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What’s in a Phrase?
Common Idioms we use but How Did They Come About?
I had this article in mind a while ago but with one thing or another, it went on the back burner especially as my Medium colleagues keep creating great writing prompts.
Often in life and also when writing we use common day-to-day phrases. We all know what they mean but where did they originate.? One day it got my warped brain thinking about some of the strange phrases we use and investigating how they came about.
When I worked for a US IT firm, some of our beloved cousins across the pond used to love using these sorts of phrases. In the same meeting I heard, that’s not even in my ballpark and let’s run it up the flagpole. I had no idea where the latter came from. I assumed it was something to do with boats or the Navy. Apparently, it was associated with agencies in New York and with men in grey flannel suits. As usual with most IT ideas, the flag came down very quickly.
My Dad once called me a philistine. I laughed but I had no idea what he meant at the time. I hope he was joking! Of course, we all know this comes from the Bible and that they were regarded as a warlike, crude, and aggressive race. I don’t believe I have ever called someone a philistine and don’t know whether it is politically correct anymore so will move on quickly.
