” come from and What does it mean?

where does the expression to turn turtle come from and what does it mean

One must remember that “turtle” applies, scientifically speaking, to the marine member of the family, and that “tortoise” should properly be used to describe the land or fresh-water member. The sea beastie is the one most highly prized for food, nowadays chiefly appearing on the menu as “turtle soup.” Our English-speaking ancestors, however, called both … Read more

Where does the phrase “proud as Punch” come from and What does it mean?

where does the phrase proud as punch come from and what does it mean

“Punch” is the chief character, the hump-backed clown, in the comic puppet show, Punch and Judy. The dialog differs, probably, with every showman, but invariably “Punch” is a pompous vainglorious character who in the end lords it magnificently over his shrewish wife, “Judy,” and is conspicuously pleased or proud over his ultimate victory, thus giving … Read more

What does the expression “all beer and skittles” mean and Where did it originate?

what does the expression all beer and skittles mean and where did it originate

The phrase “all beer and skittles” occurs more generally in British literature than in American. Dickens used it (with “porter” instead of “beer”) in Pickwick Papers, in the scene in which Mr. Pickwick, convicted of breach of promise, is introduced to Fleet Prison as a debtor. His conductor has shown him that other debtors manage … Read more

What does the phrase “to cast sheep’s eyes at” mean and Where does it come from?

what does the phrase to cast sheeps eyes at mean and where does it come from

“To kesten kang eien upon yunge wummen,” was the Old English way of expressing the same thought, “to cast sheep’s eyes at”. In modern words, that would read, “to cast wanton eyes upon young women,” to gaze upon them amorously. John Skelton, who was decidedly a humorous versifier of the early sixteen century, softened those … Read more

Where does the expression “to have one’s heart in one’s shoes” come from and What does it mean?

where does the expression to have ones heart in ones shoes come from and what does it mean scaled

The expression “to have one’s heart in one’s shoes” is no more than the current version of a very old saying that describes extreme fear. An ancient humorist, wishing to imply that his heart sank lower with fear than another’s could, wrote, in the early fifteenth century, that his heart fell down into his toe. … Read more

What does the expression “between the devil and the deep sea” mean and Where did it originate?

what does the expression between the devil and the deep sea mean and where did it originate

“Between the devil and the deep sea” means on the horns of a dilemma; between Scylla and Charybdis; facing equally perilous dangers. William Walker, in 1670, when compiling his “Phraseologia Anglo-Latina”; or “Phrases of the English and Latin Tongue”, included this expression in his list, probably finding it used by some earlier writer of Latin; … Read more