WHERE DID THESE WEIRD SAYINGS COME FROM?

[ReedeFox]

There are so many bizarre sayings out there, but where the heck did they originate from? Here are some of the most popular sayings and how they came about.

Bite the bullet
In the old days, when doctors were short on anesthesia or time during a battle, they would ask the patient to bite down on a bullet to distract from the pain. The first recorded use of the phrase was in 1891 in The Light that Failed.



Break the ice
Back when road transportation was not developed, ships would be the only transportation and means of trade. At times, the ships would get stuck during the winter because of ice formation. The receiving country would send small ships to “break the ice” to clear a way for the trade ships. This gesture showed affiliation and understanding between two territories.



Butter someone up
This was a customary religious act in ancient India. The devout would throw butter balls at the statues of their gods to seek favour and forgiveness.



Mad as a hatter
Believe it or now, it didn’t originate from Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland. It's origins date from the 17th and 18th centuries — well before Lewis Caroll’s book was published. In 17th century France, poisoning occurred among hat makers who used mercury for the hat felt. The “Mad Hatter Disease” was marked by shyness, irritability, and tremors that would make the person appear “mad.”



Cat got your tongue?
The English Navy used to use a whip called “Cat-o’-nine-tails” for flogging. The pain was so severe that it caused the victim to stay quiet for a long time. Another possible source could be from ancient Egypt, where liars’ and blasphemers’ tongues were cut out and fed to the cats.



Turn a blind eye
The British Naval hero, Admiral Horatio Nelson, had one blind eye. Once when the British forces signaled for him to stop attacking a fleet of Danish ships, he held up a telescope to his blind eye and said, “I do not see the signal.” He attacked, nevertheless, and was victorious.



Bury the hatchet
This one dates back to the early times in North America when the Puritans were in conflict with the Native Americans. When negotiating peace, the Native Americans would bury all their hatchets, knives, clubs, and tomahawks. Weapons literally were buried and made inaccessible.



Caught red-handed
This originates from an old English law that ordered any person to be punished for butchering an animal that wasn’t his own. The only way the person could be convicted is if he was caught with the animal’s blood still on his hands.



Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater
In the early 1500s, people only bathed once a year. Not only that, but they also bathed in the same water without changing it. The adult males would bath first, then the females, leaving the children and babies to go last. By the time the babies got in, the water was clouded with filth. The poor mothers had to take extra care that their babies were not thrown out with the bathwater.



Give a cold shoulder
In medieval England, it was customary to give a guest a cold piece of meat from the shoulder of mutton, pork, or beef chop when the host felt it was time for the guest to leave. This was a polite way to communicate, “You may leave, now.”



Go the whole nine yards
During World War II, the fighter pilots were equipped with nine yards of ammunition. When they ran out, it meant that they had tried their best at fighting off the target with the entirety of their ammunition.



Let one’s hair down
In public, the aristocratic women of medieval times were obliged to appear in elegant hair-dos that were usually pulled up. The only time they would “let their hair down” was when they came home and relaxed.

[FantasticMR]

Could you help me in sourcing the origins of 'One up the bum, no harm done.' please?

[confusedCoyote]

There are so many bizarre sayings out there, but where the heck did they originate from? Here are some of the most popular sayings and how they came about.

Go the whole nine yards
During World War II, the fighter pilots were equipped with nine yards of ammunition. When they ran out, it meant that they had tried their best at fighting off the target with the entirety of their ammunition.

Hate to say this but that's a false etymology. The OED has this as the phrase's origin:
"1855 New Albany (Indiana) Daily Ledger 30 Jan. 1/4 ‘The Judge's Big Shirt’... What a silly, stupid woman! I told her to get just enough to make three shirts; instead of making three, she has put the whole nine yards into one shirt!"

The one I love is the Dog's Bollocks.

Meaning "the very best, the acme of excellence"
This has come from printing. "a colon followed by a dash ( :- ), regarded as forming a shape resembling the male sexual organs" and it only came into use in 1949!

[ReedeFox]

Could you help me in sourcing the origins of 'One up the bum, no harm done.' please?

That would be Chris Finch from The Office.

[FantasticMR]

Could you help me in sourcing the origins of 'One up the bum, no harm done.' please?

That would be Chris Finch from The Office.

Well I knew that but what is the reasoning behind it? I have often found that ladies in particular do find that there is indeed some harm done with one up the bum but this saying is contrary to my experience.

[ReedeFox]

I look into this for you FMR, although I do believe that considerable damage can be caused from 'one up the bum'