Reader Opinions
Dave Anscombe – (as nice as ninepence) May 11, 2025
James Howell’s English Proverbs of 1659 records the proverb, “As fine as fippence, as neat as nine pence,” so it may derive from this.
Fippence is short for “five pence.”
I grew up in the twentieth century, and the only version I heard was “as right as ninepence,” whose meaning was similar to “as right as rain.”
Sandra – (cast pearls before swine) April 20, 2025
Was praying tonight and the passage do not cast your pearls before swine. I put it in search bar and this and a lot of other had the same image. Trump and what he represents is so evil!
Aaron Schoenman – (when pigs fly) April 17, 2025
Jeffrey A. Carlton shouldn’t be part of literary quotation. His “works” bear no greatness nor notoriety to the extent of majorly known quotations throughout human history. He is a bad example to use here, now in a LOCAL discussion of your state’s politics, maybe. Here there is no reference as to whom he is and frankly his quote doesn’t entice me to care, just sayin.’ To truly speak English well, you also must know your audience, and thou hath misseth the mark.
Patrick Boland – (come again) April 15, 2025
The word “IDIOM” can also be used as a difference in music, history – correct?
Reenster – (the devil is beating his wife) April 15, 2025
Lived in north central Oklahoma and when I was growing up, stayed with my grandparents a lot. Once when it rained and the sun was out, my grandmother said, “The devil is whipping his wife.” I never asked her what that meant. Today, the sun is shining here in Santa Fe, NM, and it is raining, so the devil must be whipping his wife.
Nancy – (drop dead) April 11, 2025
Well in the 50s people would work until they dropped. So the “dropped dead” meant that people died and the real question is at what exact second between when they were standing and when they hit the floor was their last moment of life?
Bill Coop – (throw under the bus) April 8, 2025
The phrase is “under a bus”, not the bus. I can remember it being used in the late sixties, and it’s origin came from Lime Street, Liverpool, where the whole of the street (outside St Georges Hall) was taken up by busses heading out of town.
Danna Naomi Lee – (take with a grain of salt) April 8, 2025
Other meaning: to not completely believe something that you are told because you think it is unlikely to be true.
Osmo – (make an ass) March 28, 2025
The “ass” does not mean the behind but a donkey. “I think thou art an ass. ” -Shakespeare: The Comedy of Errors.
Tim – (mind your ps and qs) March 13, 2025
I was told that it refered to pints and quarts in a place of drinking and if you were told to mind your p’s and q’s it was because you were possibly getting too loaded or were sticking your nose into someone else’s business.
