ESL Blogs

Phraseology can be defined as the way a particular group of people uses words or phrases. In linguistics, phraseology can be defined as the study of set or fixed expressions, i.e. idioms, and phrasal verbs, which are collectively referred to as phrasemes, in which the major wording of the expression takes on another deeper meaning that would not have been predictable if the words were used independently. These are some of the English phraseologies and the stories behind them.

1. Pull someone’s leg

This idiom simply implies to joke or fool around with someone. When this joke first came to use, it was on a completely different platform. Originally, it was used by thieves to trap pedestrians and rob them. The thieves used to work in groups and one of them would be assigned the role of tripping up pedestrians and use any possible means to knock the person to the ground and rob them. Nowadays, the jokes are used on a friendlier note, even though some jokes may not be that friendly.

2. Kick the bucket

This idiom has a dark origin. In the 1900’s a person used to commit suicide by hanging himself. He used to stand on a bucket and then kick it away, thus the phrase. It does not necessarily mean that someone has committed suicide, it simply implies that one has died.

3. Hat trick

Hat trick originated from the English game of cricket. Originally, it referred to a bowler retiring three consecutive batsmen with three consecutive balls. It was considered quite an accomplishment and was traditionally rewarded with a hat. Nowadays the term is used for other sports, especially football and hockey, to refer to three goals scored by a single player.

4. Break a Leg

The phrase was first recorded in the early 1900’s during World War I. The term was coined from a similar expression used by German actors; Hals und Beinbruchh, (which means a broken neck and broken leg).  This term is used in cases for reverse psychology. During this time, it was considered bad luck to wish your friends good luck in case you awaken the spirits to cause harm. Break a leg therefore became an accepted expression of good luck.

5. Face the music

This phrase means to accept the truth or consequences for an action, often negative, i.e. when you fail to achieve a set target in your lob it may lead to you losing the job. This term was coined from the British military. When someone was summoned to the court, often, there would be a military drum squad playing, hence this term.

6. Raining cats and dogs

This phrase was first recorded in 1851 in Henry Vaughan’s poet collection ‘Olor Iscanus’. Just as the origin of language itself is a mystery, there has been various speculation to this phrase’s origin ranging from medieval superstition to Norse mythology. It is a simple term to mean that it is raining heavily. The term originated from England in the 1500’s when houses had thatched roofs consisting of straw piled high with no wood underneath. During old seasons, this was the only place an animal could get warm apart from the fireplace. Small animals such as cats would seek warmth in the roofs and sometimes a dog would wind up in the roof. When it rained really hard, some of the animals would wash up the roof and wash up on the street. Hence the term to mean it’s raining heavily.

7. Back to square one

This means lets go back, start afresh or start again by going back to the original point, often though reluctantly. This phrase was coined from the BBC’s old method of dividing the soccer pitch for commentary purposes before the era of TV in January 1927 from the phrase, ‘squaring up for the cup’.

8. Bark up the wrong tree

This idiom was first printed in 1833 in a book written by Davy Crockett. During this time, hunting raccoons for fur was a popular sport. Hunting dogs were used to sniff them out of trees. Because raccoons are nocturnal animals, hunting had to be done at night and sometimes the dogs would lead them to the wrong trees hence the term. This idiom simply means that one has pursued the wrong choice or course.

9. A piece of cake

This one sounds pretty familiar to all of us. It signifies that something is easy and can be managed with no difficulties. This one is self-explanatory. Eating a piece of cake is something basic that comes naturally to anybody. It’s not something difficult really. The first time this quote was used was in the 1930s, when American poet Ogden Nash was quoted saying that ‘Life’s a piece of cake’.

10.  Straight from the Horse’s Mouth

We have all heard this phrase and we know that it means the whole truth that you cannot contest. However, the origin of this phrase is odd since we know that horses do not talk. In the olden days, horses were a prized commodity. They were a source of prestige and a means of transportation. There were also dishonest people who tried to sell horses of less breed or quality at a higher price. They would lie about the horse’s age to attract higher cash. However, anyone who knew about breeding horses could simply look at the size and shape of the teeth to determine the real age of the horse, this way finding out the truth. Hence the phrase.

Honestly speaking, it is interesting to find out the source of phrases that we often use daily. They might be confusing, but they make English fun to learn and the lessons and college paper writing sites become much more enjoyable. Next time you hear an interesting phrase, I suggest you look up its meaning and you will be surprised by what you find.

About the author: Patrick Cole is an entrepreneur and freelancer. He is also a contributing blogger for several websites. Patrick loves self-education and rock music. Connect with Patrick via Facebook, Google+.