Reader Opinions
Perry – (cutting edge) July 12, 2021
The art of sword-making employed the ability to put the finest steel edge on the most used edge of the blade.
Jon – (spine-tingling) July 8, 2021
I was born in 1957 and grew up in the 60s. I heard the expression “spine tingling” frequently in those days, and I’m pretty sure it was old even then.
Hafiza MG – (keep card close to chest) July 8, 2021
By keeping your card close to your chest, you can easily defeat your opponent.
Mel – (the devil is beating his wife) July 3, 2021
40 from NC here and grew up hearing it my whole life.
Carlos Macedo – (the devil is beating his wife) July 2, 2021
Here in Brazil, we have a saying that expresses almost the same thing but it focuses on the rhyme of the words rather than the meaning. It goes like this: “chuva e sol casamento de espanhol, sol e chuva casamento de viuva” that means: rain and sun spanish’s wedding, sun and rain widow’s wedding”.
It is totally nonsense in English… but in Portuguese, it remains nonsense but it’s got a rhyme.
Anonymous – (idle hands are the devil’s tools) July 1, 2021
We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat.
2 Thessalonians 3:11,12 (NIV)
Keri H – (the devil is beating his wife) July 1, 2021
Grew up in South Carolina hearing this from school kids, but my parents are from the north, so they never used this phrase. I live in Tennessee now and have for the past 30 years. I haven’t ever heard this said in Tennessee. Just now, at my home, we had a sun shower, and the phrase came back to me. I told my kids about it, and they said, “WHAT?”… so obviously, they have never heard it before either, and all 3 of my kids were born in Tennessee. It’s funny how things become exclusive to certain regions. I’ve personally lived in six states, but South Carolina is the only place I’ve heard this said.
Graeme Cheadle – (chip on shoulder) June 30, 2021
There’s no evidence the phrase dates back before the 19th century, hence the American etymology is probably the correct one here.
John Alexios – (chime in) June 28, 2021
The word chimes comes from the Greek word “kiamos”
I discovered it in an old , two volume comprehensive dictionary which traced back the origins of words.
Mary – (the devil is beating his wife) June 27, 2021
My grandmother, a first generation American of German parents, who was born in 1886 in Biloxi, used the expression. It wasn’t used during a thunderstorm, but light rain with sun shining. My mother, born in 1906 explained the expression to me when I was growing up in Tampa, Florida. I’m 75 now (6/26/2021)
We were having light rain and sunshine just now and I Googled to see if the expression was still used and hoping to find the origin.
