ORIGINS OF 10 COMMON PHRASES OR IDIOMS

Dive into the fascinating world of language with our latest video, "ORIGINS OF 10 COMMON PHRASES OR IDIOMS." Discover the intriguing stories behind some of the most used and beloved expressions in the English language. Our exploration brings to life the history, origins, and cultural significance of these idiomatic expressions, providing viewers with a rich tapestry of linguistic heritage.
This video is a must-watch for:
Language enthusiasts and linguaphiles looking to deepen their understanding of English idioms and phrases.
Students and educators seeking engaging content for learning or teaching English language and literature.
Curious minds and trivia lovers eager to uncover the origins of common sayings and their impact on everyday communication.
We cover a wide range of phrases, delving into etymology, historical contexts, and how these expressions have evolved over time to fit into our modern lexicon. Whether you're a history buff, a language lover, or someone who's simply curious about the phrases we use every day, there's something in this video for you.
Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more fascinating linguistic journeys and educational content. Engage with us in the comments below-share your favorite idiom or a phrase that fascinates you. Your engagement helps our content reach more language lovers like you!
#Language #Idioms #PhraseOrigins #EnglishLanguage #Linguistics #Etymology #EducationalContent #LearnEnglish #CulturalSignificance
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[@poncedeleon759]

I didn't beat around the bush, and bit the bullet. Immediately watched your video. Your knowledge of the language blew my socks off, your cat didn't get your tongue and you didn't beat around the bush. You presented a great video by the skin of your teeth, anyway enough of that, I'm off to get myself three sheets to the wind

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Love it. ❤️ 😅

[@chrystal108reading4]

What ?? Help please...what does the last phrase mean...sheets..wind ??? why 3 ?? what?...and also.."by the skin of your teeth" ?? ? HELP please help...ANYONE...thanks ...Miss otherwise "Lost for Words and Sleepless in Germany" 💬🗯💬🗯🥴😘

[@adellajones9887]

I know I am going to like.... actually love.... anything you present. So I like before I watch❤️🌹

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Adella, you are wonderful. I hope you win the lottery.❤️☺️

[@NannyOggins]

I am fascinated by the etymology of English words and phrases so would be very happy to hear more. Many thanks, you must have had to do hours of research for this.

[@martinelanglois3158]

You make learning so much fun! I say "YES" to other videos on colourful expressions. 😀

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Thank you, Martine.😀❤️

[@julieawalt8679]

I recently found your channel. Your love for literature is clear and infectious. Thank you for making an intimidating subject so approachable.

[@kathrynfranz3277]

We had an exchange student from the Netherlands in high school who was mystified by the idiom ‘go jump in a lake’ . I explained the meaning and asked how she’d say that in Dutch, and the literal translation into English was’go fly around the moon’! Plz more on idioms! Speaking with a Vietnamese colleague , I learned that many American idioms do not have Vietnamese equivalents because they are too violent!

[@karengustafson7666]

This is so much fun! ❤

[@Jacobthehuman]

I must admit “I have a soft spot” for these kind of videos.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

AHA! I saw what you did there. Bravo 👏 😀❤️

[@zibilanna]

Wonderful! 😊 Idioms are such a joy! Especially English ones. Thanks for these background stories. In Switzerlands it's hailing not raining, but only cats (Chatze hagle). And yes "Hals- und Beinbruch" ist still commonly used. Superstions around wishing luck seem widespread. For instance Italiens say "In bocca al lupo" which means "Into the wolve's mouth" 😳

[@muzafarkhokhar1939]

I hope you know how much joy you bring into the weary days of the bookworms who watch your videos, bro! ❤ You are a gem. 💎 Love from Pakistan 🇵🇰 ❤

[@veronicamaria2730]

Well, I'll swan, great video. Yes, more please!

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Marvellous!

[@maslina4567]

Your life-enriching channel brings lashings of joy! Your passion for Etymology is wonderfully refreshing, something we need much more of. Thank you for informing, delighting and captivating with every single one of your videos. I wouldn't be above groveling for more idioms! 😅

[@kamidsjournee]

You are an excellent teacher! Thank you for making it fun to learn about idioms.

[@josephharley9448]

You would make an amazing teacher. My teacher was a red neck turkey.

[@chrystal108reading4]

German Aboriginee here ;) I can confirm that we do have the phrase: Hals- und Beinbruch...and it is usually used amongst actors..before they go on stage or any other performance (mainly involving but not explicitly relating to some PHYSICAL ACTIVITY like sports or dancing or ballet) ...and yes, it means "Good Luck" :) What I did not know is that it might derive from some yiddish phrase that only SOUNDS similar..to Hals- und Beinbruch... So thank you for this information. Also we do have the same phrase KROKODILS-TRÄNEN VERGIESSEN ( literary meaning: to spill/shed crocodils' tears) and it means what you said, that someone pretends to be extremly unhappy about something while at the same time ACTUALLY NOT FEELING A THING.... I was also told that a crocodile, being an archaic reptile, sometimes impulsively snaps after its prey simply because some living creature happens to MOVE right in front of its mouth...This seems to be a very archaic triggering instinct for survival in reptile species...to simply devour ANY living being that MOVES, no matter what. ...So, crocodile mums, when hungry/starving themselves, are also known for sometimes devouring their OWN BABIES without ANY FEELING of remorse or feeling of protection towards their offspring (which is rare behaviour in nature, going against your own kin ) But this makes "KROKODILS-Tränen vergiessen" even more poignant as a phrase.. I think ;)

[@giovannamoruzzi3734]

Loved this, thank you! Would love to hear a few more of these.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Great! I'm so pleased you enjoyed it ☺️

[@tuttsclumpcottage7911]

Love to hear more.

[@Szterification]

Wow, I didn’t even know about my own nation’s idiom (I’m from Hungary) about frogs and toads!! We looked it up and finally found it so well done to you, Tristan, I had learned a lot from you even before and will continue doing so, thanx a lot for your precious work :)

[@TricoteTaLife]

Delightful !

[@margaretinsydney3856]

This is great, and so much fun. Yes, if you can gather up some more expressions like these, that would be most interesting. I love the "grapevine" explanation. I would have guessed it just meant that a story just meandered around from person to person like a grapevine. But the telegraph angle is hilarious. Thank you!

[@mrsfruity76]

This was so much fun to watch! I haven't had kippers since I went on a cruise, through Europe, with my parents in 1999. Thank you for stirring up a wonderful memory for me🙂. I would enjoy seeing more videos like this.

[@nedludd7622]

I worked in the stable area of a race track for a couple of years and it was common for trainers to have an animal with a nervous horse. They could be a cat, a dog, a fowl, etc. Of course there was an occasional goat. The horses became very attached to their friend.

[@terri6743]

Fun video about the origins of some common idioms and expressions!😁

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Pleased you enjoyed it ☺️

[@jamesglynn3231]

I just discovered your channel and absolutely love it! I have been wanting to get into reading the classics for sometime, but didn’t know where to begin. Before I started, I was hoping to find someone to explain to me the following. Why I should even read them to begin with? What makes a book a classic? Most importantly, what would I gain from reading a particular classic? I have no doubt that watching your channel will answer those questions for me. Also, I love and appreciate your enthusiasm for reading. It inspires me to tackle the classics. Thank you and keep up the great work!

[@janeylfoster6197]

Tristan is fantastic😊 you’ll love it here.

[@gabrielazapletalova7263]

Amazing video Tristan, as always. I would love to see more idioms. Also, we use the phrase “Break a neck” in Czech Republic

[@chrystal108reading4]

How funny, I just shared that in German we say "break a neck and leg"...so somehow..on its way to the WEST ..the neck must have got lost...as in English there is only "break a leg"....I hope the neck wasn't nicked by the "neckless" French... just to annoy the English ...hahahaha..😂😅😃🤣

[@rogerevans9666]

After seeing Shakespeare's "Merry Wives of Windsor", I was surprised at the number of sayings that either S incorporated from another source or invented ex nihilo: "thereby hangs a tale" "it's neither here nor there" "that's the long and short of it".

[@ChefScottSUP]

I like to listen to your videos while working on my computer. I always learn something new and fascinating! This video about the origins of idioms was especially intriguing. Who knew that phrases like "put a sock in it" or "crocodile tears" had such interesting histories behind them? Your explanations are informative and entertaining. Looking forward to more enlightening content from you! One idiom I was curious about was, "that's my two cents".

[@sarahj87]

A very interesting video!

[@maryfilippou6667]

So interesting and informative! As here in CA, I never knew the origin in our manifold Telephone lines. What a shock when I first arrived in San Francisco from out-of- state and abroad. All the telephone poles! Took some years to accept. Plus so few trees in some neighborhoods decades back. No wonder! Thanks for the updates!

[@LavenderLydia]

You should do a video on phrases and even words that originated in classic books/works of literature.

[@Probablytracy]

Loved this!!!

[@JoanKentBible]

Hi Tristan, I love your cheerful, informative videos. I have listened to many and eagerly look forward to the next. I have been a slow reader throughout my nearly 80 years, consequently, I have read very few books but listened to many audiobooks. My parents grew up in Bow, London and seemed to have a saying or idiom for just about any event or circumstance. My father who I loved dearly, was disabled with a muscular disease one idiom he frequently used was "like water off a duck's back". "Cor, stone a crows" when hearing some unexpected news was often heard. Thank you, Tristan, I very much look forward to hearing more suggestions for a good read, or listen.

[@joanwerthman4116]

I remember an actor on a talk show explaining when you bow, you bend the knee which breaks the leg’s line from standing straight.

[@charmainesaliba5546]

This was really interesting, really enjoyed it. I am interesting in more videos like this. The orgins of broke a leg is interesting. It's wreid using a negative expression to wish luck. For instance in Italian they use the expression "in bocca al lupo" which means in wolf's mouth. 😂 Thanks for sharing this video.

[@nguyenngocbuu1933]

excellent

[@diahannmatthias3992]

Hi again, just to let you know I’m loving your channels very much 😃as I’m new to the classics I was wondering if you are maybe thinking of presenting some content about individual authors the way they write, the type of books they’re known for, the authors best book to introduce you to they’re writing and you’re view and favourite book by the author, just a thought I know I would definitely watch every one 🤞

[@Roderic07]

i really loved this...always interested in knowing where phrases come from ( even from my language Dutch)...what i love about your videos ( not particularly this one lol)...but i love how you explain the English language through literature

[@DefaultName-nt7tk]

Very interesting, I loved it ❤

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Thanks 😀

[@ttowntrekker5174]

Watch your p's and q's came from the days they kept up with your drinking at pubs. The bartender ran a tally of the Pints and Quarts you owed for.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

That's amazing 👏

[@paolaemma1620]

Thank You, appreciated, from Australia

[@maudieicrochet9491]

And thereby hangs a tale… thanks Tristan

[@carolnash5617]

I have always wondered where the British word "gobsmacked" came from! Starting to hear it a bit here in the US... i have even said it a few times myself!

[@alytags]

I love hearing the origins of idioms. Thank you for sharing what you learned!

[@doctorwhat6751]

This was very interesting and entertaining! Loved it

[@jennyaldridge4186]

Great video. I’m going to be spending Easter thinking of all idioms I use. Has anyone ever written a book listing what must be hundreds of them in current use? It would be a shame if the origins of them were lost forever. My favourite is Talk of the Devil and also a Storm in a Teacup.

[@ericgrabowski3896]

'Storm in a Teacup' is also a great movie starring Vivien Leigh and Rex Harrison. If you havent already perhaps you might spend some of your holiday checking it out. That is of course if you havent already and if you like old black and white films.

[@dianerademaker1896]

Loved the video Tristan. I read somewhere, many years ago, that the tall narrow curtains at the side of a stage are called "legs", which indeed they are. So an actor "breaks a leg" when he goes onto the stage.

[@artemlitvinov3536]

Happily surprised to this kind of content on your channel, Tristan! This video is truly a gem for me, as I’m studying as an entrepreneur (English-Russian) and idioms are always fascinating and useful to explore! By the way, “Crocodile tears” idiom is also common in Russia)

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

So pleased that you found it helpful, Artem. 😀👍

[@karenshaffer1511]

Thanks - this was fun and I hope you do more like this. I had an English teacher in high school who used to give us these tidbits sometimes, but he said he never could find an origin for the phrase “smack dab”. I’d love it you could shed some light on that one.

[@JudithThornhill-xc9ms]

So fun! Thank you 😊

[@marthafernandez9220]

❤

[@Tommy-xy1eh]

Brilliant ! ❤

[@mxvera1]

Thanks!

[@dragon-ed1hz]

My favorite idiom was one my mother used to use about someone who was hard at work: "He's busier than a bee in a tar bucket."

[@sylvanaire]

That reminds me of the phrase my grandmother used to use, more nervous than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, lol.

[@user-ze6xb8yw1q]

I really enjoyed this video and would be happy to see more more in the future.😊 I also have a question regarding your second channel Tristan Talks Books; 🤔I've been on the look out for video featuring the top 4 books (and winner) of your latest book selection, but I haven't seen it. Is it normal that it's not out yet? (I'm referring to the selection video that started with Shogun.)

[@judyspizler4379]

Great video. I'd love another video like this!

[@ganeshasr141]

Amazing Video... Actually I am looking for the Book with all details (similar to your video) origin of them... Please advise if you have any books

[@kimberlyholt2241]

One that I say often is, "great day in the morning"! 🤗 And course many more but never knew exactly 'how they came about'! 🤣 Thanks!

[@reallydarlings-se2xf]

I first heard "great day in the morning!" (always said very expressively) in Hanover County, VA. Not a native of that area so it was very memorable hearing it for the first time.

[@roselynfletcher636]

Thankyou Tristan. A very enjoyable and informative video. I am new to your channel only having discovered it a week ago. I subscribed half way through the first video. I am now catching up on all the ones I have missed. I have been a prolific reader since childhood but in my early 50s life got in the way and I put reading aside. I am now getting back into it in my early 60s. I love your teaching style and find myself thinking over what I have listened to as I go about my day. Thankyou and keep up the good work.

[@PIMcCormack]

Really enjoyed this post.

[@faithbooks7906]

So interesting! Thanks!

[@MimiPantz]

As to “break a leg,” I’m an actress and have always heard it’s bad luck to wish good luck. In French theater the idiom is “Merde” meaning….a not polite term for excrement 😮

[@alidabaxter5849]

I loved this video, as I love all your videos, but wondered whether you'd be interested in the fact that the crime writer Dorothy L. Sayers wrote "Five Red Herrings" in which five different solutions to a murder were offered, all wrong. And also, did you know that women who sew for very fine tailoring, such as Savile Row suits, are called "kippers"? Nobody knows why these days, but it dates back to the times when respectable girls did not apply for jobs on their own, but went about in pairs, and kippers were sold in pairs. So the pairs of girls were called "kippers".

[@kurtfox4944]

An interesting one that I came across, but not sure if it is true, is "piece of cake" and "cake walk." The origin that I read actually has its roots in racism. If you make another video, to avoid spoilers, I wont say where it comes from. I no longer use the phrase. I've seen several false ones, like "saved by the bell" (during the "graveyard shift" after a "wake"). You're pulling my leg is one I ought to look up. Skin of your teeth goes back to the bible (Job 19:20). But what it means and why it is in the bible, I could never discern. I love the idioms and their origins. I've never gotten around to looking them up, but have stumbled across a few of these before.

[@jallen418]

I thought it was because if you break a leg you were "cast" in the show or play. Audition.

[@dqan7372]

🐎🐐

[@theresalero7039]

Many primitive or ancient peoples had the habit of denigrating their children to ward off evil spirits. (He's so ugly, useless, foolish, etc) The greater love for the child, the louder the deprecation. (The child knew the parent meant the opposite)

[@valeriespivey1027]

My husband says it’s raining like a cow pissing on a flat rock.