What we'll know phrases do you know the origin off.
Two I will start with "Face your consequences In Roman times if a sl**etried to escape they where branded on their face, later on other parts of the body Hence face your consequences.
Another one is old your tongue. Again roman, if someone in authority didn't like what you said they would either cut your tongue out or pull it right out so if you didn't want to lose it hold your tongue |
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By *avie65Man 12 weeks ago
In the west. |
"Damn those Romans were brutal ! I guess that's where being thrown to the lions also comes from."
As does decimate, where every 10th man in legion was killed for failure or mutiny.
Crossing the rubicorn stems from the legions laying down their weapons, at the Rubicorn, on their way back to Rome. |
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By *oxychicWoman 12 weeks ago
Nottinghamshire |
" cold enough to freeze the balls of a brass monkey"
No, it's not as coarse and rude as it might appear! This very common description of the British winter weather actually comes from the times when the Navy fought with cannons.
To prevent the cannon balls from rolling around the ship, they were welded to a small stable upright called a brass monkey.
In the bitter cold, the weld could snap and let the balls loose! |
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"A lot of British expressions come from the navy where so many people used to serve. Learn the ropes for example."
Yes lots do and off the top of my head the only two I cam think of is POSH. Port out starboard home cause that kept the sun away from you.
SHIT refers to bags of wheat, corn etc where they needed to be stored of the ground so they where printed withSHIT store high in transit |
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Raining cats and dogs - Animals used to sleep in the roofs of thatched houses. When it rained the roof collapsed
Over the threshold - People used to use straw called thresh which they would lay at the entrance to the house
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By *avie65Man 12 weeks ago
In the west. |
In Scotland if someone is d*unk we say they are steaming. This comes about because you could only get a drink on a Sunday if you wear a bonified traveller and people sailed down the Clyde to other towns by steamship, probably a paddle steamer. |
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Families used to share one lot of bath water - the father or any other men in the house went first, followed by women/girls and the baby would be last. The water would often be so dirty by that point, hence the expression ‘don’t throw the baby out with the bath water’ |
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Theatres used to have sloped stages with the highest point at the back, so actors would go there to be more prominent, leading to the expression 'upstage' meaning to take attention away from someone else. |
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"Does anyone know the saying don't look a gift horse in the mouth. I know it's to do with a horses teeth "
Well I know they check horses teeth as sign of health before buying so perhaps it's rude to openly size up the health/ worth of a gift? |
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"Does anyone know the saying don't look a gift horse in the mouth. I know it's to do with a horses teeth
Well I know they check horses teeth as sign of health before buying so perhaps it's rude to openly size up the health/ worth of a gift?"
Yes that's it. Thankyou |
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By (user no longer on site) 12 weeks ago
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The term shot as in a shot of whisky comes from the old prospecting days in the USA. A glass of whisky cost the same as a shotgun cartridge. The prospectors and cowboys would come in and exchange a shotgun shell for a whisky. Hence the term shot of whisky. |
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"Does anyone know the saying don't look a gift horse in the mouth. I know it's to do with a horses teeth
Well I know they check horses teeth as sign of health before buying so perhaps it's rude to openly size up the health/ worth of a gift?Yes that's it. Thankyou"
Welcome xx |
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