A bigger bang for your buck

Meaning More for your money. Origin Generals and political leaders have argued over the costs of the military since Adam was a lad. Their conversations have probably not changed much: General: "Caesar My !iege Mr "resident# we need more triremes cannons nuclear weapons." $mperor %ing "resident: "The people need more olives bread i"ads. Can&t you manage with what you&ve got'" (wight (. $isenhower faced something of a dilemma in )*+,. -e was a military man to his soc.s and was inclined to augment defence in the face of the perceived &reds under the bed& threat# but he was also a /epublican 01 president and# as such# politically wedded to cutting state spending. -is solution was simple 2 increase the armed forces but decrease their budget. 3n ordinary circumstances that circle would be difficult to s4uare. The solution that the 01 5oint Chiefs of 1taff came up with# which they titled the &6ew !oo.&# was a policy of using nuclear weapons in any conflict bigger than what they called &a brush2fire war&. That allowed them to radically reduce the numbers of servicemen and replace them with the comparatively ine7pensive atomic bombs. All of the above was described in a story in The 8inona /epublican -erald on 9)st (ecember )*+,. The story also reports Admiral Arthur /adford as describing the policy as the &bigger bang for your buc.& theory. This was an adaptation of "epsi2Cola&s &More :ounce to the Ounce& slogan# which was introduced in )*+;. Most sources credit 01 (efense 1ecretary Charles 8ilson as the source of the e7pression &a bigger bang for your buc.&. These invariably point to him having used the phrase in )*+<. 8ilson could be the person who coined the phrase but )*+< is clearly too late and# until a pre2 (ecember )*+, source is found# the phrase has to be logged as &coined by Anonymous&. The current form of the phrase# in which has lost its nuclear connotations# is &more bang for your buc.&. 5ust in passing# 3 ought to mention that a theory that this phrase originated as a reference to prostitution is suggested by some. There&s no truth whatever in that notion.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

Meaning 3t&s better to have a lesser but certain advantage than the possibility of a greater one that may come to nothing. Origin This proverb refers bac. to mediaeval falconry where a bird in the hand =the falcon> was a valuable asset and certainly worth more than two in the bush =the prey>. The first citation of the e7pression in print in its currently used form is found in 5ohn /ay&s A -and2boo. of "roverbs# )?@;# in which he lists it as: A Aalso &one&B bird in the hand is worth two in the bush :y how long the phrase predates /ay&s publishing isn&t clear# as variants of it were .nown for centuries before )?@;. The earliest $nglish version of the proverb is from the :ible and was translated into $nglish in 8ycliffe&s version in ),C9# although !atin te7ts have it from the ),th century: $cclesiastes 3D 2 A living dog is better than a dead lion. Alternatives that e7plicitly mention birds in hand come later. The earliest of those is in -ugh /hodes& The :o.e of 6urture or 1choole of Good Maners# circa )+,;: "A byrd in hand 2 is worth ten flye at large." 5ohn -eywood# the )?th century collector of proverbs# recorded another version in his ambitiously titled A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the $nglishe tongue# )+<?: ":etter one byrde in hande than ten in the wood." The e7pression fits well into the catalogue of $nglish proverbs# which are often warnings# especially warnings about hubris or ris. ta.ing. 1ome of the better .nown e7amples that warn against getting carried away by that e7citing new prospect are: &All that glitters is not gold&# &Eools rush in where angels fear to tread&# &!oo. before you leap&# &Marry in haste# repent at leisure&# &The best2laid schemes of mice and men gang aft agley&. The :ird in -and was adopted as a pub name in $ngland in the Middle Ages and many of this name still survive. $nglish migrants to America too. the e7pression with them and &bird in hand& must have been .nown there by )@,< as this was the year in which a small town in "ennsylvania was founded with that name.

Other languages and cultures have their own version of this proverb# notably the CFech &!epsi vrabec v hrsti neF holub na strese& =A sparrow in the fist is better than a pigeon on the roof>. A chain is only as strong as its wea.est lin. Meaning The proverb has a literal meaning# although the &wea.est lin.& referred to is figurative and usually applies to a person or technical feature rather than the lin. of an actual chain. Origin 8e are most li.ely these days to come across the phrase &the wea.est lin.& in reference to the popular TG 4uiF show of that name# which originated in the 0%# hosted by Anne /obinson# and was later syndicated for use in many other countries. The show# which relies on the demonstration of the abysmal lac. of general .nowledge by many of the participating contestants# is an e7ample of the many &humiliation television& shows of the early 9)st century and is a sad spectacle. 3t is clearly a literal fact that a chain is only as strong as its wea.est lin.. The conversion of that notion into a figurative phrase was established in the language by the )Cth century. Thomas /eid&s $ssays on the 3ntellectual "owers of Man# )@C?# included this line: "3n every chain of reasoning# the evidence of the last conclusion can be no greater than that of the wea.est lin. of the chain# whatever may be the strength of the rest."

A diamond in the rough

Meaning 1omeone who is basically good hearted but lac.ing social graces and respect for the law. Origin The phrase is clearly a metaphor for the original unpolished state of diamond gemstones# especially those that have the potential to become high 4uality Hewels. 3t is more commonly e7pressed in the form &rough diamond&. The first recorded use in print is in 5ohn Eletcher&s A 8ife for a Month# )?9<: "1he is very honest# and will be as hard to cut as a rough diamond." The term is often now used to describe people on the edge of the criminal fraternity who# while they may not commit serious crimes themselves# probably .now people who do.

The $nglish comic actor# the late 1id 5ames# typified the type both on and off stage and was typecast in such rolesI for e7ample# he played 1ir 1idney /uff2(iamond in the $aling comedy Carry On 0p The %hyber. That was 4uite appropriate for this phrase as it turns out 2 1id 5ames wor.ed in a diamond mine in 1outh Africa before becoming an actor.

A fish out of water

Meaning 1omeone who is in a situation they are unsuited to. Origin This metaphor is 4uite old. Chaucer used a version of it in The Canterbury Tales: "rologue: ...a mon.# when he is cloisterlessI 3s li.e to a fish that is waterless The earliest reference that 3 can find to the present day wording of the phrase is in 1amuel "urchas&s "ilgrimage# )?),: "The Arabians out of the desarts are as Eishes out of the 8ater."

A foot in the door

Meaning An introduction or way in to something# made in order that progress may be made later. Origin The early uses of the term &putting a foot in the door& are straightforward literal ones. 3t may Hust describe someone who steps over the threshold of a property# or someone putting a foot in the door in order to prevent it from closing and so continue a conversation. An early e7ample of the latter comes in the American poet and playwright George :o.er&s wor. "lays and poems# )C+?: "And he sang to his gittern of love and of war 8ith one foot in his stirrup and one in her door." 8e now use &foot in the door& in a figurative sense# with a similar meaning to &the thin end of the wedge&. 3t was the techni4ue of Hamming a foot in the door to prevent it closing# used by door2to2 door salesmen and political canvassers# that gave us this figurative use of the term. All the early e7amples are from the 01A# such as in this report of an application for civic funding in The Oa.land Tribune# August )*)<: "All 3&m as.ing is that you authoriFe the par. department to go ahead." "Jes# but you are trying to commit us to an e7penditure of K<C#<;; or more#" said :accus.L

"6o. 3&m merely as.ing that the first step be ta.en#" answered Mayor Mott. "Jou&ve got a mighty clever way of getting your foot in the door# and then we can&t get it closed until the whole proposition is carried"# said Turner.

A fool's paradise
Meaning A state of happiness based on false hope. Origin This is an early phrase# first recorded in the "aston !etters# )<?9: "3 wold not be in a folis paradyce." 1ha.espeare later used it in /omeo and 5uliet# )+*9. 6urse: 6ow# afore God# 3 am so ve7ed# that every part about me 4uivers. 1curvy .naveM "ray you# sir# a word: and as 3 told you# my young lady bade me in4uire you outI what she bade me say# 3 will .eep to myself: but first let me tell ye# if ye should lead her into a fool&s paradise# as they say# it were a very gross .ind of behavior# as they say: for the gentlewoman is youngI and# therefore# if you should deal double with her# truly it were an ill thing to be offered to any gentlewoman# and very wea. dealing.

la mode
Meaning Eashionable. Also# in the 01A# a dessert served with ice cream. Origin This# of course# has a Erench origin and is one of the earliest Erench phrases to have been adopted into $nglish. 3t is referred to in 5ohn 1elden&s !aws of $ngland# )?<*: "Commanders that are never a2la2mode but when all in 3ron and 1teel." The term was angliciFed as a noun 2 alamode# which was a form of glossy blac. sil.. This is listed in a )?@? edition of The !ondon GaFette:

"1everal "ieces of wrought 1il.# as Taffaties# 1arcenets# Alamodes# and !utes." Americans are familiar with this phrase as meaning &with ice cream&. There are various stories concerning how this came about but# as they aren&t reliably documented# 3&ll not repeat them here. 1uffice it to say that# however the phrase was coined in that conte7t# it had happened by )*;, when it appears in an edition of $verybody&s MagaFine: "Tea and buns# apple pie N la mode and chocolate were the most serious menus."

As thick as thieves
Meaning Close friends withI sharing confidences. Origin 8e might e7pect &as thic. as thieves& to be a variant of the other commonly used &thic.& simile &as thic. as two short plan.s&. The fact that the former e7pression originated as &as thic. as two thieves& gives more weight to that e7pectation. As you may have guessed from that lead in# the two phrases are entirely unconnected. The short plan.s are thic. in the &stupid& sense of the word# whereas thieves aren&t especially stupid but are conspiratorial and that&s the meaning of & thic.& in &as thic. as thieves&. &Thic.& was first used to mean &closely allied with& in the )Cth century# as in this e7ample from /ichard Twining&s memoir 1elected "apers of the Twining Eamily# )@C): Mr. "acchicrotti was at 1pa. -e and 3 were 4uite &thic..& 8e rode together fre4uently. -e dran. tea with me. !i.e all &as D as J& similes# &as thic. as thieves& depends on J =thieves> being thought of as archetypally D =thic.>. The thieves had some competition. $arlier versions were &as thic. as&... &in.le weavers&# &peas in a shell& and &three in a bed&# all of which were e7amples of things that were especially intimate =in.le2weavers sat at looms that were close together>. These variants have now pretty much disappeared# leaving the way clear for &as thic. as thieves&. The association of thieves with conspiratorial and secretive language was well established in $ngland in the )Cth century. Many of those on the fringes of society# for e7ample poachers# homose7uals# street haw.ers and thieves# used secret words and phrases to converse furtively amongst themselves. :ac.slang was one e7ample of this# the best .nown survival of bac.slang being &yob& for &boy&. 1everal le7icographers had published dictionaries used by those on the wrong side of the law# notably the 6ew (ictionary of the Terms Ancient and Modern of the Canting Crew# )?*C. The &canting crew& were the various vagabonds and coney2catchers =conmen> that inhabited the streets of :ritish cities. The dictionary e7plained how to decipher the language of "the tribes of gypsies# beggars# thieves# cheats etc."# so that people could "secure their money and preserve their lives".

Given that thieves were established as being &thic.& by the late )@th century it is surprising that &as thic. as thieves& didn&t emerge until a century or so later. The records of the Old :ailey# which list transcripts of cases held there since )?@< and which might be Hust the place to find this phrase# don&t list it until )C@<. The first e7ample that 3 can find of it in print is from the $nglish newspaper The Morning Chronicle# in a letter dated March )C9@# published in Eebruary )C9C: :ill Morris and me are as thic. as two thieves. 1o there you have itI proverbially at least# plan.s are stupid but thieves =unless you include ban.ers> aren&t.

Barking mad
Meaning 3nsaneI intensely mad. Origin There are a couple of stories which lin. &bar.ing mad& with the east !ondon suburb of :ar.ing. One is that the phrase owes its origin to a mediaeval asylum for the insane which was part of :ar.ing Abbey. The second story isn&t a suggested origin# Hust a neat )*C;s Ho.e at the e7pense of Margaret Thatcher. 1he was .nown by those who disli.ed her as &(aggers& Thatcher 2 not from a reputation for stabbing colleagues in the bac.# but because she was said to be &three stops past :ar.ing& A(agenham is three stations beyond :ar.ing on the !ondon 0ndergroundB. The problem with the asylum tale is the date 2 it is far too early. &:ar.ing mad& isn&t mediaeval and began to appear in the language only around the beginning of the 9;th century. The first record of it that 3 can find in print is from the 01A. The ))th 6ovember )*9@ edition of the O.lahoma newspaper The Ada $vening 6ews reported on the frenetic and# if contemporary photographs are to be believed# borderline insane sport of Auto2polo: "At 9:,; this afternoon at "ar. field a half doFen bar.ing mad auto polo cars will be whirled into action." That usage suggests a readership already familiar with the phrase# and the playing of polo in cars# while having a strong claim to epitomise madness# isn&t the li.ely source. A much more prosaic derivation# that the phrase refers to mad and possibly rabid dogs# is a more probable source. There are many e7amples of &bar.ing li.e a mad dog& in printI for e7ample# this from records of the trial for murder of a 8alter Tric.er# in )C?@: Mrs -itchins# at the 3n4uest# says &3t was not ordinary bar.ing. They Athe dogsB were bar.ing li.e tearing mad.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Meaning !iteral meaning 2 the perception of beauty is subHective. Origin This saying first appeared in the ,rd century :C in Gree.. 3t didn&t appear in its current form in print until the )*th century# but in the meantime there were various written forms that e7pressed much the same thought. 3n )+CC# the $nglish dramatist 5ohn !yly# in his $uphues and his $ngland# wrote: "...as neere is Eancie to :eautie# as the pric.e to the /ose# as the stal.e to the rynde# as the earth to the roote." 1ha.espeare e7pressed a similar sentiment in !ove&s !abours !ost# )+CC: Good !ord :oyet# my beauty# though but mean# 6eeds not the painted flourish of your praise: :eauty is bought by Hudgement of the eye# 6ot utter&d by base sale of chapmen&s tongues :enHamin Eran.lin# in "oor /ichard&s Almanac.# )@<)# wrote: :eauty# li.e supreme dominion 3s but supported by opinion (avid -ume&s $ssays# Moral and "olitical# )@<9# include: ":eauty in things e7ists merely in the mind which contemplates them." The person who is widely credited with coining the saying in its current form is Margaret 8olfe -ungerford =nOe -amilton># who wrote many boo.s# often under the pseudonym of &The (uchess&. 3n Molly :awn# )C@C# there&s the line ":eauty is in the eye of the beholder"# which is the earliest citation that 3 can find in print.

A bolt from the blue

Meaning A complete surprise# li.e a bolt of lightning from a clear blue s.y. Origin

This has the feel of a 1ha.espearian or :iblical e7pression but# as a phrase in $nglish# it isn&t as old as it sounds. There are several forms of it: &out of the blue&# &a bolt out of the blue&# etc. The earliest citation is Thomas Carlyle# in The Erench /evolution# )C,@: "Arrestment# sudden really as a bolt out of the :lue# has hit strange victims." $nglish versions of this e7pression probably derive as translations of the wor. of the /oman lyric poet Puintus -oratius Elaccus# better .nown as -orace. A translation from the !atin of -orace&s Ode ,< begins: My prayers were scant# my offerings few# 8hile witless wisdom fool&d my mindI :ut now 3 trim my sails anew# And trace the course 3 left behind. Eor loM the 1ire of heaven on high# :y whose fierce bolts the clouds are riven# To2day through an unclouded s.y Thomas Carlyle was# li.e many educated men of his era# a classical scholar and would have been well ac4uainted with -orace&s Odes.

Butter wouldn't melt in his mouth

Meaning "rim and proper# with a cool demeanor Origin The allusion in this e7pression is to people who maintain such a cool demeanor that they don&t even have the warmth to melt butter. This is an old phrase 2 here&s a citation from )+,;# in 5ehan "alsgrave&s !esclarcissement de la langue franQoyse: "-e ma.eth as thoughe butter wolde nat melte in his mouthe." The phrase is usually used in a derogatory and critical sense and# in the past at least# was most often applied to women. Occasionally# it was used to denote a 4uiet mee.ness and sweetness of temper rather than emotional coldnessI for e7ample# this description of Mr "ec.sniff in Charles (ic.ens& Martin ChuFFlewit: "3t would be no description of Mr "ec.sniff&s gentleness of manner to adopt the common parlance# and say that he loo.ed at this moment as if butter wouldn&t melt in his mouth. -e rather loo.ed as if any 4uantity of butter might have been made out of him# by churning the mil. of human .indness# as it spouted upwards from his heart."

Chick flick
Meaning A film with characteriFation and storylines that appeal especially to women. Origin The use of &chic. flic.& to describe the films with appeal to women began in the early )**;s. Eor a few years prior to that &chic. flic.s& were the se7ually e7ploitative films# li.e those made by directors li.e /uss Meyers# which were designed to appeal to male se7ual fantasy. The :ergen County /ecord# October )*CC included this comment: "Eilms li.e /uss Meyers& &:eyond the Galley of the (olls& =)*@;> and &Twilight "eople& =)*@9> ... Corman&s &:lac. Mama# 8hite Mama& =)*@9># another chic.2flic. set in a slammer in the "hillipines. AsicB" The transition in the commonly understood meaning of the term came with a spate of films that had particular appeal to women. Eoremost amongst these was the )**) film &Thelma R !ouise&# starring 1usan 1arandon and Geena (avis. This had the promotional tagline &1omebody said get a life... so they did&. The film# which had a women writer# was e7tremely successful and lead to film studios becoming aware of a potential new audience. "rior to settling on &chic. flic.& as the standard term for this genre of film# several alternatives were used. Eirstly# &chic. film&: &1assy&# August )**) "6ow even the most unli.ely movies go to the violent place# li.e the chic. film Thelma and !ouise." Then &chic.&s flic.&: 8ashington Times# (ecember )**, "8hat with &1leepless in 1eattle& updating the concept of the chic.&s flic. in the national consciousness..." :y )**+# &chic. flic.& was well established. 3n (ecember that year The 1yracuse -erald 5ournal ran a review piece in which they invited a group of young women to review two recent films by (emi Moore. That included comments on the film 6ow and Then# starring (emi Moore and Melanie Griffith# reviewed by %atie /acculia: "Eor guys# it&s Hust another mind numbing &chic. flic..& :ut for us# the members of the fine female se7# &6ow and Then& is a funny# touching story where we can see a bit of ourselves and our friends in the characters."

Man's best friend

Meaning An animal that performs valuable service to humans# often with reference to dogs. Origin A dog is a man&s best friend' 8ell# if the animal&s popularity is anything to go by# perhaps that&s trueI according to the American %ennel Club# there are more pet dogs in the 01A than there are people in :ritain. -owever# the affection in which dogs are held by many these days is a fairly recent development. -ow we used to thin. about dogs can be Hudged by loo.ing at how they have been portrayed in language over the centuries. The first linguistic oddity to do with dogs concerns where the word &dog& came from. The name was preceded by the perfectly good Anglo21a7on word &hound&# which was also used in other $uropean languages. &(og&# in common with several other animal names ending in &g&# li.e frog# hog# pig and stag# seems to have been coined around the ),th century for reasons that no one is at all sure about. "rior to the )Cth century# dogs were .ept for hunting and defence and not as pets. The only deviation from that rule was that of the derided &lap2dog&# which 5ohn $velyn recorded in his (iary# circa )?C<# as a dog fit only for ladies: Those !ap2dogs had so in deliciHs AdelightB by the !adies 2 are a pigmie sort of 1paniels. !ap2dogs apart# the phrases used to refer to dogs in the )?th and )@th centuries indicate their image as being vicious and disease2ridden: -air of the dog that bit you# first used in )+<? as a reference to rabies Cast someone to the dogs# )++? (og in the manger # )+?< 3f you lie down with dogs# you will get up with fleas# )+@, The dogs of war# )?;) Go to the dogs# )?)* Also# phrases that indicate the treatment of dogs show that they were considered to be of little worth: !ead a dog&s life =)+9C> 6ot fit for a dog =)?9+> As sic. as a dog =)@;+> The unfortunate mutts were considered so beyond the pale that dog hangings# as punishment for chasing sheep or whatever else dogs did naturally# were commonplace. The phrase &give a dog a bad name&# )@;+# was originally &give a dog a bad name and hang him&.

The language relating to canines too. a turn for the better later in the )Cth century. The first e7ample in print of the term &dog2bas.et& dates from )@?C. The need for a name for a piece of furniture provided specifically for the comfort of dogs shows a clear turning point in attitudes towards them. This shift in outloo. continued steadily and in )C9, we first find &dog biscuits&# followed in )C+9 by &dog show&. :y the mid 9;th century we find clear linguistic evidence that a dog was to be considered almost on a par with humanity 2 &dog2sitter& =)*<9>. The greatest claim to fame of 8arrensburg# Missouri is that it is where the phrase &a dog is a man&s best friend& originated. 3n )C@;# a farmer shot a neighbour&s dog and# in the subse4uent court case where the owner sued for damages# the lawyer George Graham Gest gave a tear2 Her.ing speech that became .nown as the $ulogy to a (og: "Gentlemen of the Hury# a man&s dog stands by him in prosperity and poverty# in health and sic.ness. -e will sleep on the cold ground# where the wintry winds blow# and the snow drives fiercely# if only he can be near his master&s side. -e will .iss the hand that has no food to offerI he will lic. the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the world. -e guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. 8hen all other friends desert# he remains. 8hen riches ta.e wings and reputation falls to pieces# he is as constant in his love as the sun in its Hourney through the heavens." 2 And so on... A statue of Old (rum# as the deceased beast was called# stands outside the town&s courtroom. 1adly for the 8arrensburg Tourist :oard 1enator Gest didn&t originate the phrase# but he may have read it in a 01 newspaper# as it appeared in print fifty years earlier in The 6ew2Jor. !iterary 5ournal# Golume <# )C9): The faithful dog 2 why should 3 strive To spea. his merits# while they live 3n every breast# and man&s best friend (oes often at his heels attend.

The ends of the earth

Meaning The furthest reaches of the land. Origin The phrase &the ends of the earth& derives from the :ible# Sechariah *:); =%ing 5ames Gersion>: And 3 will cut off the chariot from $phraim# and the horse from 5erusalem# and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall spea. peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea# and from the river even to the ends of the earth. Ca7ton used the e7preession in his )<C, translation of 5. de Goragine&s Golden !egende:

And all the endes of the erthe shal worshipe the 6acions shal come to the fro ferre and bryngyng yeftes shal worshype in the our lord. 3n that passage# and in other religious usages# the phrase was used to indicate the furthest reach of man&s dominion# as opposed to the heavens. 3t wasn&t widely used until. the )*th century# when it began to be used as we use it today# i.e. to mean &a very long way away&.

Face the music

Meaning Accept the unpleasant conse4uences of one&s actions. Origin The phrase &face the music& has an agreeable imagery. 8e feel that we can picture who was facing what and what music was playing at the time. /egrettably# the documentary records don&t point to any clear source for the phrase and we are# as so often# at the mercy of plausible speculation. There was# of course# a definitive and uni4ue origin for the e7pression &face the music& and whoever coined it was 4uite certain of the circumstances and the music being referred to. !et&s hope at least that one of the following suggestions is the correct one# even though there is no clear evidence to prove it. A commonly repeated assertion is that &face the music& originated from the tradition of disgraced officers being &drummed out& of their regiment. A second popular theory is that it was actors who &faced the music&# i.e. faced the orchestra pit# when they went on stage. A third theory# less li.ely but 4uite interesting none the less# was recounted with some confidence by a member of the choir at a choral concert 3 attended recently in 1heffield. 3t relates to the old 0% practice of 8est Gallery singing. This was singing# literally from the west galleries of $nglish churches# by the common peasantry who weren&t allowed to sit in the higher status parts of the church. The theory was that the nobility were obliged to listen to the vernacular songs of the parishioners# often with lyrics that were critical of the ways of the gentry. 3t may help to pinpoint the origin to .now that the phrase appears to be mid )*th American in origin. The earliest citation 3 can find for the phrase is from The 6ew -ampshire 1tatesman R 1tate 5ournal# August )C,<: "8ill the editor of the Courier e7plain this blac. affair. 8e want no e4uivocation 2 &face the music& this time." A!most all other early citations are American. 1adly# none of them give the slightest clue as to the source# or reason for# the music being faced.

rinning like a Cheshire cat

Meaning Grinning broadly. Origin The origin of this is uncertain. Of course# we .now the phrase because of !ewis Carroll&s Alice&s Adventures in 8onderland# =published )C?+> and 5ohn Tenniel&s illustrations in it: &"lease would you tell me#& said Alice# a little timidly# for she was not 4uite sure whether it was good manners for her to spea. first# &why your cat grins li.e that'& &3t&s a Cheshire cat#& said the (uchess# &and that&s why. "igM& 1he said the last word with such sudden violence that Alice 4uite HumpedI but she saw in another moment that it was addressed to the baby# and not to her# so she too. courage# and went on again: &3 didn&t .now that Cheshire cats always grinnedI in fact# 3 didn&t .now that cats CO0!( grin.& &They all can#& said the (uchessI &and most of &em do.& 8e do .now that !ewis Carroll =The /everend Charles !utwidge (odgson> didn&t coin the phrase himself# as there are citations of it that pre2date his stories. 5ohn 8olcot# the poet and satirist# who wrote under the pseudonym of "eter "indar# included it in his 8or.s# published variously between )@@; and )C)* 2 "!oM li.e a Cheshire cat our court will grin". 8illiam Ma.epeace Thac.eray also used the description well before (odgson# in The 6ewcomesI memoirs of a most respectable family# )C+<T++: Mr. 6ewcome says to Mr. "endennis in his droll# humorous way# "That woman grins li.e a Cheshire cat." There&s no convincing e7planation of why Cheshire cats were imagined to grin. 3t seems li.ely that no one really believed that they actually did. 8e can ta.e the ne7t line in Thac.eray&s piece 2 "8ho was the naturalist who first discovered that peculiarity of the cats in Cheshire'"# to be sarcastic. The numerous fol.2etymology derivations that e7plain how !ewis Carroll came up with the idea have to be spurious# as we .now he didn&t. Alice&s Adventures in 8onderland has a long troupe of fantastical animals. 3t&s very li.ely that (odgson had heard of Cheshire cats being said to grin and adapted the idea into his story.

!ard cases make bad law

Meaning &-ard&# i.e. e7ceptional# legal cases aren&t suitable as the source of generalised laws. Origin 3n :ritish slang a &hard case& is a hardened criminalI a tough pugilist. 3t is 4uite reasonable to thin. that such characters wouldn&t be the ideal choice to draft legislation. Eortunately# they aren&t connected with this saying. &-ard cases ma.e bad law& isn&t so much a universal proverb as a legal adage. 3t came to light in a comment made by 5udge /obert /olf in the case of 8interbottom v 8right in )C<9: This is one of those unfortunate cases...in which# it is# no doubt# a hardship upon the plaintiff to be without a remedy but by that consideration we ought not to be influenced. -ard cases# it has fre4uently been observed# are apt to introduce bad law. The case re4uired a Hudgment on whether third parties are able to sue for inHury. The unusual nature of the case caused the Hudge to realise that# in the true sense of the e7pression# e7ceptions prove the rule and that# unfair as it might have appeared in some circumstances# the law was better drafted under the influence of the average case rather than the e7ceptional one. The point was made e7plicitly in )*;, by G. 1. !ean# in Collectanea: -ard cases ma.e bad law. i.e. lead to legislation for e7ceptions.

"f music be the food of love# play on

Meaning Orsino is as.ing for more music because he is frustrated in his courtship of Countess Olivia. -e muses that an e7cess of music might cure his obsession with love# in the way that eating too much remove&s one&s appetite for food. Music plays an important part in 1ha.espeare&s plays and is often used to carry the plot. 3t&s reasonable to surmise that he did believe it the be &the food of love&. Origin Erom 1ha.espeare&s Twelfth 6ight# )?;9: (0%$ O/136O: 3f music be the food of love# play onI Give me e7cess of it# that# surfeiting# The appetite may sic.en# and so die. That strain againM it had a dying fall:

O# it came o&er my ear li.e the sweet sound# That breathes upon a ban. of violets# 1tealing and giving odourM $noughI no more: &Tis not so sweet now as it was before. O spirit of loveM how 4uic. and fresh art thou# That# notwithstanding thy capacity /eceiveth as the sea# nought enters there# Of what validity and pitch soe&er# :ut falls into abatement and low price# $ven in a minute: so full of shapes is fancy That it alone is high fantastical.

$ump on the bandwagon

Meaning 5oin a growing movement in support of someone or something# often in an opportunist way# when that movement is seen to have become successful. Origin The word bandwagon was coined in the 01A in the mid )*th century# simply as the name for the wagon that carried a circus band. "hineas T. :arnum# the great showman and circus owner# used the term in )C++ in his unambiguously named autobiography The !ife of ".T. :arnum# 8ritten by -imself# )C++: "At Gic.sburg we sold all our land conveyances e7cepting four horses and the &band wagon&." :arnum didn&t coin &Hump on the bandwagon&# which came later# but he did have a hand in some other additions to the language. -e was nothing if not a publicist and# even though there is no definitive evidence of his inventing any new word or phrase# he certainly can be said to have made several of them popular. Eirstly# there are a couple of celebrated 4uotations: "There&s a suc.er born every minute." and "Jou may fool all the people some of the timeI you can even fool some of the people all the timeI but you can&t fool all of the people all the time." The O7ford (ictionary of Puotations lists those under their :arnum entry# along with the dictionary compiler&s favourite weasel words 2 "attributed to". There is considerable doubt that he said either of the above. :arnum&s ac4uaintances have claimed that the first would have been somewhat out of character for him# and Abraham !incoln is often confidently cited as the author of the second. Actually# the &some of the people& dictum isn&t found in print until )CC@ =some years after !incoln&s death and when :arnum was in his dotage># when it appears in print in several American newspapers# again guarded by vagaries li.e "!incoln once said".

Two other terms that we certainly can than. :arnum for popularising are &5umbo& and &1iamese twins&. 5umbo was a little2used slang term in :arnum&s day and was recorded in 5ohn :adcoc.&s 1lang. A dictionary of the turf# )C9,: "5umbo# a clumsy or unwieldly fellow." The word was coined as the the name of a giant elephant that was housed at !ondon Soo. 5umbo was sold to :arnum in )CC9 and e7hibited in his shows. 3t is via :arnum&s mar.eting Feal that the word became widely used as epitomising hugeness. The creature itself didn&t have much luc.. 3t died in )CC+ after being struc. by a train. 3ts heart was cut out and the torso was stuffed and mounted and continued to tour with :arnum&s circus. 3t was destroyed in a fire in )*@+ and now languishes as )< ounces of ash in a peanut butter Har. :arnum&s other contribution to the language is the term &1iamese twins&# which he applied to the &Hoined at the hip& brothers Chang and $ng :un.er. :ac. to the bandwagon. Circus wor.ers were s.illed at attracting the public with the raFFmataFF of a parade through town# complete with highly decorated bandwagons. 3n the late )*th century# politicians pic.ed up on this form of attracting a crowd and began using bandwagons when campaigning for office. The transition from the literal &Humping on a bandwagon&# in order to show one&s alliance to a politician# to the figurative use we .now now was complete by the )C*;s. Theodore =Teddy> /oosevelt made a clear2cut reference to the practice in his !etters# )C** =published )*+)>: "8hen 3 once became sure of one maHority they tumbled over each other to get aboard the band wagon."

%eep your chin up

Meaning /emain cheerful in a difficult situation. Origin This sounds li.e one of those rousing ma7ims that were drilled into the young of Gictorian $ngland 2 li.e .eep a stiff upper lip. "erhaps surprisingly# the phrase is American. The first use of it that 3 can find is from the "ennsylvania newspaper The $vening (emocrat# October )*;;# under the heading $pigrams 0pon the -ealth2giving Pualities of Mirth: "%eep your chin up. (on&t ta.e your troubles to bed with you 2 hang them on a chair with your trousers or drop them in a glass of water with your teeth." 2 Athey were easily amused in "ennsylvania in )*;;B.

&ess is more
Meaning The notion that simplicity and clarity lead to good design. Origin This is a )*th century proverbial phrase. 3t is first found in print in Andrea del 1arto# )C++# a poem by /obert :rowning: 8ho strive 2 you don&t .now how the others strive To paint a little thing li.e that you smeared Carelessly passing with your robes afloat#2 Jet do much less# so much less# 1omeone says# =3 .now his name# no matter> 2 so much lessM 8ell# less is more# !ucreFia. The phrase is often associated with the architect and furniture designer !udwig Mies Gan (er /ohe =)CC?2)*?*># one of the founders of modern architecture and a proponent of simplicity of style.

Mum's the word

Meaning %eep 4uiet 2 say nothing. Origin &Mum&s the word& has become a popular name for baby product shops and nursery services# but the &mum& in this phrase isn&t mother. 6or has &mum& anything to do with $gyptian mummies# despite their prolonged taciturn disposition. That &mummy& derives from &mum& being the name of the bitumen used for embalming. The &mum& of &mum&s the word& is &mmm& 2 the humming sound made with a closed mouth# indicating an unwillingness or inability to spea.. The word is of long standing in the language and first appeared in print in 8illiam !angland&s Middle $nglish narrative poem "iers "lowman# circa ),@?: Thou mightest beter meten the myst on Malverne hulles Then geten a mom of heore mouth til moneye weore schewedM That loosely translates as &Jou may as well try to measure the mist on the Malvern -ills as to try and get her to spea. without first offering payment&.

As old as "iers "lowman# and as central to $nglish fol.lore# is the tradition of mumming. 1adly# no complete te7ts of the mediaeval mummers& plays have been preserved. There was never a definitive version in any case# as the acting# dancing# drin.ing and alms collecting that made up mumming varied from one parish to another. 8e can&t be sure what mediaeval mumming plays were li.e# but a raucous mi7ture of pantomime# morris dancing and carol singing# played out by a group of biFarre characters in stylised fancy dress# is what has come down to us by oral tradition. 8hat we do .now is that &mumming&# or &miming& as it was sometimes called# derives from the word &mum&. $arly versions of mumming involved a parade of characters entering houses to dance or play games in silence# i.e. &miming&. More recently# the tradition has evolved to almost always include the character of a 4uac. doctor# who revives the hero =usually 1aint George> after his death in a fight with the Tur.ish %night =boo# hiss>. Although they mummed for all they were worth# the players didn&t use the phrase &mum&s the word&I that usage came later# in the )@th century. The earliest version of the phrase was &mum is counsel&# that is# &you are advised to say nothing&. That form of the phrase was used in 5ohn "alsgrave&s )+<; translation of the !atin te7t The Comedye of Acolastus: 3 dare not to do so moche as put my hande to my mouthe# and saye mum# is counseyle. Of course# we can&t e7amine a Tudor phrase without 1ha.espeare getting in on the act# and he used &mum& in -enry G3# "art 9# )+*9: "1eal up your lips and give no words but mum." &Mum&s the word& later became the standard way of advising a person to .eep 4uiet and the first citation of it in print that 3 have found is in A 8al. Around !ondon and 8estminster 2 The 8or.s of Mr. Thomas :rown# )@9;: :ut Mum&s the 8ord 2 for who would spea. their Mind among Tarrs and Commissioners.

My cup of tea
Meaning 1omething or someone that one finds pleasing. Origin An $nglish website about the $nglish language can&t of course be complete without some consideration of tea. Tea has been around for a long time# and so has the :ritish slang term for it 2 &char&. 3n fact# it was .nown in the west by that version of the Mandarin ch&a before it was called &tea&. The (utch adventurer 5an -uygen van !inschoten was one of the first to recount its use as a drin.# in (iscours of voyages into ye $aste R 8est 3ndies# )+*C:

The aforesaid warme water is made with the powder of a certaine hearbe called Chaa. &My cup of tea& is Hust one of the many tea2related phrases that are still in common use in the 0%# such as &6ot for all the tea in China&# &3 could murder a cup of tea&# &More tea vicar'&# &Tea and sympathy&# &/osie !ee&# &1torm in a teacup& and so on. 3n the early 9;th century# a &cup of tea& was such a synonym for acceptability that it became the name given to a favoured friend# especially one with a boisterous# life2enhancing nature. 8illiam de Morgan# the $dwardian artist and novelist# used the phrase in the novel 1omehow Good# )*;C# and went on to e7plain its meaning: "-e may be a bit hot2tempered and impulsive... otherwise# it&s simply impossible to help li.ing him." To which 1ally replied# borrowing an e7pression from Ann the housemaid# that Eenwic. was a cup of tea. 3t was metaphorical and descriptive of invigoration. "eople or things with which one felt an affinity began to be called &my cup of tea& in the )*,;s. 6ancy Mitford appears to be the first to record that term in print# in the comic novel Christmas "udding# )*,9: 3&m not at all sure 3 wouldn&t rather marry Aunt !oudie. 1he&s even more my cup of tea in many ways. 3n .eeping with the high regard for tea# most of the early references to &a cup of tea& as a description of an ac4uaintance are positive ones# i.e. &nice&# &good&# &strong& etc. The e7pression is more often used in the &not my cup of tea& form these days. This negative usage began in 8833. An early e7ample of it is found in -al :oyle&s !eaves Erom a 8ar Correspondent&s 6oteboo. column# which described $nglish life and manners for an American audience. The column provided the American counterpart to Alister Coo.e&s !etter from America and was syndicated in various 01 papers. 3n )*<<# he wrote: A3n $nglandB Jou don&t say someone gives you a pain in the nec.. Jou Hust remar. "-e&s not my cup of tea." The change from the earlier positive &my cup of tea& phrase# to the dismissive &not my cup of tea& doesn&t reflect the national taste for the drin. itself. Tea remains our cup of tea here in the 0%. According to the 0nited %ingdom Tea Council =of course# there had to be one> ?; million of us down )?; million cups of the stuff each day.

'key(dokey
Meaning O.ay. There are some late 9;th century alternative meanings# limited to the 01A# e.g. &absurd or ridiculous& and &to swindle or deceive&. Origin This little phrase is a variant of o.ay. 3t is 9;th century American and first appears in print in a )*,9 edition of American 1peech. There are several alternative spellings 2 o.ay2do.e# o.ey2do.e# o.ee2do.e# etc. 3n addition to these is the comic version that has brought the phrase bac. to popular attention in recent years 2 The 1impson&s 6ed Elanders& &o.ely2do.ely&. All of them are Hust a per.y reduplicated variants of o.ay# utiliFing that favourite device of two2 word phrases 2 rhyming. As a reduplication it is properly spelled with a hyphen# although it is often given without. !i.e o.ay# &o.ey2do.e& is used to indicate that all is well# e.g. &everything is o.ay here&# but may be used when responding positively to a re4uest. That is e7emplified in this piece from Colin Mac3nnes& boo. City of 1pades# )*+@: "One Guinness stout# right# 3 than. you# o.ey2do.e# here it is."

A picture is worth a thousand words

Meaning A picture tells a story Hust as well as a large amount of descriptive te7t. Origin This phrase emerged in the 01A in the early part of the 9;th century. 3ts introduction is widely attributed to Erederic. /. :arnard# who published a piece commending the effectiveness of graphics in advertising with the title "One loo. is worth a thousand words"# in "rinter&s 3n.# (ecember )*9). :arnard claimed the phrase&s source to be oriental by adding "so said a famous 5apanese philosopher# and he was right". "rinter&s 3n. printed another form of the phrase in March )*9@# this time suggesting a Chinese origin: "Chinese proverb. One picture is worth ten thousand words." The arbitrary escalation from &one thousand& to &ten thousand& and the switching from 5apan to China as the source leads us to smell a rat with this derivation. 3n fact# :arnard didn&t introduce

the phrase 2 his only contribution was the incorrect suggestion that the country of origin was 5apan or China. This has led to another popular belief about the phrase# i.e. that it was coined by Confucius. 3t might fit the Chinese2sounding &Confucius he say& style# but the Chinese derivation was pure invention. Many things had been thought to be &worth ten thousand words& well before pictures got in on the actI for e7ample: "One timely deed is worth ten thousand words" 2 The 8or.s of Mr. 5ames Thomson# )C;9. "That tear# good girl# is worth# ten thousand words" 2 The Trust: A Comedy# in Eive Acts# )C;C. "One fact well understood by observation# and well guided development# is worth a thousand times more than a thousand words" 2 The American 5ournal of $ducation# )C+C. The idea that a picture can convey what might ta.e many words to e7press was voiced by a character in 3van 1. Turgenev&s novel Eathers and 1ons# )C?9: "The drawing shows me at one glance what might be spread over ten pages in a boo.." A similar idea was seen very widely in the 01A from the early 9;th century# in adverts for (oan&s :ac.ache %idney "ills# which included a picture of a man holding his bac. and the te7t "$very picture tells a story". 6either of the above led directly to &a picture is worth a thousand words&. 8ho it was that married &worth ten thousand words& with &picture& isn&t .nown# but we do .now that the phrase is American in origin. 3t began to be used 4uite fre4uently in the 01 press from around the )*9;s onward. The earliest e7ample 3 can find is from the te7t of an instructional tal. given by the newspaper editor Arthur :risbane to the 1yracuse Advertising Men&s Club# in March )*)): "0se a picture. 3t&s worth a thousand words." This little essay cloc.s in at <@) words. "erhaps 3 should have drawn half a picture instead'

)ueer *treet
Meaning An imaginary street where people in difficulty live. Origin This slang term was recorded in )C)) in an updated version of Grose&s (ictionary of the Gulgar Tongue# titled !e7icon :alatronicum: A (ictionary of :uc.ish 1lang# 0niversity 8it# and "ic.poc.et $lo4uence:

P0$$/ 1T/$$T. 8rong. 3mproper. Contrary to one&s wish. 3t is 4ueer street# a cant phrase# to signify that it is wrong or different to our wish. The phrase is often associated with debtors# although not e7clusively so. Pueer 1treet may have been imaginary but it where it was imagined to be was certainly !ondon. :y )C9) the term had found its way into "ierce $gan&s /eal life in !ondon: "!imping :illy was also evidently in 4ueer2street." Of course# the phrase was coined long before the )*9;s when &4ueer& was first used as a synonym for &homose7ual&.

+ing down the curtain

Meaning :ring something to an end. Origin The original and literal meaning of this phrase was &to lower or close the stage curtain at the end of a theatrical performance&. Could this phrase Hust be a corruption of &bring down the curtain&' 3t seems not. This term derives from the practice of ringing a bell to signal the time to close the curtains. The similarity between &ring& and &bring& is Hust coincidence. Curtains were also &rung up& and this practice remains well2.nown to theatre2goers as &the bell& which is rung to signal that a play is soon to begin or resume after an interval. The earliest citation 3 can find for the phrase is from the celebrated $nglish actor (avid Garric.# in his )@@9 farce A "eep :ehind the Curtain: ""ray be so good as to ring down the curtain# that we may rehearse in form." The figurative use# which Hust refers to the end of something# began use in the early 9;th centuryI for e7ample# this piece from 1heila %aye21mith&s biography 5ohn Galsworthy: "Thus the curtain rings down on 3rene Eorsyte# crushed under the heel of prosperity."

*acred cow
Meaning 1omething too highly regarded to be open to criticism or curtailment. Origin This term is an allusion to the -indu reverence for cows. The first use in $nglish that 3 have found of the term &sacred cow& as a description of the recipient of that long2standing -indu veneration is in an American newspaper from the )C+;s. This is a reprint of a letter that was sent by 8ady 5ahed# an 3ndian emigre# living in 5anesville# 8isconsin# to The Calcutta Times. Mr 5ahed sent the letter on the&)@th day of the ?th Moon& and The 5anesville Eree "ress printed it in 5anuary )C+<: To the most eminent %aali /amon# -igh :rahmin# at :enares# 3ndia. The religion of the -indoo is now well established here# but 3 find many things to correct. Eor instance the grain which they bring as an offering to the goddess :havani# which they pronounce brewery# they wor. up into a li4uor which they drin. in honor of the gods# instead of feeding it to the sacred bulls and cowsI they also eat the flesh of animals# and do other vile things. %iss the sacred cow for me# and may (oorgha bless you at all times. Erom your 1lave# 8A(J 5A-$(. 3t seems he was right to 4uestion the lac. of .nowledge of sacred cows in the 01A at the time. 1everal other 01 newspapers refer to them in the late )*th century and variously describe them as coming from 3ndia# Tibet and &Muhammedan lands&. The figurative use of the term &sacred cow&# to refer to a proHect or process that is immune from tampering# is American in origin and also dates from the late )*th century. A piece in The 6ew Jor. -erald# in March )C*;# uses a simile that comes close to that metaphorical use: "8hile the great ditch may be regarded as one of the commercial diversities of the commonwealth# to worship it as a sort of sacred cow is not necessarily a wor. of true statesmanship." 3n 1eptember )*;* The Galveston (aily 6ews went a little further and referred to a proHect that was a &sacred cow&# rather than merely being li.e one: "They understand Mr. :ryan&s position to be one of antagonism to the contention that raw material is a &sacred cow#& immune from tariff reform# ever to be upon the dutiable list and in conse4uence enHoying the blessings of incidental protection."

*peak of the ,evil

Meaning A reference to someone who appears une7pectedly while being tal.ed about. Origin This phrase is used to ac.nowledge the coincidence of someone arriving at a scene Hust at the time that they are being tal.ed about. Clearly# nothing sinister is implied by this and it is Hust a Ho.ey way of referring to the person&s appearance. 3n fact# many people using the phrase might not be aware that# prior to the 9;th century# the term wasn&t meant lightheartedly at all. The full form goes li.e this 2 "spea. of the (evil and he will appear". The phrase originated in $ngland# where it was# and still is# more often given as &tal. of the (evil&. The phrase is old and appears in various !atin and Old $nglish te7ts from the )?th century. The 3talian writer Giovanni Torriano has the first recorded version in contemporary $nglish# in "iaFFa 0niversale# )???: "The $nglish say# Tal. of the (evil# and he&s presently at your elbow." Also# in &Cataplus# a moc. "oem&# )?@9 2 re2printed in -aFlitt&s "roverbs "Tal. of the (evil# and see his horns." These both imply that the term was widely .nown by the mid2)@th century. 3t enshrined the superstitious belief that it was dangerous to mention the (evil by name. This prohibition was strong# li.e the prohibition on spea.ing the name of God. The numerous synonyms for the (evil 2 Old 6ic.# "rince of (ar.ness# the -orned One etc. are no doubt a conse4uence of this. "eople may not have believed that the mention of the (evil would cause him to actually appear. 1ha.espeare# for e7ample# uses the term 4uite often. 3n The Comedy or $rrors: "Marry# he must have a long spoon that must eat with the devil." 6evertheless# an open reference to the (evil or the occult was considered# at the very least# unluc.y and best avoided. This belief was reinforced by the clergy. /ichard Chenevi7 Trench# (ean of 8estminster# )C+?2?,# wrote: "&Tal. of the devil and he is bound to appear& contains a very needful warning against curiosity about evil." The original phrase began to lose its power during the )*th century. :y then it began to appear as a homily warning against eavesdropping# as here from the 1tevens "oint 5ournal# 8isconsin# Eebruary )C*9: "6o good of himself does a listener hear#

1pea. of the devil he&s sure to appear" The migration away from anything sinister# or even serious# continued when the phrase was ta.en up as an OFFy Osbourne album title. The record company did hold with literary tradition though# by issuing it as &Tal. of the (evil& in the 0%.

-p to snuff
Meaning 3nitially# the phrase meant &sharp and in the .now&I more recently# &up to the re4uired standard&. Origin &0p to snuff& originated in the early )*th century. 3n )C))# the $nglish playwright 5ohn "oole wrote -amlet Travestie# a parody of 1ha.espeare# in the style of (octor 5ohnson and George 1teevens# which included the e7pression. "-e .nows well enough The game we&re after: Soo.s# he&s up to snuff." R "-e is up to snuff# i.e. he is the .nowing one." A slightly later citation of the phrase# in Grose&s (ictionary# )C9,# lists it as &up to snuff and a pinch above it&# and defines the term as &flash&. This clearly shows the derivation to be from &snuff&# the powdered tobacco that had become fashionable to inhale in the late )@th century. The phrase derives from the stimulating effect of ta.ing snuff. The association of the phrase with sharpness of mind was enhanced by the fashionability and high cost of snuff and by the elaborate decorative bo7es that it was .ept in. The later meaning of &up to standard&# in the same sense as &up to scratch& =see also: &start from scratch&> began to be used around the turn of the 9;th century.

.ear the trousers

Meaning :e in charge. Origin To be &wearing the trousers& is to be the dominant member of a household. 3n the days that this phrase was coined that person was normally e7pected to be the husband and father. The only reason to employ the phrase at all was to relate it to a woman# with the implication that the normal order had been overturned and that a woman was dominant over her husband.

The phrase was .nown in the 01A from the late )*th century. 3t probably originated there as printed reference to it elsewhere don&t appear until well into the 9;th century. The Manitoba (aily Eree "ress used the term in 6ovember )CC;# in an article about the domestic life of 8hite 3ndians and their s4uaws 2 who we would now call 6ative Americans: "The s4uaws are very beautiful and are as fond of ornaments as 3ndian women usually are. The women are called ladies and they sometimes wear the trousers or boss the white 3ndians# their husbands."

/ou can lead a horse to water# but you can't make it drink
Meaning "eople# li.e horses# will only do what they have a mind to do. Origin "roverbs give richness to language and# to some e7tent# define a culture. &Jou can lead a horse to water# but you can&t ma.e it drin.& might be thought to encapsulate the $nglish2spea.ing people&s mindset better than any other saying# as it appears to be the oldest $nglish proverb that is still in regular use today. 3t was recorded as early as ))@+ in Old $nglish -omilies: -wa is thet mei thet hors wettrien the him self nule drin.en Awho can give water to the horse that will not drin. of its own accord'B There are other pretenders to the throne of the oldest $nglish proverbI for e7ample: A friend in need is a friend indeed. =mid ))th century in $nglishI +th century :C in Gree.> 8hen the blind lead the blind# both shall fall into the ditch. =late *th century in $nglishI :ible# !u.e Chapter ?> 8hilst the above were spo.en in $nglish earlier than &lead a horse to water...&# they derive from either a Gree. or :iblical source and so can&t claim to be the &full $nglish&. $ither that or# li.e the ))th century proverb &full cup# steady hand&# they haven&t stood the test of time. The proverb &lead a horse to water& has been in continuous use since the )9th century. 5ohn -eywood listed it in the influential glossary A (ialogue Conteinyng the 6omber in $ffect of all the "rouerbes in the $nglishe Tongue: "A man maie well bring a horse to the water# :ut he can not ma.e him drin.e without he will." 3t also appeared in literature over the centuries in a variety of formsI for e7ample# in the play 6arcissus# which was published in )?;9# of un.nown authorship# subtitled as A Twelfe 6ight merriment# played by youths of the parish at the College of 1aint 5ohn the :aptist in O7ford:

Jour parents have done what they coode# They can but bringe horse to the water brin.e# :ut horse may choose whether that horse will drin.e. 3t wasn&t until the 9;th century that &lead a horse to water...& got a substantial rewrite# when (orothy "ar.er rewor.ed it from its proverbial form into the epigram &you can lead a horticulture# but you can&t ma.e her thin.&.