I'll be a "son of a gun," is that where that phrase came from. I was always fascinated at some of the phrases
we say and how they originated. through reading books on useless knowledge I was able to trace quite a few
odd beginnings of words and phrases. So don't get "caught flat footed" and "bone up" on a few phrases and
tell of their beginnings.

Son Of A Gun....A euphemism for the much stronger son of a b***h  and dates back to the early1800's.
                      but this expression has it's roots in the British Navy. In the 1800's, women were sometimes
                      able to accompany their husbands at sea. It applied to boys born at sea, and as one Admiral
                      declared, "He literally was thus cradled, under the breast of a gun - carriage.

Caught Flat Footed....This phrase traces back to the reign of Queen Anne, where it was applied to horses left at
                              the line after the start of the race. Later, this term was used to describe a runner not on his
                              toes and left at the mark when the foot race began, and eventually generalized to mean anyone
                              asleep at the switch.

Bone Up On....Bones were once used to polish shoes, and some scholars have attempted to link such bones to the
                    expression but bones probably have nothing to do with this term. It was first used in the 1860's by
                    collegians, and they apparently first spelled the bone in the phrase "Bohn,"  probably referring to the
                    Bohn translations of the classics that they used for studying. British scholar Henry George Bohn (1796 - 1884)
                    was the author and publisher of many books, including the "Classic Library."

Goodbye: This word derives from the words "God be With You," it's first recorded use in a 1573
                 letter. Earlier forms of God be with you were; God be wy you, Godbwye, God bwy ye,
                 good-b'wy. Why then is good instead of God in the current expression? probably because,
                 most etymologist agree, the new world's formation was influenced by the expression
                 "Good day."

Tootle-oo!: Good-bye, see you later. The saying is British, dating back to about 1905. It may derived
                  from a cockney corruption of the French "a tout a l'huere," "see you soon." The word
                  has some American humorous usage and is sometimes heard as "Toodleoo."

If you stay, I'll learn Latin.  Latin's kinda hard yet useful.  So what do you say, is it a bribe deal?

of course there is the "bless you" or "God bless you"  when a person sneezes, and that made for a very funny scene on a Seinfeld episode

-When someone sneezes his heart stops and saying "God bless you" means "I'm glad your heart started again."

-Saying "God bless you" when you sneeze keeps the devil from flying down your throat.

-When someone sneezes, say "God bless you and may the devil miss you."

-When you sneeze your soul tries to escape and saying "God bless you" crams it back in (said by Millhouse in an episode of The Simpsons).

---------------------------------
taken from STRAIGHTDOPE website

The custom of saying "God bless you" after a sneeze was begun literally as a blessing. Pope Gregory the Great (540-604 AD) ascended to the Papacy just in time for the start of the plague (his successor succumbed to it). Gregory (who also invented the ever-popular Gregorian chant) called for litanies, processions and unceasing prayer for God's help and intercession. Columns marched through the streets chanting, "Kyrie Eleison" (Greek for "Lord have mercy"). When someone sneezed, they were immediately blessed ("God bless you!") in the hope that they would not subsequently develop the plague. All that prayer apparently worked, judging by how quickly the plague of 590 AD diminished.

The connection of sneezing to the plague is not the first association of sneezing with death. According to Man, Myth, and Magic: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Mythology, Religion and the Unknown, many cultures, even some in Europe, believe that sneezing expels the soul--the "breath of life"--from the body.  That doesn't seem too far-fetched when you realize that sneezing can send tiny particles speeding out of your nose at up to 100 miles per hour!

If you stay, I'll learn Latin.  Latin's kinda hard yet useful.  So what do you say, is it a bribe deal?


Doc: In vino veritas.

Ringo: Age quod agis.

Doc: Credat Judaeus Apella, non ego.

Ringo: Iuventus stultorum magister.

Doc: In pace requiescat.

Doc: That's Latin, darlin'! It appears Mr. Ringo is an educated man. Now I really hate him.....Tombstone

Deal, I was humbled by my son and shown the errors of my ways, that doesn't mean I'm not corrupt enough
to accept a bribe.  ;)

Eat Humble Pie: An expression probably born as a pun. The humble in this pie has nothing to do with
                          the word Humble,"lowly," which is a form of Latin "Humilis -- low or slight."  Umbles
                          or numbles (from the Latin -- Lumbulus or little loin") were the innards -- the heart,
                          liver, and entrails -- of a deer often made into pie. When the Lord of a manor and
                          his guest dined on venison, the menials ate umble pie made from the innards of the
                          deer. Anyone who ate umble pie was therefore in a position of inferiority -- he or she
                          was humbled -- and some anonymous punster in the time of William The Conqueror,
                          realizing this, changed "umble Pie" to "humble pie." The pun; all more effective because
                          in several British dialect, especially cockney, the H is silent and humble is pronounced
                          umble anyway. So the play upon words gave us the common expression "to eat humble
                          pie, meaning to suffer humiliation, to apologize, or to abase oneself.

Up The Creek: Up the creek means a bad predicament, on the spot, behind the eight ball.
                        Sometimes the expression is up salt creek, or even s**t creek --- often
                        without a paddle. The expression goes back about 100 years and was
                        probably first up salt creek, if we were to judge by the popular 1884
                        political campaign song "Blaine Up Salt Creek." A salt creek is a creek
                        leading through the salt marsh or marshland to the ocean and best explains
                        the phrase, for it is very easy to get stuck in one end, without a paddle, a
                        boatman would have no way to get out. The excremental version conveys
                        the same idea, but makes the situation even worse.

Alabama: The Cotton State, the 22 state, took it's name Alabama when admitted to the union in
                1819. Alabama is from the choctaw, "alba ayamule," which means "I open the thicket,"
                that is, "I am one who works the land, harvest food from it."

Alaska: 49th State, called Seward's folly,Seward's Icebox, Seward's Iceberg, Icerbergia, and Walrussia.
              These were epithets for the 600,000 sq. mi. now known as Alaska. William Henry Seward
              orchestrated the purchase of Alaska from the Russians in 1867 for 7.2 million dollars. Seward
              himself named the new territory Alaska, from the Aleut A-La-Sa-Ka, "The great country."

Arizona: The 48th State, admitted to the union in 1912, is nicknamed "The Grand Canyon State."
                Arizona derives from the Papago Indian word Arizonac, "The place of the small spring."

Arkansas: Originally spelled "Arkansaw, the 25th State, nicknamed "The Wonder state," was admitted
                To the union in 1925. Arkansas is the Sioux word for "Land of the wind people."

Once in a Blue Moon  According to old folklore, the second full Moon in a calendar month is called a "blue Moon." That explains that this is the origin of the expression "once in a blue Moon." But it isn't true! The term "blue Moon" has been around a long time, well over 400 years, but its calendrical meaning has become widespread only in the last 20 years. In fact, the very earliest uses of the term were like saying the Moon is made of green cheese. An obvious absurdity. 

The concept that a blue Moon was absurd (the first meaning) led eventually to a second meaning, that of "never." The statement "I'll marry you, m'lady, when the Moon is blue!" would not have been taken as a betrothal in the 18th century.

But there are also historical examples of the Moon actually turning blue. That's the third meaning — the Moon appearing blue in the sky. When the Indonesian volcano Krakatoa exploded in 1883, its dust turned sunsets green and the Moon blue all around the world for the best part of two years. In 1927, the Indian monsoons were late arriving and the extra-long dry season blew up enough dust for a blue Moon. And Moons in northeastern North America turned blue in 1951 when huge forest fires in western Canada threw smoke particles up into the sky.

So, by the mid-19th century, it was clear that visibly blue Moons, though rare, did happen from time to time — whence the phrase "once in a blue Moon." It meant then exactly what it means today, a fairly infrequent event, not quite regular enough to pinpoint. That's meaning number four, and today it is still the main one.

^ Good one Mike, I was hoping someone else would post things here. Who says these boards can't
be educational.  ;D

California: Lexicographers aren't positive about the origin of California, but the state may be named
                after a woman named Califia in an old Spanish romance, Califia ruling over an island called
                California. On the other hand, other etymologist insist that California is a Catalan word meaning
                "Hot Oven" --- a story that's not good for the tourist trade.

Colorado: Colorado was the Colorado Territory before it was admitted to the union in 1876 as our
                38th State. "The Centennial State" takes it's name Colorado from the Spanish colorado, "red
                land," or "red earth."

Connecticut: "The Nutmeg State," the fifth to enter the union, in 1788, takes it's from the Mohegan
                Indian "Quinnitukqut," or " at the long tidal river," in reference to the state's location on what
                is now the Connecticut River.

Delaware: "The Diamond State," the first state in the union commemorates English soldier Thomas
                West, Baron De La Warr (1577 - 1618), who in 1609 was appointed the first Governor of Virginia
                by the Virginia Company. Delaware Bay Was named for Lord DE La Warr by Sir Samuel Argail. Both
                Delaware and the Delaware Indians derive their names from this body of water.

I always thought that the term Gold digger (used to describe a person who uses charm to get money or gifts from others.) went back to the Goldrush but somewhere I heard it was a term used to describe people who would dig up the dead and remove gold teeth...Since you seem to be very knowledgeable on the subject, do you know which is correct?

I always thought that the term Gold digger (used to describe a person who uses charm to get money or gifts from others.) went back to the Goldrush but somewhere I heard it was a term used to describe people who would dig up the dead and remove gold teeth...Since you seem to be very knowledgeable on the subject, do you know which is correct?


I thought it said  . . .see Anna Nicole Smith. ::)

I always thought that the term Gold digger (used to describe a person who uses charm to get money or gifts from others.) went back to the Goldrush but somewhere I heard it was a term used to describe people who would dig up the dead and remove gold teeth...Since you seem to be very knowledgeable on the subject, do you know which is correct?


According to my source, The Facts On File Encyclopedia Of Word And Phrase Origins, Third edition:

Gold Digger: Long before Gold Digger meant a mercenary woman, a use first recorded in 1915, Anna Nicole,
                    It signified a miner in California gold fields such as Jackass Gulf, Puke Ravine, Greenhorn Canyon, and
                    Rattlesnake Bar. In fact, the term "gold digger," for a miner, is recorded in 1830 during America's first
                    gold rush, which took place in Northern Georgia. It was gold diggers of the most mercenary kind that
                    a humorous Western song referred to in on of it's verses:

                      The miners came in '49
                      The whores in '51
                      And when they got together
                      They produced a native son

Florida: "The Sunshine State" was the Florida Territory before being admitted to the union as the
            27th state in 1845. Florida means "Land Of Flowers" in Spanish, Ponce De Leon naming it
            in 1513 with "Flowery Easter" in mind.

Georgia: Georgia was named for George II of England (1683-1760). Discovered by Hernando De Soto
              in 1540, it became the last of the original 13 colonies in 1732 when a British charter was
              granted for the establishment of "the colony of Georgia in America."

Hawaii: Hawaii is from "Owykee" or "Hawaeki," which means homeland in the native language.
            Our 50th state, admitted to the union in 1959, was previously known as the Sandwich
            Islands and is nicknamed "The Aloha State."

Idaho: Idaho may be the only state name that is a complete fraud, it's name may mean nothing
            at all. Many sources derive the word Idaho from the Shoshonean Indian word meaning
            "gem of the mountain," but the Idaho Historical Society claims there never was any such
            Indian word and that Idaho and it's translation was a phony creation of a mining lobbyist
            who suggested it to Congress as the name for the territory  we now know as Colorado.
            Congress rejected the name, but it caught on among gold prospectors along the Columbia
            River, and when it was proposed in 1863 as the name for what we know today as Idaho,
            Congress approved it and the Idaho Territory was born. The origin of the word may be
            Shoshonean, however, though it don't mean "gem of the mountain." or "Behold! The
            sun is coming over the mountain," as another writer suggested. Idaho residents, in fact,
            ought to forget about the real Shoshone word that Idaho may have derived from, for that
            word would be Idahi, a Kiowa curse for the Comanches that translates roughly as " eaters
            of feces," "Performers of unnatural acts," "Sources of foul odors," etc.

There's also the wholly British phrase of Cor! Blimey, which some people mistakenly believe is some kind of 'rhyming slang'...not so!

It's actually a corruption of 'God blind me!' to denote surprise...

Just In The Nick Of Time: Up until the 18th century, both time and transactions were commonly
                                        recorded by scoring a notches, or nicks, on a stick called a "Tally."
                                      These nicks account for the nick in the common expression "Just
                                        in the nick of time," meaning, "not a second to soon."

Nickname: Nickname, first recorded in 1440, derives from an earlier Old English word "ekename,"
                meaning, "extra name." Sloppy pronunciation of the words eventually turned ekename
                into a "nekename" and finally a "Nickname."