All Talk: The Origins of Common Phrases

Like yawns, wildfires, and the seasonal flu virus, words spread fast. New words, phrases and slang become so quickly integrated into our common speech that the intended origins are often lost to time. Viral speech starts as an inside joke or jargon within a small social group — either regional, occupational, theatrical, and in some cases, criminal — then escapes its localized constraints to join the wider vernacular. In other words, we…

“Heard It Through The Grapevine”

Use it in a sentence: “I heard it through the grapevine that Marvin Gaye is your favorite crooner. What’s your favorite record?”

Where it comes from: The phrase is derived from Samuel Morse’s telegraph lines which resembled the training wires and poles used to prop up vines in wine production. The term caught on as a playful shut down when asked to verify rumors spread during the Civil War via telegram.

“The Walls Have Ears”

Use it in a sentence: “Be careful what you say about coach when he’s not in the locker room, these walls have ears!”

Where it comes from: The phrase allegedly comes from Dionysius, the ancient Greek tyrant of Syracuse, who constructed an ear-shaped cave to hear what people were saying in other rooms of his palace in the 4th century BCE. His pre-telephone wiretapping scheme allowed him to hear what his prisoners said from other cells within the cave. The term today serves as a warning to be mindful of what one says, for someone may be “eavesdropping” at any moment.

“Eavesdropping”

Use it in a sentence: “How can we possibly plan a surprise party for Bob when he keeps eavesdropping on us!”

Where it comes from: An “eavesdrop” was the rainwater that fell in beads from the edge of the roof that extends behind the house walls to provide shade, also known as an “eave”. In the 1600s, the “eavesdrop” would later refer to the ground next to the floor where the drops would land. If one was standing in the eavesdrop, they would conveniently be in earshot of what was happening inside a home.

“Caught Red Handed”

Use it in a sentence: “Jimmy, get your hands out of that cookie jar! You know I’ve caught you red-handed!”

Where it comes from: The phrase, meaning to be caught in the act of committing a crime with the evidence visible, originated in Scotland as early as 1432. It was commonly used in the Scottish Acts of Parliament of James I referring to a criminal being caught with blood on his hands.

“Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining”

Use it in a sentence: “It may be burnt but beyond recognition, but every cloud has a silver lining. Those were just extra calories anyway.”

Where it comes from: The term “silver lining” was coined by Paradise Lost scribe John Milton in a 1634 book “Comus: A Mask Presented at Ludlow Castle.” Clouds and silver linings were often referred to in literature from then onward, usually citing Milton and frequently referring to them as Milton’s clouds. The first use of this phrase in today’s familiar form occurred in Victorian England in an edition of The Dublin Magazine within a review of Mrs. S. Halls’ novel “Marian.”

“White Elephant”

Use it in a sentence: “The downtown office was great because there’s so much to see and do, but the expensive location has become a white elephant”

Where it comes from: During the holiday seasons, many friends and colleagues have traded Secret Santas for the non-denominational White Elephant gift exchange. Through a competitive series of trades and steals from your fellow gift-givers, the goal is to end up with the most sought after gift. A “white elephant” is actually a common phrase far removed from the yuletide parlor game, it means a possession that is burdensome or creates more problems for the owner than it is worth. In Thailand and other Asian countries, white elephants were regarded as holy, but caring for these privileged pachyderms was expensive — Asian elephants can eat up to 300 pounds of food in a single day. Therefore, if a Thai King was dissatisfied with a subordinate, he would give him a white elephant to take care of.

“Cat Got Your Tongue?”

Use it in a sentence: “You’re being awfully quiet about the massive dent in our back bumper…What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?”

Where it comes from: Much like the common house cat, the phrase’s inception is a little fuzzy. One possible origin comes from the English Navy, who once used a whip for flogging called the “Cat-o’-nine-tails”. It is believed that the pain suffered during a flogging was so severe, the victim stayed quiet for a long time afterward. Another possible origin that may actually be more morbid than its prior comes from ancient Egypt. If one was accused of lying or blasphemy, your tongue was to be were cut out and fed to cats.

“Crocodile Tears”

Use it in a sentence: “He’s a politician. I don’t think he feels bad at all. Those are crocodile tears!”

Where it comes from: The origin of this phrase can be traced back to the 14th century in a book called “The Travels of Sir John Mandeville” which refers to crocodiles killing men and weeping while they ate them. This feigned reptilian remorse is actually a real physiological response in crocodiles, who weep to lubricate their eyes during feeding.

“Once In A Blue Moon”

Use it in a sentence: “We only see our son once in a blue moon ever since he became Youtube famous and moved to Hollywood”

Where it comes from: Blue Moons aren’t just a boozy home for an orange wedge, they also mark the unusual occasion when a full moon occurs twice in a calendar month. The phrase “once in a blue moon” now refers to something that happens very rarely. The first known use was in a 1528 anti-clerical pamphlet which referred to priests making absurdist statements, such as the moon was blue or made of green cheese, and expecting those statements to be believed as true, regardless of how absurd they were. In 1821, Pierce Egan used the phrase “once in a blue moon” to refer to something that happens very rarely in his book “Real Life in London,” which is the first known use of the term with the currently accepted meaning.

“Give A Cold Shoulder”

Use it in a sentence: “I think Beth knows that Jackie ate her yogurt. She’s been giving her the cold shoulder all week.”

Where it comes from: The term “give a cold shoulder” means to be deliberately unfriendly to someone and ignore them. This phrase can be traced back to the early 1800s. It was said that visitors that were welcome in a home were given a hot meal while those that were not welcome were given a cold shoulder, which was known as the coldest and toughest part of the meat.

“Calm Before The Storm”

Use it in a sentence: “The Best Buy staff sat down with their families for a relaxing Thanksgiving dinner before their early Friday morning shifts, embracing the calm before the storm.”

Where it comes from: The phrase “calm before the storm” refers to a quiet and peaceful period before a crisis or other serious incident. It was first used by sailors in the 1700s, who observed a phenomenon in which the weather became eerily calm just before a storm hit. The “calm” these early sailors referred to is related to a meteorological process in which a low-pressure vacuum is created by a storm’s need for warm, moist air as fuel.

“Turn A Blind Eye”

Use it in a sentence: “ I’m hoping my landlord turns a blind eye to the fact that the two rabbits I had originally declared on the lease are now nine rabbits.”

Where it comes from: The phrase “turn a blind eye” means to pretend not to see something or to ignore it. This phrase originated in 1801 during the Battle of Copenhagen. This battle was fought by the British Royal Navy and the Danish-Norwegian fleet. The British Royal Army was led by Vice Admiral Horacio Nelson, who was blind in one eye. When signals were sent directing Admiral Nelson to retreat, he reportedly put the telescope to his blind eye and said “I really do not see the signal,” thus “turning a blind eye” to his superior’s orders.

Language, Reloaded

Common words and phrases can take centuries before gaining footholds in our spoken canon, many only capable of being traced through published literature or hearsay. In the 21st century, internet platforms like Twitter and Google Search have not only allowed linguists a way to pinpoint the origins of new expressions, but have served as a fast track for slang words to explode from “village idioms” to viral mass adoption.

As a result, hundreds of new words and phrases that have exploded across the internet are added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary every year. 2019 saw the addition of gig economy, screen time, stan and unplug, along with over 1,000 other new contributions to the lexicon.

Some “new” words are actually just appropriated, meaning they are pre-existing words that are combined or given entirely new meanings as is the case with:

• Screen Time: Time spent using a device.
• Unplug: Disengaging oneself from technology
• Gig Economy: A labor market comprised of freelance and short-term jobs.
• Stan: An allusion to Eminem’s 2001 song about an “overzealous or obsessive fan” now used to describe an obsessive fan base of a particular celebrity.
• Swole: Someone who is muscular.
• Garbage Time: the final moments or minutes of a game in which one side has an insurmountable lead.
• Pain point: a persistent or recurring problem (as with a product or service) that frequently inconveniences or annoys customers..
• Goldilocks: Similar to the search for the perfect bowl of porridge in the children’s story, the new definition of Goldilocks refers to a planet that isn’t too hot, isn’t too cold, but just right for humans to relocate.

These new additions highlight how technology, pop culture and current events are paving new avenues for our living language to adapt to changing times. The vehicle being the internet and social media, dispersing contemporary and seemingly unconventional jargon far beyond the proverbial vineyard.

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Check out the original research here.

Originally published at https://www.blog.askwonder.com on October 15, 2019.