Whatzat mean? Word origins.

[homoe]

"Grass Always Looks Greener On The Other Side Of The Fence"..

Used to say that the things other people have or their situations always look better than your own, even when they are not really so.

[homoe]

"What's Cooking"................

Used to ask about what is happening or what someone is planning.

[homoe]

Strike While The Iron Is Hot..............



Act decisively and take your opportunities when they arise.

This old proverb clearly alludes to the imagery of the blacksmith or farrier at his forge. If he delays in shaping the iron when it is hot a pliable the metal soon cools and hardens and the opportunity is lost.

[homoe]

Silence is golden.........


A proverbial saying, often used in circumstances where it is thought that saying nothing is preferable to speaking and saying something you may regret in the long run.


Although this precise phrase was first recorded only in 1848, it is part of a much older proverb, “Speech is silver and silence is golden.”

[Sweet Bliss]

Hell hath no fury like a Woman scorned....

https://www.enotes.com/topics/mourning-bride

[homoe]

tactless....


Offensively blunt, and undiplomatic. Thoughtless. Indelicate.

Having or showing a lack of adroitness and sensitivity in dealing with others. In considerate of someone else's feelings.

[homoe]

Agog.............



Meaning very eager or curious to hear or see something. Full of intense interest or excitement. Highly excited by eagerness, curiosity, anticipation, etc.

[homoe]

"Fighting Tooth and Nail"


If you fight tooth and nail for something, you fight as hard as you can to get it or achieve it.

The adverbial phrase “tooth and nail” (originally “with tooth and nail”) literally means “with the use of one's teeth and nails as weapons; by biting and scratching,” according to the Oxford English Dictionary.

[homoe]

"Knuckle Under".........


To yield or submit to someone or something.


In the 18th century, 'knuckle down' was used used to mean 'acknowledge oneself beaten; submit to another's authority'. The word 'knuckle' by itself had the same meaning. 'Knuckle under' was later coined in the USA, also with the same meaning.

[homoe]

Not playing with a full deck ....

When someone is not playing with a full deck, he is either mentally, psychologically, or intellectually deficient.


There is a popular story that the origin of this phrase dates back to the 1500s, when a tax was levied against decks of cards.

[homoe]

"Take With A Grain Of Salt"...



To consider a story someone says or tells while keeping in mind that it may not be completely true or accurate!
To take a statement with 'a grain of salt' (or 'a pinch of salt') means to accept it while maintaining a degree of skepticism about its truth.

[homoe]

In Pie Order/In Apple-Pie Order.....



If a place is in pie order, everything in it is very tidy and well-organized : in perfect order.

Sidebar: The phrase may originate from the French 'nappes pliees' = neatly folded, or from 'cap-a-pie order'. There's no definitive evidence to support this and the origin remains uncertain.

[homoe]

Right As Rain.............

In good order or good health, satisfactory.



Origin......The allusion in this simile is unclear, but it originated in Britain, where rainy weather is a normal fact of life, and indeed W.L. Phelps wrote, “The expression 'right as rain' must have been invented by an Englishman.” It was first recorded in 1894.

[homoe]

Shoot Yourself In The Foot............

To damage or impede one's own advantages or gains through foolish actions or words.


Origin: Based on war times, one would shoot themselves in the foot in order to get out of fighting and be sent back home. Commonly regarded as dishonorable.

[homoe]

Bee’s knees..................


Means the height of excellence; used to refer to an admired thing. It is the epitome of something cool or awesome or fantastic.

Origin: Bees carry pollen back to the hive in sacs on their legs. It is tempting to explain this phrase as alluding to the concentrated goodness to be found around a bee's knee, but there's no evidence to support this explanation.

[homoe]

Get Off Scot-Free...........


To escape punishment for a crime or wrongdoing.

Origin..In fact, “scot”, in this case, is from the Old Norse word “skot” meaning something to the effect of “payment” or “contribution”. In English, “scot” initially just meant “tax”. The phrase scot free was first used in reference to municipal tax levies

[homoe]

Hang Someone Out To Dry........


To leave somebody in a difficult situation without your support, especially to avoid receiving any blame yourself.



Origin: The origin of this phrase probably comes from how some people dry their clothes

after having washed them—they hang their clothes outside to dry.

[homoe]

Get Called On The Carpet...........


To scold, rebuke, or reprimand someone. To reprimand a subordinate, or demand that they explain their actions.

Origin..The expression call on the carpet has been in usage since at least 1881, when it appeared in a glossary of words and idioms published by the English Dialect Society.

[homoe]

Lion's Share........


The largest part or portion of something.

origin: The phrase derives from the plot of a number of fables ascribed to Aesop.

[homoe]

Elephant In The Room....


A big issue everyone is aware of, but which is being ignored, because everybody finds discussion about it uncomfortable.
Failing to address an issue that stands out in a major way.

origin: Possibly from Ivan Andreevich Krylov, poet's 1814 fable entitled "The Inquisitive Man",