Let’s explore the origin of some common sayings. After writing several columns about sayings like, “I’ll read you the riot act” and “The straw that broke the camel’s back,” many of you suggested some others.
Have you ever been called “One tough cookie?” Back in the 1920s, the nickname “cookie” was intended as a compliment, usually aimed at a female. A hard-working or resilient lady was often referred to as a “tough cookie.” By the 1950s, the term showed up in various publications referring to both men and women as “smart cookies.” But in order to be described as such, one would have to be intelligent or quick-witted. Upon the birth of our first grandchild in February, my wife chose “Cookie” as her grandmother name. And she is, indeed, a tough, smart cookie. (I’m Papa D, by the way).
I recently saw one politician accuse another of “Pulling a fast one.” It happened during a congressional hearing, and I noticed some of the younger spectators with a puzzled look on their faces. I suspect they had not watched many old movies, when fast ones were pulled quite often.
The topic was an expensive amendment that had been attached to a spending bill. It would not have passed on its own, so critics accused its sponsor of “pulling a fast one” to gain approval for the funding. The phrase originated in the United States, dating back to 1906. It is believed to have first been used in card games, when cheaters were accused of using sleight of hand to switch cards or deal from the bottom of the deck. I suppose it is fitting that a phrase first associated with cheating poker players is being used in Washington.
We can credit Tennessee folk hero Davy Crockett for a phrase that has endured for 200 years, so far. “You’re too big for your britches.” He was writing about another prominent Tennessean, Andrew Jackson. At the time, Jackson was President of the United States, and the “King of the Wild Frontier” apparently thought Jackson needed to be taken down a notch. Scottish folk also had a term for those who were considered conceited or self-important: “too big for their boots.”
Maybe President Jackson was quick to “Fly off the handle.” This phrase also originated in America, referring to a loose axe-head, flying off its handle quickly when hitting on wood. Obviously, this can be unpredictable and destructive, because you don’t know where it will land. We usually hear that someone who has a sudden mood swing or a fit of anger has a tendency to “fly off the handle.” It’s a good idea to get out of their way.
Many of us, when greeted by our older relatives, would hear them say, “Well, look at you. You are a sight for sore eyes!” Honestly, that didn’t sound like a compliment to me. Did I make their eyes hurt? But as I later learned, they meant well. Dating back to the 18th century, in the Jonathan Swift book “Polite Conversation,” the phrase meant, “the sight of you is good for my sore eyes.” Well, when you put it that way, thank you!
Have you ever gone back to your “Old stomping ground?” To me, that means a return to my childhood home, although I don’t recall a lot of stomping. This one dates back to England in the 1820s, but the term was “stamping ground” back then. It depicted where animals bedded down for the night, marking their territory by vigorously “stamping” on the ground. By the 1850s, American writers had adopted the phrase, changing it to “stomping” ground. Whatever you call it, it is a favorite destination of mine.
In fact, it is my “Neck of the Woods.” More than 500 years ago, that term was first used in England to describe a strip of land, resembling the narrow connection of the human anatomy. Over the centuries, it gradually evolved into describing any region in which a person found comfort, or considered to be their home.
Keep sending in your suggestions. When I don’t hear from you, I tend to fly off the handle.
