Reader Opinions
Dave – (out of the blue) September 17, 2022
Alexa said it came from the Seneca Tribe of Indians. I think her electric brain was hit by a bolt out of the blue.
Mith – (the devil is beating his wife) September 14, 2022
Los Angeles-born in the 50s, and this expression was a commonplace among mainly Southern migrants. Just looked it up after a sunshower here in these New England Hills, and enjoy the many regional reflections. I’ll always use it, though judiciously, as I know there’s some discomfort with the idea. But human language is raw and unruly, just as our thoughts can be.
Bu Christin – (break a leg) September 12, 2022
I’m not a native speaker of English. I was told by my native friend that this idiom is only used before a performance on stage. But the example above shows it can be used before a test. Would someone explain/ share opinion?
Anthony K Okoth – (throw under the bus) September 1, 2022
Donovan McNabb made the them popular in the US in 2005 when using it against teammate Terrell Owens.
Anonymous – (flip the bird) August 26, 2022
Our last name is Byrd. My husband taught our children and grandchildren that flipping the bird was our name in sign language. It’s like saying hello to us Byrd’s.
Gabriel Latham – (keen as mustard) August 26, 2022
I thought it was from the company called “Keen’s” that make mustard.
fm – (don’t look a gift horse in the mouth) August 22, 2022
I always thought it meant that don’t look because you will not like what you find.
Yugo1133! – (when pigs fly) August 20, 2022
Strap a jet pack to that bad boy and he can fly. All about perspective.
Gerald Roos – (upset the applecart) August 17, 2022
Apple picker collects his apples in a cart on wheels. Then someone comes along a tips the cart over and they all fall out. The picker now has to start collecting his apples all over again because someone else upset his apple cart.
Geoff. Dixon – (all that glitters is not gold) August 16, 2022
It is all a bit vague. If the original version was , “All that GLISTERS is not gold” then do we have a quotation well prior to the use of “glitters” (WS in MofV) to prove the use of “glisters”? Clearly as you say Chaucer used a similar idea, but can we actually trace the word “glisters” in any early literature ?
