Idioms Explained
Viewing comments for Chapter 10 "Three Favorites"Fanstorians explain the backstory of idioms
21 total reviews
Comment from Sandra Stoner-Mitchell
Those were really good, Beth, you've chosen three that I've often heard but never knew where they came from, and the explanations were so interesting. Especially the last one. Who'd have thought of that! But I can understand it now, but like you, I've not said it to remark on the weather. The one with the writing on the wall, was even better! And we all know what Napoleon was like!! Well done, my friend. I enjoyed these! :)) Sandra xxx
reply by the author on 19-Nov-2021
  |
Those were really good, Beth, you've chosen three that I've often heard but never knew where they came from, and the explanations were so interesting. Especially the last one. Who'd have thought of that! But I can understand it now, but like you, I've not said it to remark on the weather. The one with the writing on the wall, was even better! And we all know what Napoleon was like!! Well done, my friend. I enjoyed these! :)) Sandra xxx
Comment Written 19-Nov-2021
reply by the author on 19-Nov-2021
-
Thank you Sandra. This was fun trying to decide to choose just a few out of so many was the hard part. I glad Helen came up with this challenge.
Beth
Comment from Seshadri_Sreenivasan
English is a crazy, but very creative language. I can't help falling in love with this wonderful language. I keep using these idioms in everyday life, like many others.But I must admit the idion'It is cold enough to freeze the balls off of a brass monkey' is one to me. I am going to add it to my repertoire.:) Most common are ,'It's a piece of cake', 'It's raining cats and dogs', 'Let the cat out of the bag.'. There are endless idioms. Thanks for sharing!
reply by the author on 19-Nov-2021
|
English is a crazy, but very creative language. I can't help falling in love with this wonderful language. I keep using these idioms in everyday life, like many others.But I must admit the idion'It is cold enough to freeze the balls off of a brass monkey' is one to me. I am going to add it to my repertoire.:) Most common are ,'It's a piece of cake', 'It's raining cats and dogs', 'Let the cat out of the bag.'. There are endless idioms. Thanks for sharing!
Comment Written 19-Nov-2021
reply by the author on 19-Nov-2021
-
Thank you. I enjoy idioms. The fun part is finding out how they started. You probably know but Letting the cat out of the bags started when venders in the country sold small pigs in bags for roasting. Cats were worth less and more plentiful. They would put a cat in a bag and the buyer would think he'd bought a pig. When he got home the fact he'd been cheated would be revealed when he let the cat our to fhe bag.
-
Poor cats! They are always at the receiving end!:)
Comment from royowen
Yes indeed, I suppose there is possibly more explanations, but I think you've done an amazing job with collecting and collating these facts, we actually weren't there when someone created them, but you're reasons shine like gold Beth, well dine, blessings Roy
reply by the author on 19-Nov-2021
|
Yes indeed, I suppose there is possibly more explanations, but I think you've done an amazing job with collecting and collating these facts, we actually weren't there when someone created them, but you're reasons shine like gold Beth, well dine, blessings Roy
Comment Written 19-Nov-2021
reply by the author on 19-Nov-2021
-
Thank you Roy. I really appreciate the review and comments.
Beth
-
Most welcome
Comment from Jasmine Girl
It's funny that two of three here have a French connection, that were originated Napoleon era. I'm glad to read the last one because I thought it was a dirty one, too.
Well done.
reply by the author on 19-Nov-2021
|
It's funny that two of three here have a French connection, that were originated Napoleon era. I'm glad to read the last one because I thought it was a dirty one, too.
Well done.
Comment Written 18-Nov-2021
reply by the author on 19-Nov-2021
-
Thanks Lisa. It was fun deciding which ones to choose. I thought that last one had the most unusual meaning.
Beth
Comment from Gert sherwood
Hello BethShelby
It is cold enough to freeze the balls off of a brass monkey
'I must behind I never heard of the Idiom'
Thank you for telling us the story of the Idiom
Gert
reply by the author on 20-Nov-2021
|
Hello BethShelby
It is cold enough to freeze the balls off of a brass monkey
'I must behind I never heard of the Idiom'
Thank you for telling us the story of the Idiom
Gert
Comment Written 18-Nov-2021
reply by the author on 20-Nov-2021
-
Most people think it being naughty to say that so I've not heard it used a lot either. Thanks for the review.
Beth
-
You are most welcome
nancy_e_davis
Gert
Comment from Ben Colder
Now you cleared that up. I have the Brass Monkey before and thought it t be dirty. We live and learn. Thanks, Beth, for a great post. Never too old to learn, I suppose.
reply by the author on 20-Nov-2021
|
Now you cleared that up. I have the Brass Monkey before and thought it t be dirty. We live and learn. Thanks, Beth, for a great post. Never too old to learn, I suppose.
Comment Written 18-Nov-2021
reply by the author on 20-Nov-2021
-
Thank You for the review Chuck. Helen (lyenochka) started a book of idioms and there are so many. She encouraged everyone to add a chapter to her book. Why don't you come up with some. We all use them and they are fun.
Beth
-
Perhaps I should. I was just told that I need to learn how to write. I told you and Barb, I was getting too old for this but why II keep it up, the Lord only knows.
-
Well, I was told by one reviewer that no one cares about your personal life. You need to write stories that have a twist to them. Don't pay attention to those people. You can't please everyone.
Comment from Jannypan (Jan)
You did a good job with your chapter for the book, Beth. I enjoyed reading your contribution. I like how you used bold font for the subheading of your three expressions. I have heard/used all three, but did not know the exact history of them. Please check the spelling of Napoleon in the first one.
Respectfully, Jan
reply by the author on 20-Nov-2021
|
You did a good job with your chapter for the book, Beth. I enjoyed reading your contribution. I like how you used bold font for the subheading of your three expressions. I have heard/used all three, but did not know the exact history of them. Please check the spelling of Napoleon in the first one.
Respectfully, Jan
Comment Written 18-Nov-2021
reply by the author on 20-Nov-2021
-
Thank you Jan. I enjoyed the ones you added. You always have so many very folksy sayings that you heard as a child.
Beth
Comment from Jay Squires
This is the third piece on idioms: Helen's, Judi's and now yours. I gotta get on the stick ... (well I'll be darned ... "on the stick".
It is cold enough to freeze the balls off of a brass monkey [Thanks for the real story, but I think the author of it had a wry smile on his face when he wrote the words, thinking of the double entendre.
but I like the explaination. I would say that is pretty darn cold. [Misspell of explanation (though I know it was more of a mis-hit on the keys).
reply by the author on 18-Nov-2021
|
This is the third piece on idioms: Helen's, Judi's and now yours. I gotta get on the stick ... (well I'll be darned ... "on the stick".
It is cold enough to freeze the balls off of a brass monkey [Thanks for the real story, but I think the author of it had a wry smile on his face when he wrote the words, thinking of the double entendre.
but I like the explaination. I would say that is pretty darn cold. [Misspell of explanation (though I know it was more of a mis-hit on the keys).
Comment Written 18-Nov-2021
reply by the author on 18-Nov-2021
-
Thanks for reviewing this. Actually this was the 10th entry to Helen's book. There are probably more by now. I told Helen there were so many of these Idioms that I felt like a "Blind dog in a meat house." She said she never heard that one. It is used quite a lot in the south.
Comment from lyenochka
Thank you so much, Beth! Enjoyed your explanations! And I agree the cannonball explanations sounds much better. Seems like you have two from the Napoleonic time period. And the Biblical one is such a great one!
Nepoleon was quoted as using it. (Napoleon)
but I like the explaination. (explanation)
reply by the author on 18-Nov-2021
|
Thank you so much, Beth! Enjoyed your explanations! And I agree the cannonball explanations sounds much better. Seems like you have two from the Napoleonic time period. And the Biblical one is such a great one!
Nepoleon was quoted as using it. (Napoleon)
but I like the explaination. (explanation)
Comment Written 18-Nov-2021
reply by the author on 18-Nov-2021
-
Thank you for the review and the error correction. This is was fun thinking about all of these. I've always enjoyed them, but I'm sure writers who use them are said to be using cliche's.
-
When we want to make our characters folksy, having them use these idioms really brings them to life. But perhaps if we only used idioms instead of coming up with our own expressions, that probably would be discouraged. I think Humpwhistle does a great job creating his own folksy idioms.
-
Lee is the first one to call me out if I use a cliche. He is very nice about it but he doesn't like them.
-
That's funny. I find idioms make dialogue so colorful. My husband's grandmother used to say the funniest things like "trip the light fantastic."
-
That one of the tripping to the light fantastic alwasy made me wonder. There was an MC for a Big Band station that used that a lot. He said it meant dancing. I learned it was from
John Milton in L'Allegro (1632): "Come and trip it as ye go, On the light fantastick toe." The idiom uses trip in the sense of "a light, tripping step,"
Comment from Elizabeth Emerald
Wonderful picks! I've heard three derivations for freeze the balls off ... one of which is as you cited. Fascinating collection, meticulous research.
Some [or=>OF] the many [Idiom I've sued=>iDIOMS I'VE USED].
This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.
reply by the author on 18-Nov-2021
|
Wonderful picks! I've heard three derivations for freeze the balls off ... one of which is as you cited. Fascinating collection, meticulous research.
Some [or=>OF] the many [Idiom I've sued=>iDIOMS I'VE USED].
This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.
Comment Written 18-Nov-2021
reply by the author on 18-Nov-2021
-
Thanks for the review. I thought this was fun. I don't like to write directly on the site because I don't have a spell checker.
Beth