Beat around the bush

The original meaning of this idiom was very different than it is today - and that could be a good thing! It is said that back in the day, the medieval one, hunters would go out with big sticks and hit the bushes while making loud noises. The purpose was to scare any birds or animals hiding in the bushes. In retrospect, was that really such a good idea? I mean, depending on what kind of animal might be hiding in the bush - would you really want to startle it and have it possibly charge you?! Anyway...
These days it means avoiding the topic at hand or the answer to the question.

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.

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.

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.

Search This Blog