Origin of the Phrase Throw in the Towel: Boxing History
Have you ever reached the absolute limit of your endurance on a difficult project? You...
Idioms & Phrases
Origin of the Phrase Barking Up the Wrong Tree: Frontier History
Have you ever accused someone of making an incorrect assumption? You probably told them they...
Origin of the Phrase Steal Someone’s Thunder: True 1709 History
Few social blunders sting quite like having someone steal your thunder. You spend weeks polishing...
Origin of the Phrase Blood Is Thicker Than Water: True History
Few proverbs trigger as much heated debate in the modern era as this one. You...
Origin of the Phrase Flash in the Pan: True History & Myths
Discover how a seventeenth century musket misfire evolved into the perfect modern idiom for short lived success.
Origin of the Phrase Across the Board: True History
Learn how an early 1900s horse racing bet became a common corporate idiom today.
Origin of the Phrase Golden Handshake: Corporate History
Discover the true origin of the phrase golden handshake.
Origin of the Phrase Passing With Flying Colors
Discover how a 17th-century naval battle tradition evolved into the modern idiom for academic success.
Origin of the Phrase Bury the Hatchet: Peacemaking History
Discover the true historical origin of the phrase bury the hatchet.
Origin of the Phrase Read Between the Lines: Spycraft Origin
Discover the literal origin of the phrase read between the lines and learn how 16th-century spycraft and invisible ink shaped…