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Monday, December 22, 2008 9:38 AM

BigWig

The terms Bigwig, Big Wig or Big Wigs has its origins in 17th century France but was not popularized until it reached England in the 18th century. English nobles and others of importance such as priest...
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Sunday, December 14, 2008 3:38 PM

Can't Swing A Dead Cat

The Cat here is not the four legged house pet but is the Cat-O-Nine-Tails that was referred to as “The Cat”. The Cat was basically a whip with nine leather thongs where each one was about 3...
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Saturday, December 06, 2008 8:18 AM

White Elephant

According to legend Phineas Taylor Barnum (1810–1891) better known as P.T. Barnum sent an agent to India to purchase a White Elephant sight unseen for his Circus billed as the greatest show on earth...
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Sunday, November 23, 2008 2:58 PM

In Like Flynn

Errol Flynn was quite the ladies man according to the newspapers and tabloids of his day. During World War II servicemen fist coined “In like Flynn” when they were bragging about their own...
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Sunday, November 16, 2008 7:44 PM

Strike While The Iron Is Hot

To strike while the iron is hot means that you need to do something right away before the opportunity slips away. The saying originated in the blacksmith trade where the blacksmith or Smitty heated iron...
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Monday, November 10, 2008 5:49 PM

In The Red

In accounting when keeping financial records negative cash flow numbers or debits are in red and positive cash flow or credits are recorded in black. So when we say that someone or a company is in the...
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Sunday, November 02, 2008 3:19 PM

S.O.S.

SOS is Morse code that in effect means nothing. Some claim it stands for “Save Our Ship” or “Save Our Souls” but that is incorrect it is just an easy way to remember it. SOS is...
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Sunday, October 26, 2008 2:33 PM

Eves Dropping

When we say that someone was or are eves dropping it is meant to infer that they are listening in on a private conversation when they should not be. This can be traced back to the age before the invention...
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Sunday, October 19, 2008 1:12 PM

Face The Music

This saying was hard to nail down because so many claims have been made as to how the saying came to be. The most common was that it originated in the late 1880’s when men in the military were executed...
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Sunday, October 12, 2008 3:20 PM

Jury Rigged

The term Jury Rigged was originally a nautical term from the 1780’s where a jury rig which was a replacement mast and yards on the ship was put up in the event that the original mast and yards was...
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Sunday, October 05, 2008 2:43 PM

Uncle Sam

During the War of 1812 Samuel Wilson (1776-1854) from Troy New York had a contract to supply beef to the U.S. Army which was shipped in wooden barrels. The barrels were then stamped with "U.S."...
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Sunday, September 28, 2008 1:48 PM

Jumped The Gun

When we say that someone jumped the gun it means that they responded to something too quickly or did not think before they responded. The term Jumped the Gun can be traced back to the sport of horse racing...
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Sunday, September 21, 2008 3:02 PM

That’s All She Wrote

The term “That’s all she wrote” has its origin dating back to WW II when soldiers at war received “Dear John” letters from their significant others where they are writing...
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Sunday, September 07, 2008 12:24 PM

Apple Polisher

In the 1920’s it was a custom for school children to bring the teacher in some fruit in the mornings and the most popular was an apple. Bringing in an apple was thought to have put the teachers favor...
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Sunday, August 24, 2008 1:06 PM

A Maverick

Samuel Augustus Maverick (1803– 1870) was a Texas cattleman from whom the term Maverick originated. In the west it was a custom and still is to some extent to brand your cattle so that you know they...
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Sunday, August 17, 2008 3:28 PM

It’s All Greek To Me

William Shakespeare in his 1599 play Julius Caesar had a scene in it where Cicero who spoke Greek was referred to in the lines below: Cassius: Did Cicero say anything? Casca: Ay, he spoke Greek. Cassius...
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Sunday, August 10, 2008 8:33 AM

Hair Of The Dog That Bit You

The original term “Hair of the dog” is an expression used when referring to drinking too much alcohol and getting a hangover the next day. The term “Hair Of The Dog That Bit You”...
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Sunday, August 03, 2008 3:13 PM

For The Birds

Something that is “For The Birds” means that it is worthless or useless. This is an American term that dates back to the age when horses rather than automobiles were the primary means of transportation...
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Sunday, July 27, 2008 8:00 AM

Side Tracked

In the early days of the railroad a single track was laid from one point to the other until it finally reached across the United States linking the North, South, East and West together. In case two trains...
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Sunday, July 20, 2008 8:22 AM

John Doe

John Doe is a fictions name that is used as a placeholder for an unknown male where the person’s true name is not known. The name is usually given to corpses, hospital patients or used in legal situations...
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Sunday, July 13, 2008 8:19 AM

A Feather In Your Cap

When someone achieves something of importance to them or is noble to others it is said that they get a feather in their cap. This saying has its origins in the North American Indian custom of receiving...
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Sunday, July 06, 2008 7:14 AM

Fish Or Cut Bait

When you tell someone to fish or cut bait it is meant to imply that you want them to make up their mind and decide what they want to do. This saying originated in the fishing industry and is based on the...
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Sunday, June 29, 2008 7:20 AM

Over A Barrel

To be over a barrel means that one is in a helpless circumstance and does not have any control over the situation. Reportedly this expression has its origins in the fact that during the 1800’s when...
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Sunday, June 22, 2008 1:03 PM

Knock On Wood

To knock on wood means that you do not want to tempt fate or are wishing for good luck especially after you hope for something. An example would be “I hope it don’t rain the ball game out tonight…knock...
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Sunday, June 08, 2008 8:29 AM

Take A Dive

To take a dive is an expression that originated in the combat sport of boxing. It is a relatively modern term since Boxing or Pugilism has been around since the era of the Greeks and Romans. To take a...
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Sunday, June 01, 2008 7:36 AM

Rob Peter To Pay Paul

The expression Rob Peter to pay Paul is a reference to Peter and Paul two of the Apostles of Christ where Latin texts from the 12th century state: “ As it were that one would crucify Paul in order...
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Monday, May 26, 2008 7:39 AM

Dressed To A Tea

In the Victorian era “High Tea” was a formal occasion and required that you dress yourself fashionably as if you were going to a wedding or other such affair. When you were dressed for the...
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Sunday, May 18, 2008 7:26 AM

Talking Blues

The term Talking Blues is in reference to a subgenre of American Blues music. This subgenre was developed by Woody Guthrie (1912–1967) whose 1940 song “This Land Is Your Land” is an American...
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Sunday, May 11, 2008 8:00 AM

High On The Hog

This term has its origins in the fact that when eating pork or Hog meat the sweetest and therefore the tastiest meat is found in the upper part of the hog. In centuries past all of the hog was consumed...
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Sunday, May 04, 2008 7:10 AM

BC And AD

Traditionally when we speak of historical events we refer to them as BC which is an abbreviation for “Before Christ” from the Latin Ante Christum or AD which is an abbreviation for “After...
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