This English idiom is commonly used as a metaphor. Surprisingly it is actually a positive statement although you would be forgiven for thinking otherwise!
Meaning
This expression is used in order to wish someone good luck in something. It can relate to acting as it was originally intended to do but it is now also commonly used before exams, interviews or any important event.
Etymology
The first recorded usage of this expression is said to date back to the acting world in Great Britain in the 1920s. It is suggested that it originated as a superstitious ritual among actors and actresses. The idea of “breaking a leg” was never meant in a literal sense rather it is believed that the idea of “breaking” was related to the act of being exciting, energetic and giving a good performance.
The first written record of the idiom also dates to the 1920s in a 1921 edition of The New Statesman. In this Robert Wilson Lynd wrote “you should say something insulting such as, may you break your leg!.”
Example
An example of the usage of this expression can be found in the 1939 work A Peculiar Treasure by Edna Ferber. In this she writes “and all the understudies sitting in the back row politely wishing the various principals would break a leg”.
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Should I be pleased to be described as “the laughing stock?”
publié le 4 June
Have you ever been described as "the laughing stock?" Do you want to know if this is a compliment or not? If this is the case then keep reading and th...
What does it mean if something happens at “the eleventh hour?”
publié le 2 June
The English idiom, "at the eleventh hour" is often used in conversation. It can seem rather confusing if you do not have prior knowledge of what it me...
This English expression is very commonly used, particularly in general day-to-day conversation. If you want to find out when and how to use it, read t...
The English idiom “a wild goose chase” is commonly used in a metaphorical sense and does not, as one may initially imagine, relate to geese or animals in any way whatsoever.
Meaning
The idiom is used to denote a search or quest for something which is hopeless. It is commonly used to suggest that something is likely to be fruitless and that there is little point in undertaking it.
Etymology
This phrase was first coined in Shakespearean language and the first recorded usage can be found in the 1592 play Romeo and Juliet when Mercutio proclaims “nay, if thy wits run the wild-goose chase, I have done, for thou hast more of the wild-goose in one of thy wits than, I am sure, I have in my whole five.”
It is widely agreed that the idea behind the expression derives from the fact that geese are notoriously difficult to chase. Thus the idea of “a wild goose chase” alludes to the fact that the search will be extremely difficult and most likely doomed to fail.
Example
An example of the usage of this expression can be found in a quote by the American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne. He is quoted to have said “happiness in this world, when it comes, comes incidentally. Make it the object of pursuit, and it leads us a wild-goose chase, and is never attained. Follow some other object, and very possibly we may find that we have caught happiness without dreaming of it.”
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Should I be pleased to be described as “the laughing stock?”
publié le 4 June
Have you ever been described as "the laughing stock?" Do you want to know if this is a compliment or not? If this is the case then keep reading and th...
What does it mean if something happens at “the eleventh hour?”
publié le 2 June
The English idiom, "at the eleventh hour" is often used in conversation. It can seem rather confusing if you do not have prior knowledge of what it me...
This English expression is very commonly used, particularly in general day-to-day conversation. If you want to find out when and how to use it, read t...
This is an English expression which was used most frequently in the 1960’s and was directed at children in the majority of cases. It is still used but with much less frequency.
Meaning
The expression is used to ask someone why they are being so quiet. It is often used when a question has been asked to someone and they are not providing an answer or when someone is uncharacteristically quiet. In the latter case it is often preceded by the expression “what’s the matter.”
Etymology
The first instance of the expression in written language dates to the year 1881 in Volume 53 of a Us publication, Ballou’s Monthly Magazine. It reads “has the cat got your tongue, as the children say?” It is suggested that the phrase dates back much further than this but as it is used mainly in spoken language there are no records to confirm this.
The origins of this expression have not been confirmed although it is suggested by many that it is linked with the custom in the Middle East which was to punish those who lied by cutting their tongue out and then feed them to the king’s cats.
Example
An example of this expression in use can be found in a quote from the 2007 film Live Free or Die Hard. In this film the character Thomas Gabriel asks McClane “what’s the matter- cat got your tongue?”
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Should I be pleased to be described as “the laughing stock?”
publié le 4 June
Have you ever been described as "the laughing stock?" Do you want to know if this is a compliment or not? If this is the case then keep reading and th...
What does it mean if something happens at “the eleventh hour?”
publié le 2 June
The English idiom, "at the eleventh hour" is often used in conversation. It can seem rather confusing if you do not have prior knowledge of what it me...
This English expression is very commonly used, particularly in general day-to-day conversation. If you want to find out when and how to use it, read t...
This English expression is used very commonly in spoken language. It is generally used in fairly informal circumstances.
Meaning
The expression is used to suggest that instead of having a plan in advance the course of action will depend upon the circumstances at the time. It is used to suggest the idea of spontaneity and that a course of action or plan will be devised on the spot or as you go along.
Etymology
It is suggested that the expression has a musical origin and dates back to the 16th century. At the time “to play by ear” was used simply in the literal sense of playing a piece of music without a piece of music with reference notes to follow. It was not until the 20th century when the expression was first used not just in relation to music but as a more abstract concept.
At this time it was used in the United States and particularly related to sport. Nowadays the expression can be used in relation to anything although it has not been established when the first instance of its usage in this way was.
Example
An example of this expression in use can be found in an interview by the BBC which took place following the terrorist attacks in Paris in November 2015 with the rock band Stiff Little Fingers. The interview centred around the fact that the band were booked to play a gig in Paris the following week and one of the members is quoted to have said “Obviously, we hope people will come out, but equally you couldn’t blame people for being a bit nervous, so we just have to play it by ear.”
Ne ratez pas
Should I be pleased to be described as “the laughing stock?”
publié le 4 June
Have you ever been described as "the laughing stock?" Do you want to know if this is a compliment or not? If this is the case then keep reading and th...
What does it mean if something happens at “the eleventh hour?”
publié le 2 June
The English idiom, "at the eleventh hour" is often used in conversation. It can seem rather confusing if you do not have prior knowledge of what it me...
This English expression is very commonly used, particularly in general day-to-day conversation. If you want to find out when and how to use it, read t...