Reader Opinions
Philip Brackenhoff – (Dutch uncle) July 6, 2025
Hello Elena,
I stumbled across this article while looking for the origins of this expresssion. Thank you for posting this. It was very helpful. I only have one question about the sentence: “Many other phrases with the word ‘Dutch’ originated in the 17th century when the British and Germans were fighting wars with each other.” Shouldn’t this say the British and the Dutch, rather than the Germans?
Brigitte Goldstein – (break a leg) July 4, 2025
The German usage “Hals und Beinbruch” is derived from the Judendeutsch expression “hasloche und broche” meaning “good luck and blessing.” In modern Hebrew it is hatzlach v’bracha.
Gunther Adomeit – (yellow streak) June 26, 2025
The colour yellow is in Germany not linked to be coward or craven, and I did not hear that this is the case in Europe, so for me this does not add up. For me it looks that this is coming from America, but I have no explanation what the original reason for the saying was.
Devon – (browbeat) June 24, 2025
I believe it came from when a bad rider browbeat his horse. When another rider gets on the horse it looks up dropping its head ducking any time its rider moves his hands. Thus this horse has been browbeat.
Graham Campbell – (best thing since sliced bread) June 20, 2025
What I want to know is — what was the best thing before sliced bread? Since I am asking as I search the internet for an answer, I am obviously a bit obsessed about this.
Graham
River – (kickback) June 9, 2025
When I think of the term “kickback” in the way you described for leisurely resting, I have always used it in two words.
“Hey, Joe, do you want to kick back at my house on Sunday to watch the game?”
— or —
“Oh, yes, Sally. All the kids are here, and decided to kick back in the pool rather than going to the movies.”
As far as bribes or favors, I have always used the one word, “kickback”.
Have I been wrong these last 60 years of my life?
Rizputin – (break a leg) May 27, 2025
The correct origin of “Break a leg” comes from centuries old theatre – a time before clapping hands had become our way to applause. Prior to this, the standing audience would applaud by stomping their feet, whilst the seated audience couldn’t stomp as passionately due to being sat down. So instead, when the time came for the most uproarious applause, patrons held on to their chairs and bounced them up and down, chair legs slamming against the floor thunderously. During exceptionally thunderous chair slamming, it wasn’t uncommon for a leg to break from the chair -hence, to encourage an exemplary performance one used the expression “go on and break a leg”
Saeed Elfiki – (beyond the veil) May 26, 2025
In addition to the fact that the original sources of the “Beyond the Veil” terminology , we can easily find more signs of it through most of other spiritual and religious theories starting the olg Egyptian visions about the “Afterlife Journey”
In addition to to the residents/ chosen Creature living” Up There . . Beyond the Skies . .” , only the first man, Adam , his wife , and the the Devil . . !? Where able/ permitted, to get some ideas about what’s Beyond the Veil . .
Thanks for the in lightning . .
Dr. S. Al Fiqi – PhD Economics and Political Sciences.
Cairo, Egypt . .
Dewi Bermingham – (raining cats and dogs) May 22, 2025
I’m really surprised people don’t know why we say “raining cats and dogs”! My mother would say “raining stair rods”. When it rains very hard, the rain can look like long rods. Cockney rhyming for “stair rods” is obviously “cats and dogs” ! All this talk about gods and the Greeks is silly nonsense 🙂
Richie – (goody two shoes) May 22, 2025
Goody two shoes can have good meanings and bad can’t it
