Reader Opinions
Anonymous – (dig heels in) August 4, 2021
This phrase is an indirect reference to a stubborn-mule ‘digging in his heels’, when its owner is trying to make him to keep moving forward (towards a destination, implied)
Robert – (stone’s throw) August 3, 2021
Regarding the origin, I read the Bible in Luke chapter 22 verse 41, and I noted most translations have this phrase “stone’s throw” or “stone’s cast”. Perhaps, you may wish to explore further on the use of “stone’s throw”, albeit the original language of the New Testament was in Greek.
Peter M. Olsen – (cross the bridge) August 1, 2021
Someone said, once you crossed a bridge after experiencing something wonderful. Don’t ever cross back because you will experience a change that will disappoint you?
Example: As a small boy, five to ten, I spent the happiest days of my life at the cottage of my grandfather. That was every summer. Now seventy three years later, I thought I could return and rekindle those wonderful times and memories. Sorry, I was really disappointed and sad at the total change!
Joyce Dupuis – (fly off the handle) July 28, 2021
Deut. 19:5 may be the origin of the saying “Flew off the handle.”
One flying off the handle can be very destructive. As was the axe handle in the scripture.
C – (the devil is beating his wife) July 28, 2021
My family is from southeast Georgia and growing up, we always said this during a sun shower. The expression is kind of burned into my brain.
canilecanan – (throw the baby out with the bathwater) July 27, 2021
Someone wrote “There wasn’t a shortage of water in medieval times.”
With little infrastructure it must have been hard to carry tons of water for the family to bath.
Rick – (over and out) July 25, 2021
Correct. As suggested above, the phrase is indeed self-contradictory and is therefore never used by “proper” radio communicators, despite widespread misuse in TV and movies.
Prateek – (Sentences) July 24, 2021
Operative sentence
Dorothy J Kaminski – (the devil is beating his wife) July 24, 2021
My grandmother, born 1894, emigrated to US 1914 – would say it but in Polish. I always thought it was a Polish superstition.
June – (old school) July 23, 2021
I recall watching very old boxing footage, may have been a Jack Dempsey fight so around the 1920’s. The commentator said something along these lines.
“He won’t give up easy, he is of the old school”.
Very old terminology that has survived 100+ years
