4 weeks ago
Why do we opportunity "elephant successful nan room"?
Why do we opportunity "dog and pony show"?
And why do we opportunity "sly arsenic a fox"?
These and galore different celebrated expressions are portion of mundane life successful the English language — yet astir of america don't really cognize their absorbing root stories.
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Here's a nosy dive into 3 celebrated expressions pinch nan communal taxable of surviving creatures successful their phrases.
How good do you cognize wherever these phrases came from — and what they really mean?
Many celebrated phrases often person metaphorical meanings that originated decades ago. (iStock)
3 celebrated phrases pinch deeper meanings
1. ‘Happy arsenic a clam’
The building ‘happy arsenic a clam’ is commonly utilized to mention to personification who is elated and highly pleased astir something.
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The first signaling of nan idiom was apparently location betwixt 1830 and 1840, according to Dictionary Online.
"Happy arsenic a clam" is simply a communal idiom pinch a deeper meaning. (iStock)
Some theories propose nan building was primitively longer, arsenic successful "happy as a clam astatine precocious tide."
That's a reference to nan conception that clams, erstwhile they're successful nan quickly rising waters, are safer than astatine debased tide and tin nary longer beryllium dug up by fishermen.
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Although nary root is confirmed, galore group often usage nan look almost without thinking.
2. ‘I could eat a horse’
This building tends to mention to personification who is highly hungry, almost to nan constituent of fatigue.
People mightiness say, for example, that they're "so quiet they could eat a horse" erstwhile meal clip is approaching and they haven't eaten thing astatine each that day.
People mightiness opportunity that they're "so quiet they could eat a horse" erstwhile meal clip is coming up — yet they haven't eaten a point each day. (iStock)
There are a fewer different theories arsenic to this idiom's origins.
The first is that it came from Tobias George Smollett successful 1824, who said, "For I beryllium truthful hoongry, I could eat a equine down nan saddle."
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Another mentation is that nan building came from writer George H. Johnston successful his 1946 "Skyscrapers successful nan Mist," successful which he wrote, "I’m starved. I could eat a horse."
An replacement to nan celebrated look of hunger is, "I’m truthful hungry, I could eat a brick."
3. ‘Cat sewage your tongue’
This celebrated saying is often utilized successful nan shape of a mobility erstwhile wondering why personification isn't speaking up astir something.
For example, if 2 group are successful an statement and 1 is not responding, nan different mightiness ask, referring to nan silence, "Cat sewage your tongue?"
There are a assortment of theories astir nan root of nan celebrated look "cat sewage your tongue." (iStock)
Some theories arsenic to wherever this saying originated see this time: During nan Middle Ages, group who did not show nan truth were to person their tongues trim disconnected and fed to nan king’s cats.
Another mentation is that it was primitively said by members of nan English Royal Navy erstwhile sailors didn’t travel orders and were deed pinch a feline o’ nines tail — also known arsenic a whip.
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Others property nan look to nan first written occurrence successful 1881 successful nan mag Bayou’s Monthly: "Has nan feline sewage your tongue, arsenic nan children say?"
Want to study much astir different celebrated sayings? Send suggestions for early roundups successful nan comments conception below!
For much Lifestyle articles, sojourn www.foxnews.com/lifestyle.
Brittany Kasko is simply a manner accumulation adjunct pinch Fox News Digital.
