Q and A - Your Questions Answered

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Q: Christine says, "If we don't believe something we're told, why do we say it's far-fetched?"

A: This expression, from the 1500s, literally means 'brought from a long distance away' -- it has been 'fetched from afar.' As such, it is unfamiliar and immediately suspect. It's something that has been brought into the argument from (as we would say) out of left field -- something possibly quite irrelevant and therefore suspect.

Q: Meaghan wants to know where the expression 'won't have a bar of that' comes from -- what 'bar' is being referred to here?

A: It seems to come from music. A 'bar' is a very short section of music. When you say 'I won't have a bar of it' you're saying that you won't put up with even a few notes of that tune you're playing. 'Bar' used in this way is a bit of Australia slang, recorded from the early years of the 20th century. 

Q: John writes in to grizzle that there are some politicians he would like to 'turf out' -- and then asks where this verb 'to turf out' comes from.

A: This comes from English public-school slang. So, there was a time when you could be 'turfed out' of Eton or Rugby -- meaning 'to be thrown out on the turf.' It first appeared in print in 1888 in a story by Rudyard Kipling. Included in that school slang use was the notion that 'to turf' someone meant to kick them.

Q: Aileen asks why we call our little finger our 'pinkie.'

A: It seems to come from a Scottish dialect word. Jonathan Green suggests that originally in Scottish your fingers could (collectively) referred to as 'your pinkies.' It's first recorded in a Scottish dialect dictionary in 1808.  From this it settled on meaning only the little finger.  Michael Quinion says it derives from a much older sense of pinkie for something tiny. This adjective came into Scots from Dutch. How the word travelled from Dutch through Scottish into the colloquial language of both Australians and Americans is one of those mysteries that language is composed of.

Q: Barry wants to know where the phrase 'a slip of the tongue' comes from?

A: A long time ago, is where it comes from! It means, as you know, saying something by accident when you intended to say something else.' It started as the even older expression 'a slip of the pen' around 1659. This arose when a chap writing to his lady love at the end of his letter instead of writing "With Love" wrote "Within Love". He later explained this as a 'slip of the pen' -- and the expression entered the language. A little later (around 1725) 'a slip of the tongue' was coined as an extension of the phrase from written to spoken English.

Q: Grant asks about the word 'reckless' -- asking what is 'reck' and is it possible to be 'reckful'?

A: There was, in Old English the verb 'to reck' (it seems to have come from a Germanic source in the very early days of English). The verb meant 'to take care, to be thoughtful.' So 'given reck' was giving care and consideration. In fact, there is an etymological connection with our familiar word 'reckon' (counting the cost). So, that's where 'reckless' comes from. But no, there never seems to have been a positive equivalent word such as your suggested 'reckful.' 

Q: Aileen asks why we might call someone a 'skinflint'?

A: It means, of course, a tight wad, someone with short arms and deep pockets. The Oxford says the expression arose late in the 17th century, and it meant "A person who would ‘skin a flint’ to save money." 

Q: Todd writes: "When you appear on your Wednesday segment with Peta Credlin are you able to please explain the origins and context of the word, 'unprecedented.'   Jim Chalmers uses it in the context of spin, claiming an unprecedented war in the Middle East is causing supply and economic shocks in the economy.  Surely a doubtful claim given the complexity of international affairs in the 20th century?"

A: 'Unprecedented' appears in English from around 1641. It means (literally) "never previously done, known, or experienced." (That's from the authoritative Oxford.) And "never' is a big claim -- given that we saw a global oil supply emergency in the 1970s. My memory is that neither the 

McMahan, nor Whitlam nor Fraser governments used that as an excuse for their economic numbers. So, my linguistic suggestion is -- always be deeply suspicious of the use of the word 'unprecedented.'

Q: Graham writes: "Out for lunch today, the restaurant served a beer called Brew-ha-ha! I remember this strange word (with a different spelling) as indicating a fuss or disturbance. What's the story here?"

A: The standard spelling is 'brouhaha' and it has existed in French since the 16th century, but it only turns up in English in 1890 in a book by Oliver Wendell Holmes. It originally seems to have been used in French drama as a noise made by the devil, who cried brou! ha, ha! It might come from a very similar sounding Hebrew expression meaning 'welcome' -- with the suggestion that the devil was shouting out a welcome (or invitation) to his domain. Other linguists reject this idea. An alternative suggestion is that it came from the bull baiting arena and was a cry to taunt the bull, loosely based on the Spanish and Italian word 'bravo.' We are uncertain -- but in English it certainly means a fuss or disturbance, and the brew called a 'brew ha-ha' is cleverly named.

Q: Margaret writes: " I thoroughly enjoy your Wednesday segment on Peta Credlin's show. I am interested to know when and where the phrase to 'Beating Around the Bush' originated and the meaning. "

A:  It's very old -- recorded from 1520. It basically means 'avoidance' --talking around a difficult issue rather than directly addressing, any sort of verbal time wasting can be called 'beating around the bush.' It seems to come from an era when the landed aristocracy hunted game and used their staff to drive game birds out of their nesting places and into the air where they could be shot (at first with long bows or crossbows and later with guns). The job of the 'beater' was to actually 'beat the bushes' -- but those beaters who were lazy, or just resented the menial task, would not bother to hit the bushes, they'd just lazily beat the ground a bit around the bushes. Giving us this expression. 

Q: Ian wants to know where the expression "Don't care two hoots" comes from?

A: It started in the singular as 'Don't give a hoot.' In this form it started as American slang around 1878. And came from the use of the word 'hoot' to mean a very small, minute amount of something. This, in turn, may have come from the notion that a 'hoot' (a cry or shout) is a very brief sound--making a hoot of something a small amount of it. Not giving two hoots is just emphasising how little you care. 

Q: Kym wants to know where "Murphy's Law" comes from?

A:  From a scientist (Edward Murphy) working with the US Airforce in 1951 in California.  Captain Murphy was working on experiments at Edwards Air Force Base in California to learn how much sudden deceleration a person could stand in a crash; these sometimes used human volunteers and when one volunteer had been subjected to about 35G in one test, Murphy found that a technician had wired the instruments in backwards and they hadn’t given any readings.  He wrote a paper about this for a scientific journal, and his observation came to be called 'Murphy's Law.' 

Q: Helen writes: "What is the origin of ‘bamboozle’?"

A: To bamboozle someone means to deceive them by using cunning or trickery. It's first recorded from 1703. And in that year, it was complained about in a periodical call The Tatler as being a horrible new verbal invention, a bit of slang, that had recently been coined and come into vogue. It was probably a jocular coinage by an unknown person -- and if you look at the sounds in the word, they almost suggest a slippery sort of misbehaviour.

Q: Neville asks where did "call a spade a spade" come from?

A:  From ancient Greece. It first appears in Plutarch (around 178 BC). The original Greek version is probably better translated "call a basin a basin" or something like that, but the meaning was the same. And it may have already been a familiar proverb when Plutarch used those words. So the notion that it is better to be blunt and name things as they really are, has been part of western civilisation from the very beginning.  

Q: Milton asks: 'What is the origin of the saying "Butter wouldn't melt in her mouth"?'

A:  It appeared in print first in John Palsgrove’s book about the French language of 1530, but it’s more than likely he was borrowing a saying that was already proverbial.   It’s one of those sayings that are so old their origins are lost in the proverbial mists of time. It refers dismissively to somebody who appears gentle or innocent while typically being the opposite.  

Q: Bruce wants to know why we say, "back in a jiffy"?

A: It all revolves around the word 'jiffy' meaning a very short period of time. The word 'jiffy' has been used in this way since around 1780 -- so this is nothing new. To put this in context, 'jiffy firelighters' were only invented in 1972 -- almost 200 years later. So, why should an extremely short period of time be called a 'jiffy.' There are a number of theories. The one I find most convincing is that 'jiffy' started as thieves' slang for 'lightning.'  A thief boasting about being quick might say that he will be in and out of his target house 'like lightning' -- or in his slang 'in a jiffy.' And somewhere behind the thieves' slang might be a very old Teutonic word meaning 'shine' (clearly another word that could be used of a flash of lightning). In the 20the century the science of electronics has put a number on a jiffy -- they now count it as being exactly on 60th of a second.

Q: Ken asks why would you wish anyone luck by saying 'break a leg'?

A: This started in theatrical circles, from around 1925, as a theatrical superstition. These days it can also be used in any situation, outside the theatre.  The semantic motivation is unclear; the likeliest explanation is that, according to theatrical superstition, it is considered unlucky to say the words ‘good luck’ to a performer. Many other suggestions have been made for the origin of the phrase, but few of them are supported by any evidence. A partial formal parallel is shown in a German expression that literally means ' ‘may you break your neck and your leg!’ (which turns up as a good luck wish 1902 or earlier in a hunting context)., but evidence for a direct influence of the German well-wishing phrase on the English use appears to be lacking. 

Q: Craig wants to know why we talk about 'making a rod for your own back.'

A: It means that by doing something you have created trouble for yourself -- that is rod you have made for your own back. The 'rod' being referred to here is the rod or cane used in punishment -- the suggestion being that what you have done with come back to hurt you.  The "rod" symbolized a tool of discipline, implying that one’s own actions could bring about future suffering. This is very old. It goes back to at least 1485 and Thomas Malory's Morte d'Arthur -- about King Arthur and Camelot. Beyond that its origins are lost in the mists of time -- but clearly from a time that believed in corporal punishment of the most cutting kind.

Q: Aileen writes that she was listened to the Drive programme on 6PR when there was a light-hearted segment about cheapskates -- and she wonders where the word cheapskate comes from? 

A: It's American in origin, from 1894. The meaning is the one you know: ' A stingy or parsimonious person; a skinflint.' The 'cheap' part is clear enough, but why 'skate'? Well, it has nothing to do with roller skates or skateboards. The best suggestion we have is that skate was originally a Scots contemptuous word, still known in a weakened sense in Australia and New Zealand, where it’s usually written as skite. So, a 'skate' was a contemptible person, and a 'cheapskate' meant they we contemptible for being fight fisted. 

Q: Ken writes to say he has been following the dispute between the two Charles--Windsor and Spencer--and for some reason this has caused to ask for the origin of 'chinless wonder.'

A: 'Chinless wonder' started as an American expression, recorded from 1881 -- with the meaning of 'Without firmness of character.' (Since firmness of character was taken to be expressed by having a strong chin.) You may well think this applies to the Charles V Charles battle -- I couldn't possibly comment! 

Q: Peter for the origins and misuse of ‘begs the question’. 

A:  "Begs the question" names the logical fallacy of assuming the truth of your argument as your starting point. In other words, taking something for granted without warrant. Philosophers give this fallacy a Latin name petitio principii. It DOES NOT mean 'avoids the question' or 'raises the question.' Which is how it is almost invariably misused. For years now I have been giving one consistent piece of advice -- do not use 'begs the question'! Ever! You will almost certainly get it wrong (just like everyone else!) 

Q: John asks where the odd expression 'crocodile tears' comes from.

A: It means a hypocritical, pretend, expression of sympathy or sorrow. And comes from a very old piece of mythology, found in both ancient Greek and Roman writings -- and popularized in the Middle Ages in the popular books about animals, both real and imaginary, that were called 'bestiaries' (books of beasts). The myth was that crocodiles would weep tears while hungrily devouring their prey.  Thus, making the crocodile the model of hypocrisy. Crocodiles do, in fact, generate tears to clean and lubricate their eyes. But they unemotional tears and unconnected to the fate of any prey they may be eating at the time.  But ancient travellers may have seen eating crocodiles with these tears visible, thus giving rise to the myth.

Q:  Janette asks for the origin and meaning of often used expression “no way, shape or form.”

A:   This expression is just a highly emphatic way of ruling out a possibility. It first appeared in print in 1857 in The New York Times n an article about politics, the author wrote: “We deny most emphatically and positively that we have ever done anything in any way, shape or manner prejudicial to Mr. Fillmore’s interests.” This shows that even in its early days, the phrase was used to express complete denial. In all probability this phrase was part of the spoken language for some time before it appeared in print. So there is no known author—it is just an English idiom: meaning a phrase that has caught on and become a familiar part of the language. The English language is filled with idioms that have become a part of our everyday speech. The use of this idiom has become so widespread that it has taken on cultural significance beyond just its literal meaning. It is often used in popular media as a comedic device or as a dramatic flourish to emphasize someone’s refusal or denial. Its versatility makes it one of the most recognizable idioms in modern English.

Q: Martin asks an interesting question: 'How did people being motivated to perform to a high standard become associated with 'dipping steel into molten zinc', i.e. being "Galvanised"?'

A:  The word comes from the name of the Italian doctor and physicist Luigi Galvani. And what he described was the way that an electrical charge could make the muscles of dead frogs' legs move. This was the discovery of bioelectricity.  This was in the 1700s. Later, in the 1800s, it was discovered that a protective coating of zinc could be applied to steel using an electrical charge. So, what we think of as the figurative use ('galvanising' people enlivens them) preceded the production of galvanized steel.  

Q: Patricia wants to know the origin of 'wherewithal.'

A: For those of us who have heard this word but never seen it, it can come as a surprise that it's a single word -- and that the 'all' at the end has only one 'L' (like other compound words such as 'already' and 'alright'). We use it to mean having resources (or, often, money) -- but it has had this meaning only since 1803. At the beginning of its life, around 1535, it was just a compound adjective used to ask a question, as in 'Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?' (from Miles Coverdale's translation of the Bible). Earlier (from 1175) there was a shorter form of this, as just 'withal' used as an adverb or a preposition meaning 'along with the rest.' 350 years later 'where' was added as a prefix to make it a sweeping view of all available resources.

Q: Ida asks: 'where does the word “sweetbreads” come from?'

A:  The Oxford says sweetbreads (in this sense) means "The pancreas, or the thymus gland, of an animal, esp. as used for food." And then adds (unhelpfully) "the reason for the name is not obvious." Well, we could have told them that! But a bit more digging suggests the "sweet" part likely refers to the delicate, rich taste of these glands compared to the more robust flavor of muscle meat.  The "bread" element comes from the Old English bræd, meaning flesh or meat, not the baked product we commonly think of today.

Q: Tiffy says she was horrified to hear about Rhys Muldoon being vile about so many people. then when she looked at his remark about Jacinta Nampajinta Price being a 'quisling' Tiffy realised that she didn't know what this meant -- "In all my 38 years" she wrote, "I have never come across this."

A: "Quisling' is an extremely offensive term. It means being a traitor to your own people. It comes from Norway in the Second World War. In 1940 the Nazis invaded Norway, and a local man, named Vidkun Quisling (an army officer and politician who had founded the Norwegian Nazi party) collaborated with the Germans and ran a puppet government under their command and control. Thus, he betrayed his own people in the worst possible way -- making his name 'quisling' the word used for such betrayal. 

Q: Kerrie wants to know what 'head over turkey' means and where it comes from?

A: 'Head over turkey' is a variation on 'head over heels.' This is an Australian coinage, invented around 1904. It can sometimes mean 'completely, hopelessly in disarray.' Gerry Wilkes thinks it might come from the fact that the stern of a boat was once called the 'tuck' -- and if you tumbled over the tuck (or 'turkey') you'd be really lost!

Q: Wendy asks for the origin of 'a slow boat to China'.

A: It's not recorded before 1947 -- so not all that old. It originally referred to doing something slowly, over time. It seems to have begun among poker players to say that there was plenty of time to win money out of a player. It was popularized in 1948 by Frank Loesser with his song 'Slow Boat to China': "I'd love to get you on a slow boat to China, All to myself, alone."

Q: Rhon asks for the origin of 'I'll have you guts for garters.'

A: It began during the reign of the Tudors on the English throne. It was really a threat to have you 'hanged, drawn and quartered' a particularly cruel form of the death penalty that involved disemboweling the unfortunate victim -- leaving the intestines exposed. Garters were worn by men during the Tudor period as a way of holding up their stockings, a.k.a. hose.   The punishment of hanged, drawn and quartered remained on the statue book in England until as late as 1790. However, even then, this threat wasn’t meant to be taken literally -- just as a very strong expression of a conditional revenge. 

Q: Jan asks where the word 'savvy' (meaning common sense) comes from.

A: It does mean practical knowledge, shrewdness or common sense. It's recorded in English from around 1785. It came from French word 'savoir' and in 'savoir faire' -- 'savoir' in French originally meant knowledge, and 'savoir faire' knowing the correct way to respond in a situation.  'Savvy' is also related to the older French word 'savant' meaning scholar. So, that group of French words gave us this notion of being 'savvy.'

Q:  From John: 'Hi Kel, where did " gung-ho " come from?

A: 'Gung ho' originally meant 'eager for battle' but these days is used more broadly to just mean eager and ready to go. It comes from a Chinese expression that named the Industrial Workers' Cooperatives set up during the second China-Japan war to support the war effort. The Chinese phrase literally means something like 'working together.'  Gung ho was adopted as an English slogan in the Second World War by a battalion of U.S. Marines under General Evan Carlson (1896–1947); it was subsequently popularized in the title of a Hollywood war movie about the exploits of the battalion in 1943. The movie put the expression into wider circulation. 

Q: Angela writes: 'Hi Kel, what is the origin of the phrase "sleep like a top"?'

A: 'Sleep like a top' means very sound, deep, still sleep. It's recorded in English from 1621. According to the Oxford the expression refers to the apparent stillness of a top when it is spinning very fast. So, our hearts and lungs (and all our other organs) are working away to keep us alive, they are 'spinning' as it were, but we are still in the midst of all that spinning -- just like a top at top speed.

Q:  Aileen writes: “Listening to 6PR and the Queen of Clean on Sunday, plaster of Paris was mentioned. It just made me wonder how plaster of Paris got its name?”

A:  The white powder we call ‘plaster of Paris’ is actually gypsum. And because of its usefulness large deposits of gypsum have been mined for many centuries. And gypsum deposits are especially abundant in the Paris basin, especially around Mon Montmartre. The expression is recorded in English from at least the 1500s. 

Q: Chris asks about the expression 'in the offing.'

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A:  This began life as a nautical expression. It's recorded from about the year 1600 with the meaning of 'The part of the visible sea at a distance from the shore beyond anchorages or inshore navigational dangers.' So, the horizon is well away from us -- it is off in the distance, and that makes it 'in the offing.' Interestingly, in modern usage this has slightly changed, and we are inclined to say that something is 'in the offing' if it is not near, but it is approaching. 

Q: Dee says she would love to know the history of 'duckshove'.

A:   It was coined in Australia -- by competitive cab drivers trying to get to the front of the rank. It's first recorded in The Age in 1859. It may come from the observed behaviour of ducks bumping into one another as they waddle over the land toward water.  

Q: Pim asks: 'Why do we say (and where does it come from) -- "When Push Comes to Shove"?

A: It means when things get really tough -- when pushing won't get you there, when you have to shove really hard. It's American, recorded from 1889 -- and it always meant a call to firm and decisive action. The earliest version was 'IF push comes to shove' which appeared in (of all places!) a women's magazine The Home Circle in February of 1889 in a story about how a farm girl found success in the big city.

Q: Michelle asks: 'Where does the term "Nth Degree" derive from please?'

A: From mathematics. Since 1756 N has been used to indicate an unspecified number. It's usually employed to suggest a large number. If you square a number this is shown by the number to the power of 2; if you cube the number that is to the power of 3; if it is multiplied to a very high but unspecified level this is to the power of N -- hence to the Nth degree.

Q: Graham writes: 'A wonderful old word, increasingly applied to me, is curmudgeon. Origin?

A: Originally, it meant a mean or miserly person, but these days it means any crusty old bloke.  It goes as far back as 1587. The suggestion is that the first version of the word was 'cornmudgin -- meaning someone who hoarded corn and refused to share with others. 

Q: Sue says that given the push to shut down so-called 'misinformation' on climate she would like our views on this word.

A: 'Misinformation' just means 'wrong.' It goes all the way back to 1587 with the meaning it still has today of 'wrong or misleading information.' However, my observation is that the people who use this are avoiding debate over facts -- over what is factually right or wrong. If you say that something is 'wrong' you are expected to produce evidence or arguments to support your claim. But if you simply classify it as 'misinformation' then you just shut it down without further discussion. So, it is being used as a censorship word.

Q: David asks about the expression 'taken with a grain of salt.'

A:   This means accepting something only with reservations--being sceptical. This is very old and is said to go back to Pliny the Elder in his book of Natural History--in which he referred to an old recipe which it was claimed would make you immune to poison. The last ingredient in that recipe was "a grain of salt." So, the idea was you could be immune to the poison of misleading claims if you took them with 'a grain of salt.' In British English it's usually a pinch of salt, in American English a grain of salt--which is historically more accurate, since that's how Pliny phrased it. 

Q: Linda and Glenn have asked me to look at the word "mythomania" which they say correctly labels the current Albanese Labor government.

A:   Mythomania is a psychological condition characterized by a compulsive, abnormal, and uncontrollable urge to lie, exaggerate, and fabricate elaborate stories. The term 'mythomania' was coined by a French doctor Ernest-Charles Laseque in the 20th century. It first appears in dictionaries in 1909. The concept was further developed by his colleague Dr Valetin Magnan, a psychiatrist, who viewed it as a form of moral degeneracy or temperamental instability. In America, it seems that 'mythomania' is not normally used. There they seem to prefer a diagnosis of 'pathological lying'. Does that fit any members of the current federal government? You may very well think that -- I couldn't possibly comment.

Q:   Bruce says he likes the song “Heard it on the Grapevine” but where does the expression come from?

A: I thought it might come from the similarity of vines to telegraph or telephone wires. But it turns out to be too early for that. It is first recorded in an American newspaper (in Baton Rouge Louisianan) in 1855.  And it already meant 'an unofficial or informal means of transmitting information or news rapidly and discreetly'. From the date and the meaning, I suspect it started among those running escape routes for runaway slaves from the South to reach safety in the north. Bear in mind the American Civil War began in 1861--just six years after this was first recorded. It probably comes from the way that grapes cluster together, and the same vine feeds many grapes with nourishment. 

Q: Susie says that in the trial of Lindsay Clancy she kept hearing about the lone juror who would 'stick to his guns' no matter what. She asks where does 'stick to your guns' come from?

A: It comes from the army, from the world of the artillery. The original form of the expression was 'stand to your guns' and over the years this became 'stick to your guns' -- in both versions it meant the same thing: maintain your position in the heat of battle, do not retreat.

Q: Graeme writes: 'I am amused by the use of the word "pant" by the fashion industry, eg a pant with a Mediterranean influence. Was there ever a word "pant" that had anything but breathing in its meaning?  I couldn't find one.'

A: All the 'pant(s)' words seem to come from 'Pantaloon' -- a character in the old Italian Commedia dell'arte. From the character the word 'pantaloon' was applied to men's loose breeches extending below the knee. This was shortened and applied to what we call men's 'pants' today. This word was always in the plural because 'pants' have two legs--and are often called 'a pair of pants.' However, in the 1800s it was possible to refer to one trouser leg as a 'pant' (singular). And there is some evidence that American English has started to use the singular form of the word -- although why they would do such a bizarre thing is beyond me.

Q: From Ray: 'Hi Kel, why do people claim to be on "tenterhooks". Where does that come from please?'

A:   'Tenterhooks' were hooks (sometimes bent nails or spikes) on which fabric was stretched to dry and cure. This often happened in the open air -- hence the New South Wales town of Tenterfield. If you feel stretched and taut then you are (metaphorically) 'on tenterhooks.' Hence, also, canvas structures held in place by hooks or spikes are called 'tents.'  

Q: Hans asks for the origin of 'cold shoulder.'

A:  One suggestion is that it is serving 'cold shoulder' instead of fresh, hot roast beef (or lamb or pork) to unwanted guests. Or it might just mean turning your shoulder coldly towards those you shun. Either explanation is possible. But when it's first recorded in 1816 the full expression was 'to show the cold shoulder' meaning 'to appear cold and reserved' -- so it probably always had a figurative meaning, and the suggestion about cold rather than hot meat is a later invention.

Q: Aileen says that long before the Bond movie of that name the “living daylights’ could be bashed out of you – so where is this from? 

A: According to the Oxford ‘daylights’ has been slang for the eyes since at least 1747. And to give some black eyes was to ‘darken their daylights’ since at least 1752 (when the expression appears in one of Henry Fielding’s novels). In the 1800s they had expressions such as ‘knocking the daylights’ out of someone. In the late 1800s this was expanded into ‘the living daylights’ (using ‘living’ as an intensifier). So, if someone is so enraged as to bash your eyes out—they will ‘bash the living daylights’ out of you.

Q: Gai writes: ' We look forward to your segment each week with Peta Credlin, not sure if you have had this query before, I was wondering where the saying "food for thought" originated from?'

A: It means 'Something warranting discussion or consideration or serving as a creative stimulus.' And as such it seems to have been coined by a poet (and it's the job of poets to be clever and original with language). It seems to have coined by Robert Southey in 1825. But he may have been drawing on a similar expression coined by the poet Robert Herrick in 1648 when he referred to 'the food of poets'. Mind you, Herrick was referring not to 'thought' but to kisses as 'the foot of poets.'

Q: Roger wants to know the origin of the expression "for crying out loud."

A: It's usually uttered as a cry of exasperation. It began life as a softened blaspheme (of which there are many in the English language). This one softened the phrase 'for Christ's sake' into another expression with similar sounds and rhythm. It was coined by popular cartoonist Thomas Aloysius Dorgan (who signed his cartoons as 'TAD') in New York in the early years of the 20th century. He is said to have coined a number of expressions, including 'hot dog.'

Q: Alison asks where the expression "within a bull's roar" comes from.

A: This is ours--an Australian coinage, first recorded in an Adelaide newspaper called The Chronicle in 1936. It means 'close' or 'near' -- but it's usually used in the negative, as in 'not within a bull's roar' meaning nowhere near, not even close. There is no suggestion from the experts as to where it comes from, so I can only assume that a bull's bellow is not loud enough sound to carry very far. And when I've been in farms, I seem to remember that bulls were not especially loud -- more like a grumbling snort than a trumpet blast.

Q: Christopher writes: 'The word "Pretty" appears in the dictionary as "appealing pleasing, charming, delicate etc." Why then, is it so often used in a negative way in phrases such as -- it's a pretty bad storm; this is a pretty bad road; I have a pretty bad cold -- and so on. Does this make sense?' 

A: 'Pretty' has been used as a qualifying adjective or adverb since 1565 meaning 'to a considerable extent.' It's meaning seems to vary from 'a slight degree' to 'a moderately high degree.'  The reason why the existing word 'pretty' was chosen to use this way is unclear. The older meaning of 'attractive' goes back to the days of Old English. But back in those days 'pretty' had a wider range of meanings -- it could imply being 'clever, or crafty, or ingenious.' And it was probably those wider, older, meanings of 'pretty' that opened the door for it to be used as a general adjective or adverb of intensity. 

Q: Gordon raises the issue of why someone drinking alone is said to be a "Jimmy Woodser" (or, sometimes, a "Jimmy Wood").

A: The name comes from "Jimmy Wood" a character in a bush ballad of that name by Barcoft Boak (published in 1892 in The Bulletin). The poem talks about anyone who drinks alone is drinking a toast to "Jimmy Wood." But Boake may have been using an earlier expression that had been around for a while. In which case, there is no record of the original solitary drinker who became immortalised in this way.

Q: Jenny raises the question of taking something "with a grain of salt."

A: This means accepting something only with reservations--being sceptical. This is very old and is said to go back to Pliny the Elder in his book of Natural History--in which he referred to an old recipe which it was claimed would make you immune to poison. The last ingredient in that recipe was "a grain of salt." So, the idea was you could be immune to the poison of misleading claims if you took them with 'a grain of salt.' In British English it's usually a pinch of salt, in American English a grain of salt--which is historically more accurate, since that's how Pliny phrased it. 

Q: Jeffrey writes to suggest a new definition of an old word. He says: "Socialism is just communism holding a puppy."

A:   A clever image! I might use it sometime! (With Jeffery's permission.) 

Q: Harry asks for the origin of 'stirring the possum.'

A: Stirring (or rousing) the possum is recorded from 1888 with the meaning of 'to excite interest or controversy; to liven things up.' It first appeared in the Town and Country Journal in June of 1888. The suggestion is that this was a deliberate play on, and reversal of, the earlier expression 'playing possum' -- which came from the observed behaviour of possums who (when they know they are observed) will freeze completely still (total immobility) in the hope that they will not be noticed. 'Playing possum' is keeping your head down and hoping to be unobserved. 'Stirring the possum' is the intentional reversal of this idea.

Q: Phil asks for the originally meaning of the word 'litany' -- which Peta (and most other commentators) use to mean a list of some kind, as in 'a litany of errors.'

A: Strictly speaking, this type of figurative use of 'litany' means 'a repetition of...' The word itself goes back to the ancient Greek word for prayer. In the Book of Common Prayer there was the 'liturgy' (most of it) in which the congregation responded to spoken prayers in a variety of ways. However, in the part called the 'litany' the congregation spoke exactly the same words in response to each part of the spoken prayer. So, anything with that kind of constant repetition is metaphorically called 'a litany.'

Q: Suzanne writes: ' Kel...can you please give some insight as to where the phase "dance the light fantastic" originated?' 

A: It's most often recorded as 'trip the light fantastic' meaning to dance nimbly or gracefully. It's the notion of being light on one's feet--gliding lightly as Fred Astrair and Ginger Rogers--rather than have 'heavy' feet that clump awkwardly. It was coined by poet John Milton. He used it in two of his poems, first in 1637 and then again in 1645. In Milton's day the word 'trip' meant to be nimble.  

Q: Suzie writes, 'I know that being on "cloud nine" means being in a blissful state, but where did it come from?'

A: It's certainly American, from the late 1940s or early 50s. It most likely comes from the US Weather Bureau. This organisation once described clouds by a number sequence. Level nine was the highest cumulonimbus, which can reach 30,000 or 40,000 feet and appear as impressive white mountains in the sky. The US Weather Bureau still reports cloud levels with numbers, but these days the highest is level ten. But despite this, our familiar idiom has remained unchanged. These days they say the highest clouds (cloud ten) are cirrus clouds in the form of white, delicate filaments, mostly in patches or narrow bands. They also use numbers for the amount of cloud cover--from zero for no cloud to eight for total cloud cover. But it was the US Weather Bureau with its clouds allocated numbers that seems to have given us 'cloud nine.'

Q: Belinda writes: 'Where does “beyond the pale” come from?'

A: It means: 'outside or beyond the bounds, outside the limits of acceptable behaviour; unacceptable or improper.' The word 'pale' originally meant a fence or barrier made from pointed stakes of wood driven into the ground. 'Pale' comes from an Anglo-Norman French word meaning 'stake.' Our word 'pole' comes from the same source. And the notion of this kind of wooden fence is the source of our 'paling fence.' From this the expression 'The Pale' came to mean a demarcation or limit around a Medieval city--outside of which the laws of the city did not prevail. One of the most famous was the Irish Pale -- an area of several counties centred on Dublin (mentioned from 1446). But it was not the only one. From these 'boundaries to civilisation' it came to be used in the figurative sense in which we use it today.