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Common sayings and their origin

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Diana Sinclair
Diana Sinclair
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Joined: 3rd Apr 2008
Location: USA
quotePosted at 20:54 on 1st September 2009

The saying about White Rabbits gave me the idea for this thread. What are some old sayings that we commonly use and what are their origins?

Here are a couple that I use all the time:

BIG WIG
In the 18th century when many men wore wigs, the most important men wore the biggest wigs. Hence today important people are called big wigs.

BITE THE BULLET
This old saying means to grin and bear a painful situation. It comes from the days before anaesthetics. A soldier about to undergo an operation was given a bullet to bite.

THE DEVIL TO PAY
Originally this old saying was 'the devil to pay and no hot pitch'. In a sailing ship a devil was the seam between planks. This had to be made waterproof. Fibres from old ropes were first hammered into the seam and then pitch (a tar-like substance) was poured (or paid) onto it. If you had the devil to pay and no hot pitch you were in trouble.

 

 



Edited by: Diana Sinclair at:1st September 2009 20:54
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Krissy
Krissy
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quotePosted at 20:55 on 1st September 2009
White Rabbit? I haven't heard that one!
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Diana Sinclair
Diana Sinclair
Posts: 10119
Joined: 3rd Apr 2008
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quotePosted at 21:03 on 1st September 2009

This is courtesy of Barbara S.

Rabbit rabbit white rabbit” is a common superstition, held particularly among children. The most common modern version states that a person should say “rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit” upon waking on the first day of each new month, and on doing so will receive good luck for the remainder of that month.

The exact origin of the superstition is certainly unknown, though it has appeared in print at least as early as 1420 in England, where it is most commonly said to have originated, though some reports place its origins even earlier, into the 1200s. Today it has spread to most of the English-speaking countries of the world, although like all folklore, determining its exact area of distribution is difficult. The superstition is related to the broader belief in the rabbit or hare being a “lucky” animal, as exhibited in the practice of carrying a rabbit's foot for luck.

Some have also believed it is representing a jumping into the future and moving ahead with life and happiness.
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Krissy
Krissy
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quotePosted at 21:10 on 1st September 2009

I just saw that in the other thread!!! SO cool! I do it every month!

I like this one:

Getting your goat~ This apparently refers to an old English (Welsh?) belief that keeping a goat in the barn would have a calming effect on the cows, hence producing more milk. When one wanted to antagonize/terrorize one's enemy, you would abscond with their goat rendering their milk cows less- to non-productive.

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