What’s up? Cat got your tongue?
These phrases are examples of idioms. An idiom is a phrase where the literal meaning is not the same as the actual meaning.
According to the International Journal of Applied Linguistics, there are around 10,000 idioms in the English language.
Idioms are a difficult part of learning a language since you need to learn the multiple meanings words take on. It’s not enough to learn a word on it’s own, you need to understand the meaning when you add other words around it.
According to Oxford languages, the term idiom comes from the French ‘idiome’ or Latin “idioma” which means private property or peculiar phraseology.
When using these phrases people are able to specify a certain meaning or emotion that plain phrases just don’t convey. They are like a spoken form of imagery that only a writer would use otherwise.
Most of the time idioms come from media, books, or references to large events.
There is no rule to decipher the meaning of all idioms you come across. The best way is to ask a native speaker or search online when you see one. There are entire sections in language learning materials dedicated to idioms since it’s a tricky subject.
Idioms are similar to metaphors but not the same. A metaphor is a comparison and aren’t “fixed”. You can always create your own metaphors. Idioms are phrases that have cultural significance and are used by many.
For the rest of this post let’s take a look at some idioms and their origins
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it”.
Meaning: About to tell someone unpleasant news, speaking bluntly or rudely
Origin: From the book Catcher in the Rye
“Close but no cigar”
Meaning: To fall short of a successful outcome
Origin: Long ago, American fairgrounds would give cigars as prizes. So if you just barely lose a game, you would get close but not win a cigar.
“Out of Touch”
Meaning: People who don’t understand current trends or aren’t in contact with you and don’t know about your life.
Origin: Made popular by the song “Out of Touch” (1984) by Daryl Hall and John Oates. The song is about people who aren’t connected any more.
“Meet a deadline”
Meaning: To finish a task on time
Origin: The phrase first appeared during the American Civil War (1861-1865). A line would be drawn from the inside wall where prisoners of war were kept. The line was a boundary for prisoner and was called
a deadline because any person who crossed it would be shot.
“Steal someone’s thunder”
Meaning: To take credit for someone else’s work or to take attention away from someone else.
Origin: In the early 1700’s playwriter John Dennis found a way to replicate the sound of thunder in his plays. After his play failed and was cancelled he found out
his thunder replication method was stolen and used in a production of Macbeth. Dennis the famously said “Damn them! They will not let my play run, but they steal my thunder”.
“Gaslighting”
Meaning: A form of manipulation where one person makes another question their own sanity
Origin: The 1944 film Gaslight gave the word this meaning. The phrase started as “giving someone the gaslight treatment” and then evolved to “gaslighting” in the 1960s.
“The ball is in your court”
Meaning: It’s your turn to do something.
Origin: In tennis when the ball is in your court, you have to take an action!
“Cat’s out of the bag”
Meaning: When someone discovers a lie.
Origin: In the 18th century it was common to sell things in bags, so placing a cat in a bag was a way to pretend to sell things that are more valuable.
Supposedly.
“The whole nine yards”
Meaning: Using everything you got or doing everything you can.
Origin: The origin of this is debated but I found that it it could be from World War II when pilots had nine yards of ammunition belts.
Giving the whole nine yards meant using all of their ammunition.
Here are some more idioms with their meanings, but not their origin:
“Break a leg”
Meaning: Telling someone good luck or to do the best they can.
“Don’t cry over spilled milk”
Meaning: Don’t bother worrying or being sad about something that’s already happened.
“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”
Meaning: Don’t take all your chances on one thing.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it”
Meaning: We’ll deal with that problem later.
“Barking up the wrong tree”
Meaning: Looking for answers at the wrong place, to be mistaken or fooled
“Break the ice” or “Icebreakers”
Meaning: Make people feel comfortable, ease tension
“Go on a wild goose chase”
Meaning: Doing something useless or pointless
“Kill two birds with one stone”
Meaning: Doing things efficiently, getting multiple things done with one action
“You can’t have your cake and eat it too”.
Meaning: You can’t do it all or have everything. This usually refers to people who are being unfair, hypocritical and greedy.
“Get wind of something”
Meaning: Hear something you’re not supposed to, get an idea of something that was previously a secret
“Let sleeping dogs lie”
Meaning: Leave something or an issue alone, don’t talk about it