Evolution of phrases

[crazycanuck]

Have you ever pondered where certain phrases orginated?

Why do we say "A pregnant pause" ??? Who came up with it? Can it also mean an agonizingly long pause?

yes yes i know..I'm having a wierd evening & am now wondering about phrases..


Are there any that you wonder about?

[alpinerabbit]

because it is loaded / impregnated with the expression of some unspoken meaning. Am I just stating the obvious here?

[berkeley]

According to wikipedia:


pregnant pause (plural pregnant pauses)

1. A pause that gives the impression that it will be followed by something significant.

[gnat23]

Hah, funny you should bring this up! I just noticed this morning that my mint plant was attempting to flower, which I'm told you're not supposed to let happen, so I, uhm, "nipped it in the bud".

Then laughed at myself.

-- gnat!

[melissam]

Gnat, that's too funny! Of course you probably know that the phrase has evolved to "nip it in the butt" in some circles.

One of my favorites is:

"Have your cake and eat it too." Um, yeah, why would you want cake if you can't eat it?

- Melissa

[rij73]

Having an ax to grind: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/174000.html
Being as mad as a hatter: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-mad2.htm

Those two are really interesting. I love looking up the origins of weird expressions!

[RolliePollie]

I remember once as a kid we were hauling in groceries and my mom said "don't carry a lazy man's load." I'd never heard this before and I thought she was saying I was lazy for not carrying enough bags. By the time I got in the house lugging about 4 heavy grocery sacks, I was in tears. My mom asked me what was wrong and I told her I was trying to bring in all the bags at once so she wouldn't call me lazy. She got a good laugh out of that and then explained to me what the phrase meant.

[Zen]

I remember once as a kid we were hauling in groceries and my mom said "don't carry a lazy man's load." I'd never heard this before...

I've never heard that before you put it out there. I would have thought the same thing.

[crazycanuck]

In the West Australian(paper) they have a "do you know" column & the following two appeared today..

Why are pretzels shaped like they are?

Why do pics from the moon show no stars in the sky?

[shootingstar]

I'm trying to think of Canadianisms..but right now my brain is thinking of some slang Chinese phrases.

For instance until I was adult, I didn't pay attention to the literal translation of 'bra' in my Chinese dialect: it translates as "fish net". Yea, 2 fish jumping around metaphor.

I don't even know a more proper, civil Chinese word for bra 'cause I used this slang in ordinary conversation...at home my whole life.

Another clueless moment.

[crazycanuck]

Another hmmm i've always wondered about. Why is it that with some idioms we don't change a particular word with the local one..

For example..

Why don't Aussies/Kiwis say " coming out of the wardrobe" rather than "coming out of the closet?"

Just another thought on a friday afternoon..

[shootingstar]

For example..

Why don't Aussies/Kiwis say " coming out of the wardrobe" rather than "coming out of the closet?"

Just another thought on a friday afternoon..

Aussie/Kiwis at least make it sound like a fashion statement.