Reader Opinions
Fiona Mackenzie – (forty winks) February 9, 2023
I believed the origin of the phrase was a children’s programme on television in the 1970’s where a character called Orinoco used to say, “I think I’ll have 40 winks” and lie down for a nap. I’ve read the origin section here for forty winks, and it turns out I’m wrong about the wombles! It is very interesting that the expression is so old.
Joe Sands – (forty winks) February 6, 2023
If a wink, is like the wink of an eye, then 40 winks would be worthless for rest.
Danny Ramer – (straighten up and fly right) January 28, 2023
I think it may be an archery term. An arrow that is not straight will not hit its mark. For an arrow to fly accurately to its mark, it must straighten up, and then consequently, it would fly right.
Pete Thomason – (cut corners) January 27, 2023
My career was in the construction world so, whenever I came across shoddy or poorly done work it was referred to as someone’s having “cut corners.” There was no direct correlation of the idiom with a specifc practice in any of the trades like, for example, using a lower grade of lumber than specified or not using enough nails. But the meaning was well-understood. Thanks for explaing the origin!
Allen Tomas – (high on the hog) January 22, 2023
“High on the hog” is as you say. But it’s a temporary level that is bound to fall. (Yes, you didn’t care about nobody while you were living High on the Hog!)
You didn’t care about sharing; you didn’t return any phone calls while you were living high on the hog!
Mya – (walk on eggshell) January 22, 2023
But it makes no sense. The original statement was “walking on eggs,” because you could not get your footing in a room filled with eggs on the floor—NO FOOTING. You just rolled around. Logic says that “walking on eggshells” would give you very good footing and do nothing but make a crunching sound.
Maggy – (the devil is beating his wife) January 22, 2023
In my country, Dominican Republic I always heard people saying: a witch is getting marry, anytime there was a sunshower. Lived in NYC and never heard the expression the devil is beating his wife nor the witch is getting marry.
Gilbert – (raining cats and dogs) January 20, 2023
It’s really weird someone told me about it so I thought that maybe cats and dogs are playing outside 😳
Lin Yo – (you can’t take it with you) January 19, 2023
The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 49 about the rich, “For when they die, they will carry nothing away.”
Marion Brodie – (until the cows come home) January 13, 2023
When I was much much younger, I’d be sitting and talking with my mom, and that’s when she’d say something about getting on with whatever before the cows came home? I do remember some of her funny expressions, BUT SHE LOVED MUSIC HALL and, reading about a lot of funny expressions that were used by comedians from that time, i.e., prior to and during the 2nd World War. I’m supposing that’s where it originated from!
