An idiom is a word or phrase that has a figurative meaning, not a literal one, for a local population.  Idioms are one reason why our American English Language is so difficult for foreigners to learn. For example, a person learning the language may know the definition of the word “off” and the word “cuff”. However, knowing those definitions will give a person no clue as to what the phrase, “off the cuff” means.

The question that I have with idioms is not What do the mean? My problem is How did they come to mean that?

Ever wonder where some of these idioms comes from? To me, it’s fun and it’s interesting.

Ready for a few?
Here goes:

Dead as a doornail.

How could a nail be dead when it was never alive? And why pick on doornails in particular? Well, way back when, nails were all handmade and very expensive.  So, when an old structure was demolished, the nails were gathered up and saved to be used again.

However, when building a door, carpenters would drive the nail through the wood and then bend the spiked end over so that it couldn’t work its way out during repeated openings and closings of the door. So, when it came time to recycle the nails, the doornails, which were all bent and unable to be driven again, were considered “dead.”

Sitting in the catbird seat

Mocking birds are often called cat birds. When mocking birds come in for a landing in a tree, they typically choose the top branches for their perches.  Thus, the cat bird seat is the highest and most coveted place available.

Living high on the hog.

The best meat of a pig is on the upper part the critter’s body.  Richer folks could afford the better cuts of pork, while the less fortunate souls made due with pig’s feet, chitterlings, cracklings, all fro the lower part of the body.  So, if  you were wealthy, you were probably living high on the hog.

More to come