Reader Opinions
Elspeth Parris – (run a tight ship) January 28, 2018
Wouldn’t that have something to do with the tautness of the rigging? A ship with slack rigging is one that’s not being properly run- so to keep a tight ship would naturally come to mean efficiency, regardless of the strictness of the captain.
Ashlynn – (scapegoat) January 26, 2018
Wow so many different ways to put scapegoat in a sentence.
Sly Halsningar – (can’t judge a book by its cover) January 25, 2018
“Origin: This phrase has been in use since the mid 1800s.”
Really?
Cao Cao of Chinese Three Kingdoms used this phrases since 2th century.
Mukesh – (above board) January 23, 2018
To be above board means:- To be honest.
Bill Still – (scot-free) January 20, 2018
According to “The Idioms – Largest Idoms Dictionary”, the phrase “Scot free” originated between the years 1200 to 1250 in Middle English. The exact literary origin could not be traced though.
After reading up on the subject, the most likely origin would have been in the years before 1296, the beginning of the First War of Scottish Independence.
Warlike Scottish clans were raiding communities along the northern English border, but English troops were preoccupied in a war with France, so the Scots were getting off Scot free. Finally upon the death of Scotland’s strong King Alexander, III there were 13 claimants to the Scottish throne. Seeing Scotland weakened, the English decided to invade in 1296 to try to conquer Scotland as one of their states. The Scots repelled the English in what became known as the famous 1st Scottish War for Independence.
AskOpinion – (wash dirty linen in public) January 19, 2018
Why wash dirty linen in public domain? People of India looking towards Supreme Court with lot of expectations, for Supreme Court to solve their problems.
Ellie – (the calm before the storm) January 19, 2018
Interesting origin of this idiom.
Fiona Mackenzie – (bad blood) January 13, 2018
Manas Jyoti Boro – Hi, sorry taking so long getting back to you. If your teacher said it means ILL FEELING (check your spelling) then that is basically the same definition. A feeling of hate can also be described as ill feeling.
Thanks for commenting.
The Idioms Team
Ruhi – (beck and call) January 13, 2018
Her life is like a bed of roses because of beck and call friend.
Ananth Prasad – (catch-22) January 10, 2018
If die, if I do not die, I will still die. Is this a catch-22 situation?
