The JoeMendoza Educational Channel | Idiomatic Expressions

[+ MysticMenace]

I had to take English as a Second Language (ESL) when I arrived in the US because well, it was decided for me. I really did not learn anything new from it, but I wished I was taught American idiomatic expressions in ESL. Idiomatic expressions may have been ingrained naturally for some of you, but was wondering if there are some expressions that you have heard of but may still be unclear about what they mean. If you happen to know the context or background for why and how certain idiomatic expressions were formed, would greatly appreciate that information too!

[Guest]

Are there specific ones you are curious about?

[+ MysticMenace]

here's a few to start:

• don't be such a wet blanket
  
• jump the shark
  
• for the birds
  
• bought the farm
  
• shoot the breeze
  

I have actually used these terms before, but curious how these expressions were started:

• under the weather
  
• spill the beans / tea
  
• knock on wood
  
• take a rain check
  

probably not an idiomatic expression, but where did the term eggcorn come from?

Edited February 24, 2021 by JoeMendoza

[+ RJD]

here's a few to start:

• don't be such a wet blanket
  
• jump the shark
  
• for the birds
  
• bought the farm
  
• shoot the breeze
  

 

Jump the shark originates from an episode of Happy Days when Fonzie literally waterskied over a shark. The show had pretty much run out of steam and they were grasping at straws for story ideas at that point. Since then, it’s been used whenever anything has passed its “expiration date.”

 

[+ sync]

here's a few to start:

• don't be such a wet blanket
  
• jump the shark
  
• for the birds
  
• bought the farm
  
• shoot the breeze
  

I have actually used these terms before, but curious how these expressions were started:

• under the weather
  
• spill the beans / tea
  
• knock on wood
  
• take a rain check
  

probably not an idiomatic expression, but where did the term eggcorn come from?

Following are a sampling of sources of origins that I have been able to find. I hope they are helpful:

 

wet blanket. A person who discourages enjoyment or enthusiasm, as in Don't be such a wet blanket—the carnival will be fun! This expression alludes to smothering a fire with a wet blanket. [ Early 1800s] The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company .

 

 

The phrase was coined in the US military during World War II. The original phrase included a swear word, talking about birds pecking at horse manure for seeds. That's for the birds hit its peak in popularity around the 1960s. It was used more often within the United States.

 

grammarist.com › words › for-the-birds

 

Question: What is meant by the phrase “bought the farm”? Answer: It comes from a 1950s-era Air Force term meaning “to crash” or “to be killed in action,” and refers to the desire of many wartime pilots to stop flying, return home, buy a farm, and live peaceably ever after.

www.almanac.com › Advice › Question of the Day

 

en.wiktionary.org › wiki › shoot_the_breeze

A slang phrase, alluding to talking into the wind, it was first recorded in 1919. In the variant, first recorded in 1908, bull is used instead of breeze, and means "empty talk" or "lies."

 

"Under the Weather" Meaning unwell or feeling worse than usual, the term under the weather is a nautical term from the days of old sailing ships. Any sailor who was feeling ill would be sent below deck to protect him from the weather.

 

www.grammar-monster.com › sayings_proverbs › under_...

 

Spill the Beans: Origin and Meaning

It is believed that this phrase originated in ancient Greece, where people cast secret votes by putting white or black beans in a jar (a white bean indicated a positive vote and a black bean was negative). ... “Come on, spill the beans!

www.bloomsbury-international.com

 

Where does the expression “spill the tea” come from ...

The expression appears to have originated in American black drag culture: It appears that T, also spelled tea, had a double-edged meaning in black drag culture. It could refer to a hidden truth, as Chablis uses it, and it could also refer to someone else's hidden truth—that is, gossip: Straight life must be so boring.

english.stackexchange.com

 

Knock on wood

Some say it began with pre-Christian or pagan traditions where gods and good spirits were thought to live inside trees. People laid their hands on a tree for luck, or to ask the tree spirit for a favour. Many ancient cultures revered trees, from the Druids with their oaks, to the Scandinavians with their ash, the Siberians with their birch, and the Chinese with their peach tree.

 

Some claim touch wood comes from touching the Christian Cross, particularly in the Middle Ages when there was a roaring trade in relics and the parts of The True Cross. Those lucky or wealthy enough to own a piece touched their relic for safety and protection.

 

Others claim the practice comes from the persecution of Jews during the Spanish Inquisition. Synagogues were built from wood, and the community developed a secret system of coded knocks to allow access to people seeking sanctuary.

 

Others argue that touching wood comes from superstitious sailors, who knocked on their decks of their ships for luck against heavy seas.

 

Or perhaps the knocking was done in the name of health and safety, as miners knocked on the supportive rafters inside their mines to ensure they weren’t rotten.

 

Most recently, there are arguments that the practice comes from a playground game called “Tiggy Touch Wood”. This is a type of tag or chasing game where the player was immune if they touched wood or a tree.

 

Travelling outside of the English speaking world, there are other variants on the practice of touching wood. In Turkey, you pull one earlobe and knock on wood twice for luck. But in Italy, the expression is ‘touch iron’ whenever you are tempting fate.

 

Take a Rain Check: Origin and Meaning

This idiom originated in America in the 1800s. If a baseball game was cancelled due to bad weather, the spectators were given a 'raincheck' (a voucher) which meant that they could go back and watch another game. “Do you mind if I take a rain check on dinner next week? Tom is taking me on a surprise trip.”

www.bloomsbury-international.com › idiom-of-the-week

 

Eggcorn Meaning and Examples

www.merriam-webster.com › words-at-play › eggcorn-...They're kind of egg-shaped, and they are the metaphorical eggs from which new oak trees hatch—hence, eggcorn. The term was coined by linguist Geoffrey Pullum on the Language Log blog back in 2003, and it's been increasingly used in the years since.

[Rudynate]

here's a few to start:

• don't be such a wet blanket
  
• jump the shark
  
• for the birds
  
• bought the farm
  
• shoot the breeze
  

I have actually used these terms before, but curious how these expressions were started:

• under the weather
  
• spill the beans / tea
  
• knock on wood
  
• take a rain check
  

probably not an idiomatic expression, but where did the term eggcorn come from?

 

 

"Take a rain check" refers to when an outdoor event, such as a sports event, is postposed due to rain.