Phrase Origin

We use many phrases daily without considering how strange they actually are and incorporate idioms, expressions, and colloquialisms into our vocabularies without any notion of their origins. For example, somewhere along the way, we started saying we “let the cat out of the bag,” with little consideration for the absence of both a cat and…

Regardless of whether you’re the silent, soft-spoken type or always the loudest in the room, there’s no doubt that you’ve probably heard the phrase “cat got your tongue?” at least once in your life. But have you ever wondered where the saying comes from and what it means? The phrase, “Cat got your tongue?” has…

The peace sign is one of the most universally recognizable symbols in the world. Regardless of background, creed, race, or religion, we fundamentally understand what it represents when we see it. The little round icon with its strategically placed arms and legs transcends language, but where did it come from, and for what purpose? Gerald…

The phrase ‘less is more’ evolved to define modernistic design and architecture with a brave, utopian outlook. It embodies the notion that simplicity with a clear outcome is the essence of good design. The origins of the phrase “less is more” dates back to 1855 and Robert Browning’s poem, Andrea Del Sartolead. Notably, Ludwig Mies…

We use phrases to express what we do and how we feel about a particular object or person in today’s world. Let’s say you told someone a secret, then others come and ask you about the said secret. Then they say they “heard it through the grapevine,” but have you ever wondered how this phrase…

Idioms are a vibrant part of many languages. While we often understand the general meaning or symbolism of the phrase, it’s rarer to know the expression’s origin or historical context. They can represent these fascinating little time stamps of by-gone eras melded into modern usage, and the phrase “close, but no cigar” is one such…

You’ve heard it many times: “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” But where did the phrase originate?  The origin of the phrase “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man…

“Let them eat cake” is a phrase famously attributed to Marie Antoinette, who was the queen of France from 1774 until her public execution by guillotine during the height of the French Revolution in 1793. But did she say “let them eat cake”? And what exactly is the meaning and origin of this phrase?  Historians…