11 Things We Said Before We Knew What They Meant
This article explores 11 common phrases people used before they understood their true origins.
- Sophia Zapanta
- 4 min read
Many phrases we use today come from old practices, history, or traditions that most people never stop to question. Their real meanings are often very different from how we use them now. These 11 examples show how language can carry hidden stories behind ordinary words.
1. “Bite the bullet”
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This phrase means to face something painful or difficult. It comes from the time before modern anesthesia, when soldiers were given a bullet to bite during surgery to endure the pain. The act helped them avoid screaming or moving. Today, people say it to mean handling a hard situation.
2. “Break the ice”
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We use this phrase to describe making a start in social situations. Its origin comes from ships breaking ice so other boats could pass through trade routes. The breaking of ice made movement and connection possible. Over time, it became linked with starting conversations.
3. “Turn a blind eye”
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This means choosing to ignore something. It comes from Admiral Horatio Nelson, who was blind in one eye. During battle, he raised the telescope to his blind eye so he could claim he did not see the order to withdraw. People use it now to describe deliberate ignorance.
4. “Saved by the bell”
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This phrase is often linked with school bells, but its origin is much older. In the past, safety coffins had bells attached so people accidentally buried alive could signal for help. This gave real meaning to being saved by a bell. Today, it is used for being rescued at the last moment.
5. “Butter someone up”
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This phrase means to flatter someone. It comes from an old Indian tradition where butter was thrown at statues of gods to seek blessings. The act symbolized respect and devotion. The meaning later shifted to pleasing people with compliments.
6. “Stealing someone’s thunder”
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This refers to taking credit for another person’s idea. It began with playwright John Dennis in the 1700s, who created a new method of imitating thunder for stage effects. He accused others of copying his method while rejecting his play. The phrase spread beyond the theater into daily language.
7. “Caught red-handed”
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This phrase means being caught in the act of doing something wrong. It originates from 15th-century Scottish law, which held that someone with blood still on their hands after committing a crime could not deny their guilt. It was originally about murder and poaching. Now it is used for any wrongdoing seen directly.
8. “Cat got your tongue”
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This phrase is used when someone is unusually silent. Its roots are unclear but linked to two old practices. One connects it to the cat-o’-nine-tails whip, which left people unable to speak from pain. Another refers to the removal of tongues as punishment for lying or treason.
9. “Rule of thumb”
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This means using rough estimates based on experience. The phrase likely came from carpentry and brewing, where the thumb was used for quick measurements. A later but unproven belief linked it to a law about beating one’s wife with a stick no thicker than a thumb, but historians find no evidence for this. Today, it simply means an approximate method.
10. “Kick the bucket”
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This phrase means to die. It may come from the Middle Ages, when animals were hung on a beam called a “bucket,” and their final movements were described as kicking the bucket. Another theory links it to a wooden frame used for executions. Both explanations show why it came to mean death.
11. “By and large”
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This phrase means “generally” or “on the whole.” It comes from sailing in the 1600s. “By” meant sailing close to the wind, while “large” meant sailing with the wind. A ship that could sail “by and large” was able to handle different conditions well.