Reader Opinions
Anonymous – (bite the bullet) October 1, 2021
I thought this idioms came from the Civil War in the US?
SB – (scratch back) September 28, 2021
This is not supported by Oxford and I suspect is an example of how folk etymology is attracted to supposedly sinister origins for ordinary things. There are similar idioms in many languages such as one hand washes the other and it seems highly unlikely the English version has a different origin.
Jesse Fraumlyn – (great minds think alike) September 27, 2021
I read that, dull minds think alike; great minds think on the same pattern!
Thomas – (keep your friends close and your enemies closer) September 26, 2021
History tells us that its best to keep your enemies close and your friends/family/political allies even closer. There are times when they are the ones who blindside you. You know who your enemies are. You don’t know the political allies/“friends” who have it out for you .ie Who killed Julius Caesar after all the great battles he won for Rome? Hundreds /thousands of other examples.
Richard Glaser – (on the ball) September 25, 2021
Thought so too.
After a train accident due to a train collision, the Ball watch co. changed this idiom for the engineers to get on the ball.
songul – (never mind) September 22, 2021
Never mind me, what about you ?
Andrew Green – (hard cheese) September 21, 2021
Are you sure it’s got nothing to do with the french expression, “Quelle Fromage.”
Keith Brown – (out of the frying pan into the fire) September 19, 2021
What about the song (On and on) sung by Steven Bishop – a big hit in the 1970’s. The lyric goes – “ he went from the fire into the frying pan”. To me it flows better as a phrase plus once your out of the fire and into the frying pan – it a sure thing-“your goose is cooked”🤔
Daniel Lam – (Opposite Words) September 18, 2021
Borrow
Lend
For my own knowledge only are these opposite.
Valerie Daniels – (joined at the hip) September 18, 2021
On and off and on again relationship , continually returning to said relationship that is not good but too hard to let go of …. joined at the hip ! We need an operation to separate us because we can’t seem to achieve separation.
It could be someone trauma bonded in a narcissistic relationship also.
