Reader Opinions
Dominick Allen – (a fish out of water) October 21, 2021
Chaucer’s Canterbury tales has the phrase
“Is likned til a fissh that is waterless”
General prologue: line 180
Esteban – (upper hand) October 19, 2021
I always thought it was biblical in origin in that only when Moses arms and of course hands were uplifted did the battle go in the favor of the israelites.
Meteor – (burn the midnight oil) October 18, 2021
Candles? The cited first instance in 1635 doesn’t say anything about candles. An oil lamp provides more illumination.
Anonymous – (love rat) October 17, 2021
Other meanings of love rat:
- Love rat is also when a woman has an affair.
- The act of a woman cheating on her husband, a woman cheating on another man, a woman being unfaithful.
- Rat can refer to a person of either gender.
Anonymous – (after blood) October 12, 2021
Tracking a herd predator, like a wolf for example, by following the blood trails?
Ramesh Joshi – (run across) October 11, 2021
To ‘run across’ term may have initially come from a morning jogger who may come across unexpectedly another jogger already known to him.
Mel – (burn the midnight oil) October 11, 2021
The word oil was used in various phrases referring to the use of oil in a lamp for nocturnal study. For example, to lose one’s oil meant to study or labour in vain.
Mel – (burn the midnight oil) October 11, 2021
The idiom actually came about in the 17th century relating to the burning of oil lamps as a source of light, not candles.
Marie Nelton – (easy come, easy go) October 10, 2021
“Easy come, easy go.” That thought has been around longer than you think.
Bible states at Proverbs 13:11
“Wealth quickly gained will dwindle, But the wealth of the one who gathers it little by little will increase.”
So there is wisdom in doing things patiently, one step at a time.
Sharyn – (in black and white) October 9, 2021
A contract is black ink on white paper – hence the term ‘there it is in black and white’ – it is printed and is meant to offer legal certainty. Sometimes checking how someone is useful for understanding what they mean, because it was not originally a term about race.
