This English expressions is relatively commonly used. Despite initial impressions given by this expression it does not relate to “fat” or to the act of eating in any way. If you want to find out more about its origin and learn what it does mean then keep reading!
Meaning
The expression is used to denote the act of chatting without having a particular purpose in mind. It relates to the idea of chatting idly, or chit-chatting, and wasting time in doing so.
Etymology
It is suggested that the expression originates from the times when after a meal the guests and hosts would retire to the living room in order to chat and literally chew any fat which was left over from the meal. Another suggestion has nautical connotations and relates to sailors who would often eat salted beef and pork on their journeys. The fat on these meats would harden and therefore the sailors would commonly complain that life at sea was hard due to the fact they were obliged to literally “chew the fat.”
The expression has a number of variants and very commonly the phrase “chew the cud” is used. The first usage of this expression can be found in Henry Fielding’s 1749 novel The History of Tom Jones which reads “having left her a little while to chew the cud, if I may use that expression, on these first tidings.”
Example
An example of this expression can be found in a quote from comic book writer, Erik Larson, which reads “I’m an overgrown fan so it’s always fun to hang out with my fellow fans and chew the fat.”
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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 commonly used. Despite the fact that it started as a literal expression it has evolved over time and is now much more frequently used in a metaphorical sense.
Meaning
This expression is used in order to denote the act of doing something spontaneously. It suggests the act of deciding what to do in an impromptu manner rather than having everything pre-planned.
Etymology
The expression was first used in a less metaphorical context in the music world. At this time it was used to denote the playing of music without using printed notation. This use dates back to 1839 in an edition of The Edinburgh Review which reads “Miss Austen is like one who plays by ear, while Miss Martineau understands the science.”
The use of the expression in a context not related to music can be traced to the United States in the early 20th century. The first recorded use dates to the year 1934 in The Coshocton Tribune which reads “before going further in this direction, perhaps I can believe that awful suspense by stating that I am reliably informed today that the Brooklyn Dodgers, otherwise the daffiness boys, otherwise the young men who play by ear, are for sale.”
Example
An example of this expression in use can be found in a quote by the author Joan Didion. She is quoted to have said “grammar is a piano I play 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...
This English expression is not used as much now as it was in the past but it still constitutes an important part of the English language. If you want to find out more then keep reading!
Meaning
This expression is used in order to denote that something is definitely dead. It should only be employed when there is no ambiguity regarding the death. The idea behind it is that dodos have been extinct for such a long time that they are all certainly dead and therefore if something is described as “dead as a dodo” then there is no question regarding the death.
Etymology
The widespread use of this phrase came about after Lewis Carroll used a dodo as one of the characters in his novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in 1865. In his novel he did not use the phrase “as dead as a dodo,” but it is still suggested that using a dodo as a character sparked the use of the phrase itself.
A similar phrase, “as rare as a dodo,” was used in the 1860’s and 70’s but it is not until 1891 in the Bangor Daily Whig And Courier that the first use of the phrase with the word “dead” is found. It reads “after the next general election Mr. Parnell will have only four followers. Except as a private member of Parliament he is as dead as a dodo.”
Example
An example of this expression can be found in a quote from the actress Joan Fontaine. She is quoted to have said “marriage, as an institution, is as dead as the dodo bird.”
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...
This is a commonly used expression which was first used by Shakespeare. If you would like to find out more about it then keep reading!
Meaning
The expression is used to express the idea of something disappearing without a trace. The word “vanish” is sometimes replaced with “disappear.” This does not change the meaning of the expression.
Etymology
The phrase was first alluded to in 1604 by Shakespeare in his play Othello. It reads “Clown: Then put up your pipes in your bag, for I’ll away. Go; vanish into air; away!” It was in another of his plays The Tempest in 1610 that the exact phrase “thin air” was first used. We find this in a line by Prospero which reads “these our actors, as I foretold you, were all spirits and are melted into air, into thin air.”
This idea of “thin air” has been used frequently since the 17th century and it is certain that this idea was coined by Shakespeare. However, Shakespeare never used the exact expression “vanish into thin air.” This expression was first used in an article The Edinburgh Advertiser in April 1822 which reads “the latest communications make these visions vanish into thin air.”
Example
An example of the expression can be found in a quote by American writer Dale Carnegie. He is quoted to have said “I’ve found that worry and irritation vanish into thin air the moment I open my mind to the many blessings I possess.”
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...
