Past Perspective on Phrases

Have you ever wondered about those casual phrases we utter that we don't really understand or sound just down right strange? (Like "it's raining cats and dogs")

I have and through the years, I've randomly learned about the origins of some of them. Here are a few of my favorites although I'm sure you can think of more.

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"Sleep tight" is in reference to the beds that were made of rope. The rope stretched across the frame and made a criss-crossing network that held the mattress up. Sleeping tight meant having the rope tight enough that your bum didn't hit the floor.

"A Diamond in the Rough" comes from the fact that uncut diamonds are still diamonds. They just need a little polish to make them shine, but they're still beautiful with that potential of being like the diamonds set in baubles.

"A Penny for Your Thoughts" is said to have been first written down by Sir Thomas More in Four Last Things. Pennies were worth more in that time and thus someone might ask you for your thoughts because they were encouraging you to share them and this way they were saying that your thoughts are worth something to them.

"Barking Up the Wrong Tree" comes from hunting with dogs. A wily prey animal could confuse the dogs into thinking they were up the tree when, in fact, they had escaped. In conversation, this means that someone has made a mistake.

https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/phrases-and-sayings-list.html

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Fun writing activity for world building: create your own idioms! Do you know your world well? What is important? How do people think? What do people like to convey in sly context and how can you compare it to something in your world? This activity is a test of understanding and imagination. If you have trouble with it, try adapting one of our common idioms and then creating your own.