A closer look at cliches

Ever wondered how a phrase or cliché was first made? A leopard cannot change its spots, All's well that ends well, Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. During my writing course I've come across a few of these and it got me thinking and wondering who thought of them and why have they stuck? So I thought I'd find out the origins and meanings of some my favourite and most popular phrases and cliches.

Straight from the horses mouth
Meaning - From the highest authority
Origin -In horse racing circles tips on which horse is a likely winner circulate amongst punters. The most trusted authorities are considered to be those in closest touch with the recent form of the horse, i.e. stable lads, trainers etc. The notional 'from the horse's mouth' is supposed to indicate one step better than even that inner circle, i.e. the horse itself.

Wild goose chase
Meaning - A hopeless quest
Origin - The earlier meaning related to horse racing. A 'wild goose chase' was a chase in which horses followed a lead horse at a set distance, mimicking wild geese flying in formation.

Jump the gun
Meaning - Beginning something before before preparations for it are complete
Origin - Derives from track and field races and was preceded in the USA by the phrase 'beat the gun' (or pistol). This has been known from the early 20th century.

Loose cannon
Meaning - An unpredictable person or thing
Origin -  From the 17th century to the 19th century, wooden warships carried cannon as their primary offensive weapons. In order to avoid damage from their enormous recoil when fired they were mounted on rollers and secured with rope. A loose cannon was just what it sounds like, that is, a cannon that had become free of its restraints and was rolling dangerously about the deck.

On Cloud Nine
Meaning - In a state of blissful happiness
Origin - A commonly heard explanation is that the expression originated as one of the classifications of cloud which were defined by the US Weather Bureau in the 1950s, in which 'Cloud Nine' denotes the fluffy cumulonimbus type that are considered so attractive. Another explanation is that the phrase derives from Buddhism and that Cloud Nine is one of the stages of the progress to enlightenment of a Bodhisattva (one destined to become a Buddha).

A square meal
Meaning - a substantial meal
Origin -  It is frequently repeated, by tour guides and the like, that the expression 'a square meal' originated from the Royal Navy practice of serving meals on square wooden plates. Such plates did exist so that is a plausible story, but there's no other evidence to support it. The word square has many meanings, including 'proper, honest, straightforward', and that's the meaning in 'square meal'. This isn't a rectilinear meal on right-angled crockery, but a good and satisfying meal.

Spill the beans
Meaning - To divulge a secret
Origin - The derivation of this expression is said to be a voting system used in ancient Greece. The story goes that white beans indicated positive votes and black beans negative. Votes had to be unanimous, so if the collector 'spilled the beans' before the vote was complete and a black bean was seen, the vote was halted

Take the cake
Meaning - Carry off the honours
Origin - It is widely supposed that this phrase originated with cake-walk strutting competitions, which were commonplace in the black community of the southern USA in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In those, couples would be judged on their style in the 'cake-walk'. The winners were said to have 'taken the cake', which was often the prize.

On the wagon
Meaning - Abstaining from alcohol
Origin - Suggested explanations of the origin of 'on the wagon' focus on actual wagons that were used to transport people; for example, condemned prisoners who had taken their last drink in this life and were transported to the gallows by wagon.

The bees knees
Meaning - Excellent
Origin -  Bees carry pollen back to the hive in sacs on their legs. Hence the phrases alludes to the concentration of goodness about the bees knees.


All meanings and origins of the phrases above were taken from
 http://www.phrases.org.uk