Tagged Questions
0
votes
1answer
97 views
In the phrase “common sense”, in what sense of the word is “common” used?
As I understand it, there are several definitions of common, but I can't find any source that can highlight the etymology of the phrase.
The linked definitions are pretty rigorous, but a less strict, ...
2
votes
2answers
194 views
What's the origin of the phrase “God's clean earth”, and how long has it been around? [closed]
"It isn't every day a man wakes up to discover he's a screaming bender with no more right to live on God's clean Earth than a weasel."
- Dr. Leech, "Blackadder II"
What's the origin of that ...
6
votes
1answer
129 views
When was the word “scroll” first used as a verb?
We all know that a scroll is a roll of parchment used in ancient times. A scroll can be rolled up or down, and that must have been the metaphor the creator of the computer-term "scroll" had in mind.
...
7
votes
2answers
251 views
“for good” expression in an unfortunate event?
I just heard an expression while watching a TV series yesterday.
Someone just died and they said:
He is gone for good
I googled it and found that "for good" means "forever" in this context. But ...
5
votes
2answers
301 views
What is the meaning, history, and current popularity of “of a Monday” (or Tuesday, or Wednesday, etc.)?
I was watching a 1934 Hollywood film today and one of the characters used the phrase, Of a Tuesday. I know of a Y-day has been a common phrase in British English in relatively recent times and assume ...
8
votes
1answer
247 views
Why bread crumbs and not stones?
In UI navigation jargon, bread crumbs are used to describe a trail of links back to the starting point. This is obviously a reference to Hansel and Gretel, where they use a literal trail of bread ...
6
votes
6answers
3k views
Origin of the phrase “drink you under the table”
I have often heard people say
I could drink you under the table
or
Mary drank Joe under the table
This typically means that someone could drink more alcohol than someone else.
What is ...
8
votes
4answers
929 views
Origin/reason for the “hit by a bus” phrase
Often at my job when someone is becoming a single source of knowledge or otherwise has a skill that no one else on the team or the department has, a common expression is:
If John was hit by a bus, ...
2
votes
1answer
138 views
Fashionable photographers
I saw somewhere this quote from Wodehouse's Meet Mr. Mulliner (1927):
"Statistics show that the two classes of the community which least often marry are milkmen and fashionable photographers – ...
9
votes
6answers
3k views
History of “have a good one”
I used to work at a grocery store. When bidding farewell to customers, my coworkers would often use phrases such as "Have a nice day," "Enjoy your day," and the like.
One particular phrase that ...
4
votes
2answers
870 views
Origins of the phrase “You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows”?
You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.
This phrase is famously used in Subterranean Homesick Blues by Bob Dylan. The metaphor itself is so simple and powerful I'm sure it ...
3
votes
2answers
355 views
14
votes
4answers
578 views
How did English get the “What is your name?” construction?
As a dabbling polyglot, I've found myself learning the basics of several languages over the course of my lifetime. One of the first things that is taught in any language is personal introductions. I ...
3
votes
4answers
392 views
What exactly does “my grandfather built this house” mean?
When someone says that "my grandfather built this house", say now or even 20-30 years ago, do they mean their grandfather literally built that house from ground up?
Foundation, framing, wiring, ...
7
votes
7answers
699 views
What are some of the most influential or obscure phrases and literary constructions drawn from the Bible?
I was reading through some English L & U SE questions, and happened across one asking about the origin of the phrase "Through a Glass, Clearly / A Scanner Darkly / In a Mirror, Darkly / ...
9
votes
3answers
2k views
What is the origin of the phrase “'til the cows come home”?
What is the origin of the term 'til the cows come home? While discussing this with friends tonight, the group had two possible explanations:
Cows return to their barn for milking at a given time ...
