Reader Opinions
Richard West – (use your loaf) December 31, 2018
As a Londoner, I’d always assumed it was Cockney-rhyming slang: loaf of bread = head. Eric Partridge supports this origin. Do you have actual citations for your alternative theory?
Nelwyn Talley – (everything but the kitchen sink) December 25, 2018
I believe the saying came from the 50’s because my mom told me that the houses did not have kitchen sinks & they would bring their own kitchen sink each time they moved to a new house,
Don Shears – (use your loaf) December 20, 2018
Actually this is totally wrong the origin, it came from the Essex rifle men in the Napoleon wars where they would use a loaf to flush out french snipers by sticking the loaf on the end of a bayonet with a hat on. Once they located the sniper they would take them out.
Christine – (don’t look a gift horse in the mouth) December 17, 2018
I’m 62 years old & what they taught me in grade school is different than this. The teacher apparently misinformed us that it referred to Joan of Arc, when she sent a gift horse; but, it was a war tactic to attack the enemy. In other words, don’t trust a gift at face value, there may be illegal, unethical, self-serving motives behind the gift.
Aditya – (a burnt child dreads the fire) December 11, 2018
In India we say a similar idiom ‘A person who has burnt his lips because of hot milk, cools ice cream before eating’ which means if some thing bad has happened to you sometime in your life than you take care of everything related to that bad thing even it is not necessary.
TH – (kick the habit) December 9, 2018
I think this phrase originated after the US civil war due to addiction to morphine by injured troops. Part of the withdrawal symptoms of opiates is uncontrollable leg movements and this could have lead to the phrase “kicking” the habit. It would be similar to “cold turkey” in that it references a physical manifestation of withdrawal symptoms.
Anonymous – (fortune favours the bold) December 7, 2018
I really needed this because I have a precept brainstorming due tomorrow so this really helped for last minute.
Tony Ghia – (ignorance is bliss) December 5, 2018
“Ignorance is bliss,
that is what the ignorant say,
but ignorance you ignorant fool,
is what make you old and gray.”
Bal Govind Yadav – (Verbs) December 1, 2018
What is relescical verb?
David – (cost an arm and a leg) November 26, 2018
The phrase originates from painting in the 15th century and later when portraits were popular. Arms and legs are difficult to paint properly. If an artist cited a price higher than the patron wished to pay, the artist might agree to do the painting for less with fewer or no limbs in the picture. Thus the reduction in price “could cost you an arm and a leg.”
