Something as simple as saying “bless you” when someone sneezes may seem trivial, but I’d bet you didn’t know this tradition dates back to the Black Plague. Yup, back then it was even thought by Pope Gregory that saying a short prayer over someone’s sneeze might keep them alive. Interestingly, many idioms we use in everyday conversation have very dark origins, here are 15 of them.
1. “Meet a deadline”
Today, we think of meeting a deadline as completing something on schedule. However, this idiom has a sinister backstory. This term originates from an actual line drawn on the ground. During the Civil War, there was a Confederate prison that had an actual “dead-line,” beyond which anyone daring to step foot would be shot dead.
2. “Riding shotgun”
If you’re not driving, the best seat in the house is “shotgun,” but this term actually comes from the days of stagecoaches. Stagecoach robbery was common in those times, so a man would sit next to the driver wielding a shotgun to ward off any robbers or bandits.
3. “Wash hands of”
To wash your hands of someone or something means you no longer want to be involved, or won’t take the blame for a situation. This phrase dates back to biblical times—all the way back to Pontius Pilate who literally washed his hands before condemning Jesus to death.
4. “Pulling someone’s leg”
Pulling someone’s leg usually means teasing or making a joke about them. But in the old days in London, thieves had a not-so-sneaky way to rob someone of their belongings. First, they would pull their victim by the leg, dragging them down the street before collecting the loot.
5. “Crocodile tears”
We think crocodile tears belong to someone who isn’t actually sad or remorseful at all. In medieval times, this phrase referred to the popular myth that crocodiles actually feel sadness for their prey and would weep while devouring it.
6. “A baker’s dozen”
Most of us think a baker’s dozen is just a bonus item, but this phrase also has medieval origins. In those times, sold bread had to be a specific weight, and if the baker gave the customer any less than this, he was to face serious consequences. So, it was safer to just throw an extra in.
7. “Mad as a hatter”
He wasn’t just a character in “Alice in Wonderland,” in the 18th and 19th centuries hatters were actually people who were slowly driven mad by mental deterioration. The cause? The mercury used in the hat-making process was actually poisoning them little by little.
8. “Saved by the Bell”
Back in the day, people would sometimes party too hard and would be wrongfully pronounced dead. After many became paranoid about being buried alive, they started the tradition of being buried with a string inside the coffin that was attached to a bell above ground. They could ring the bell and be “saved by the bell” which we still use to mean something like “saved just in time.”
9. “Wreak Havoc”
These days, we use this phrase to describe out-of-control destruction. In war times, havoc would be shouted at French soldiers when it was time to spring into action. And by action, I mean pillaging and plundering.
10. “Bulldozing”
We all know that person who takes over the whole conversation, seemingly “bulldozing” the others involved. Thankfully this idiom no longer means what it used to. Appearing as early as 1876, bulldoze meant to beat, lash, or whip someone in a brutal way.
11. “Bite the bullet”
If you are forced to bite the bullet, it means you have to do something you don’t want to do. But on the battlefield, soldiers might need to literally bite down on a bullet while undergoing a crude amputation or surgery.
12. “Highway Robbery”
This idiom means something is way too expensive like the seller is robbing you. Or, in its original meaning dating all the way back to 1611, this phrase referred to thieves that literally targeted and robbed people as they went down the highway.
13. “Letting the cat out of the bag”
Have you ever let the cat out of the bag by saying something you weren’t supposed to? This one’s origins are interesting and refer to buying animals at the market. If you had a shady dealer, you might get home with your bag only to realize they had switched out your expensive pig for a very inexpensive cat.
14. “SNAFU”
We’ve all had those moments where we just messed up. When something has gone terribly wrong, you might call it a SNAFU. This acronym dates back to a WWII acronym meaning “Situation Normal, All Fouled Up.”
15. “Taken Aback”
To be taken aback usually means to be taken off-guard or by surprise. You might be taken aback that your spouse took out the trash without being asked, or when someone asks you a really personal question. The phrase is originally nautical in origin, meaning a strong wind that flattens the sail.
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