An idiom is a popular word or phrase whose meaning can’t be understood from the literal definition of its individual words and instead relies on shared cultural understanding. Many of us use idioms every day without knowing where they came from, so here are the origin of a few favorites.
The expression “showing your true colors” originates from naval tradition where, at sea, a ship’s national flag was called its “colors.” Warships and pirates often sailed under “false colors,” flying a friendly flag to approach a target without raising alarm. Right before attacking, the ship would hoist its actual flag and “show its true colors.” Today, the metaphor describes someone who hides their real personality or intentions behind a friendly face, only to reveal their true character in a moment of conflict.
The phrase “bury the hatchet” means to resolve a dispute or conflict. Leaders of warring Native American tribes, notably the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, would literally bury a war hatchet together to signify the war was over.
The phrase “pull out all the stops” means to go all out when doing something. It refers to the design of a pipe organ, a large instrument whose “stops” are knobs that restrict the volume of the instrument. Pulling out all the stops lets the organist play as loudly as possible.
To feel “under the weather,” means to feel unwell. It is often traced to 19th-century maritime slang, when sailors or passengers who felt seasick went below deck to escape rough conditions, placing them “under the weather.”
When a person uses “cut to the chase” in a conversation, they mean to skip straight to the point without wasting time on unimportant details. Originally, the phrase comes from the 1920s silent film era where many film culminated in an exciting chase scene. To cut to the chase was to skip the setup and jump to the action.
The phrase “riding shotgun” translates to sitting in the passenger seat of a car. It comes from the American wild west era, where an armed guard typically sat beside a stagecoach driver to protect valuable cargo from bandits. This guard carried a shotgun and kept lookout.
From boxing, the phrase “up to scratch” refers to something that successfully meets the required expectations or standards of quality. It comes from 18th-century bare-knuckle boxing in England where a line or “scratch” was drawn in the dirt or sand at the center of the ring. At the beginning of each new round, or after a knockdown, both fighters had to place their feet directly on this scratched line. If a boxer was too injured or dazed to make it to the line, he did not come “up to scratch” and was deemed unfit to continue, resulting in a loss.
Ultimately, idioms are constantly phasing in and out of popular vocabulary and represent fun ways to express ideas.