Reader Opinions
Hunczutpoffa – (the devil is beating his wife) August 18, 2020
Interesting that similar expressions exist in Arabic: “Satan is bathing (not beating!) his wife”
Mauritian Creole: “the devil is getting married under the chili bush”, both used in connection with sunshine+rain.
Urvi – (bell the cat) August 17, 2020
Once upon a time, there lived a cat and many mice in an old house. The cat used to eat a mouse every day. One day, the eldest mouse organized a meeting to find the solution to the problem. The youngest mouse suggested tying a bell around the cat’s neck. A mouse asked, “Who will bell the cat?” And then all the mice fell silent. Can you give a lesson to this story?
H – (accidentally on purpose) August 17, 2020
I’ve heard it used where something was literally done by accident, and on purpose. If you shoot Bob, thinking that it was Tom, then you shot him on purpose (you intended to shoot the person you saw) but it was an accident that Bob was the victim. You accidentally shot him on purpose.
Paul – (six of one, half a dozen of the other) August 16, 2020
Could this also mean 6 of 1 (dozen e.g. eggs) = 6 and 1/2 dozen (e.g. eggs again) = 6 so you it does not matter which on you pick.
Rosetta M. James – (on pins and needles) August 14, 2020
8/13/2020
In checking the origin of the expression “on pins and needles”, I see that one source lists the early 1900’s as its origin while several others list the early 1800’s. I wish I knew for sure because I am writing a play and wanted a character, Harriet Beecher Stowe, to use this in her dialogue. But, if this expression was not in use at this time (1830-1850), then I might be challenged by a grammar purist. However, I must submit this project in TWO days, so I will take my chances.
John WIL Haus – (go the extra mile) August 12, 2020
Yes, Roman soldiers could not require more than a mile, so the law abiding soldier would merely take his pack back after a mile. And going the extra mile for a solder that didn’t follow the law is not resistance. Jesus tells us not to resist the evil person. So, Anon’s interpretation is an outlier.
Bob Enyart – (dot the i’s and cross the t’s) August 11, 2020
Our modern phrase is an Anglicization of an ancient Hebrew expression as used by Jesus in Matthew 5:18. “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” The “jot”, iota (as in, “not one iota”), or yod, the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet and the tittle is the smallest stroke in a Hebrew letter.
Anonymous – (still waters run deep) August 11, 2020
Quiet but can be dangerous.
Anonymous – (self-made man) August 10, 2020
The phrase was coined in 1852 by Henry Clay in the U.S. Senate.
Ramesh Joshi – (fan the flames) August 10, 2020
In my childhood, my mother used to cook food on firewood. To ignite the fire she used a fan
and moved it to and fro for a few minutes. Reading the idiom, my late mother’s picture came
to my mind. Might be this custom was prevalent in many parts of the world in old times.
