why we say that

Why We Say “Off the Hook”—And What Hooks Have to Do With It
Why We Say “Off the Hook”—And What Hooks Have to Do With It
Why We Say “Caught Red-Handed” (Hint: It’s Literal)
Why We Say “Caught Red-Handed” (Hint: It’s Literal)
The Strange Journey of “Caught in a Pickle”
The Strange Journey of “Caught in a Pickle”
The Wild Story Behind “By and Large”
The Wild Story Behind “By and Large”
“The Ball Is in Your Court”: A Phrase with Sporty Roots
“The Ball Is in Your Court”: A Phrase with Sporty Roots
The Curious Origins of “Under the Weather”
The Curious Origins of “Under the Weather”
The Bizarre History Behind “Mad as a Hatter”
The Bizarre History Behind “Mad as a Hatter”
Why “Burning Bridges” Isn’t Just a Metaphor
Why “Burning Bridges” Isn’t Just a Metaphor
“Turn a Blind Eye”: Inspired by a Real Admiral
“Turn a Blind Eye”: Inspired by a Real Admiral
Why “Pulling Someone’s Leg” Used to Be Way More Sinister
Why “Pulling Someone’s Leg” Used to Be Way More Sinister
Why We Say “Back to Square One”—Was There Ever a Square?
Why We Say “Back to Square One”—Was There Ever a Square?
“Jumping on the Bandwagon” Used to Be Literal
“Jumping on the Bandwagon” Used to Be Literal
“Skeletons in the Closet”: Where the Creepy Phrase Comes From
“Skeletons in the Closet”: Where the Creepy Phrase Comes From
The Unexpected Story Behind “Butter Someone Up”
The Unexpected Story Behind “Butter Someone Up”
“Bite the Bullet”: Gruesome Origins of a Common Phrase
“Bite the Bullet”: Gruesome Origins of a Common Phrase
Why We Say “Don’t Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth”
Why We Say “Don’t Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth”
How “Three Sheets to the Wind” Became a Synonym for Drunk
How “Three Sheets to the Wind” Became a Synonym for Drunk
Why Do We Say “Break the Ice”? (And What Did Ice Ever Do to Us?)
Why Do We Say “Break the Ice”? (And What Did Ice Ever Do to Us?)
What Does “Rule of Thumb” Really Mean?
What Does “Rule of Thumb” Really Mean?
“Hands Down” Used to Mean Something Totally Literal
“Hands Down” Used to Mean Something Totally Literal
How “Pull Yourself Together” Got Tied to Old-Fashioned Clothing
How “Pull Yourself Together” Got Tied to Old-Fashioned Clothing
“Get the Upper Hand”—From Cards to Control
“Get the Upper Hand”—From Cards to Control
The Real Meaning Behind “Close But No Cigar”
The Real Meaning Behind “Close But No Cigar”
What’s the Deal with “Biting the Bullet”?
What’s the Deal with “Biting the Bullet”?
Where “Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place” Comes From
Where “Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place” Comes From
“Face the Music”: Theatrical Roots of a Harsh Reality
“Face the Music”: Theatrical Roots of a Harsh Reality
Where “Burning the Midnight Oil” Comes From
Where “Burning the Midnight Oil” Comes From
“A Red Herring” and Its Fishy Origins
“A Red Herring” and Its Fishy Origins
Who Came Up with “Barking Up the Wrong Tree”?
Who Came Up with “Barking Up the Wrong Tree”?
“Kick the Can Down the Road”—Where Did It Start?
“Kick the Can Down the Road”—Where Did It Start?
What “The Whole Nine Yards” Actually Means
What “The Whole Nine Yards” Actually Means
Why “Under the Gun” Has Nothing to Do with Guns (Anymore)
Why “Under the Gun” Has Nothing to Do with Guns (Anymore)
“The Elephant in the Room”: Who Put It There?
“The Elephant in the Room”: Who Put It There?
What “Cut to the Chase” Has to Do with Old Movies
What “Cut to the Chase” Has to Do with Old Movies
The Military Roots of “Above Board”
The Military Roots of “Above Board”
Where Did “Spill the Beans” Come From—And Was It Ever About Food?
Where Did “Spill the Beans” Come From—And Was It Ever About Food?
Why We Say “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie”
Why We Say “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie”
“To the Nines”: What Does It Even Mean?
“To the Nines”: What Does It Even Mean?
The Surprising Origins of “Let the Cat Out of the Bag”
The Surprising Origins of “Let the Cat Out of the Bag”
Why Do We Say “Kick the Bucket”? (And Was a Bucket Actually Involved?)
Why Do We Say “Kick the Bucket”? (And Was a Bucket Actually Involved?)
Why We Say “Saved by the Bell”—Hint: It’s Darker Than You Think
Why We Say “Saved by the Bell”—Hint: It’s Darker Than You Think
Why Do We Say “Sleep Tight”?
Why Do We Say “Sleep Tight”?
“Raining Cats and Dogs”: Where Did That Even Come From?
“Raining Cats and Dogs”: Where Did That Even Come From?
“Hold Your Horses”: A Phrase with Literal Horsepower
“Hold Your Horses”: A Phrase with Literal Horsepower
Why We Say “Barking Up the Wrong Tree”
Why We Say “Barking Up the Wrong Tree”