Under the weather

The meaning of this phrase has changed from its origin. It originally meant to take cover under the weather deck on a ship. Unfortunately taking cover under the weather deck was never a positive, it was called the weather deck for a reason - it's where all the weather hits or collects! As years passed the phrase morphed into what we know it to mean these days, to feel ill or depressed. I can see how it turned into that from the weather deck through someone getting ill from being "under the weather deck."

For more on this phrase starting off as one thing and becoming a different thing click here.

Comments

Butter someone up

There are two probable origins for this idiom and I think both are equally plausible. The first one is that when you spread butter on bread you are buttering it up like one would do when trying to flatter someone. The second is in ancient India there was a practice of throwing balls of butter at statues to ask for favor, i.e. buttering them up. ( source ) When we use the phrase today we generally mean that extreme flattery is used to gain information or favor. It's not always necessarily a compliment.

More bang for your buck

This phrase was used a lot in 1953 but an earlier citation puts it at 1940 in a Metals and Plastics Publications advertisement. Read about it here . The phrase means you get more for your money.

Call it a Day

The literal use of this phrase hails from 1838 when the phrase originally was "call it half a day" to mean leaving work early. (source) The modern use of the phrase is to indicate ending something due to false sense of accomplishment.

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