42 Idiom Origins - mental_floss on YouTube (Ep. 29)

What are the origins of idioms and expressions we use in everyday life?

The origins of expressions and common sayings can be self-evident or shrouded in half-truths. We try to get to the bottom of these everyday idioms and phrases in this episode of The List Show.

The List Show is a weekly show where knowledge junkies get their fix of trivia-tastic information. This week, John looks at the origins of 42 idioms such as, "once in a blue moon," "peeping Tom," and "silver lining."

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[kevinpolson]

Mental Floss 2013: Want to know the origins of 42 idioms?
Youtube 2020: Here you go!

[gamerN]

As someone who's native language is not English, this list was actually really interesting because I got to know some of your idioms!

[supersean]

Fun addition! The idiom "wet behind the ears, " which refers to someone who is new to something, comes from cattle ranchers. When cows gave birth to baby calves, the mother would lick them mostly dry, but the area behind the ears usually went unlicked and stayed wet for days after the birth. Therefore, to signify a young cow, ranchers would say it is still "wet behind the ears." The term came to be applied to anyone without much experience.

[SnowWalker]

Even though I know your channel is called Mental Floss, I always think you're saying 'Thank you for watching menopause' at the end.

"Hide your kids, hide your wife..."
I couldn't stop laughing!! You are amazing John!!

[gordonstewart]

The Apple of his Eye: Actually appears in one of the psalms where the psalmist ( David, presumably) asks God to keep him as "the apple of Your eye."

[pinkieandtherev]

"Apple of my eye" appears in the earliest English translations of the Old Testament of the Bible. The Geneva Bible predates 1611 and contains the same idiom.

[CoffeeShopOracle]

With the Shakespeare idioms, you forgot a heart of gold.

[michellestoller]

Thank you for this video and for keeping it clean so I can play it in my 5th grade class while teaching figurative language...I love Mental Floss!

[AleksandraMastalska]

This is the best EFL teaching material I could find on idioms ever.

[benji_kay]

Hide you're kids hide you're wife, I died of laughter

[KrystalLake]

I'm a huge fan of Mental Floss, but this has got to be my favorite episode yet! I love the origins of words and phrases.  It's strange how many idioms get repeated without any thought as to what they actually mean... 

[genallen]

Video: mentions fly off the handle
Brain: immediately starts singing “Defying Gravity”

[andersoncherub]

Awesome. But my favorite Shakespeare line is, "Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war." The origin of that particular phrase is interestingly violent. We even named our puppy Havoc because of it.

[awestm]

DR Mentalfloss,  
I'm not sure where you came from or how I've never seen you before, but for once Youtube did something right by recommending you and I am now subscrooled.

[IamGrief]

"Apple of my eye" originally comes from the Song of Solomon and is referencing to his pupil, comparing his feelings for his favorite wife to how protective he feels about the pupils of his eyes.

[maryanneramer]

OMG "Hide yo kids, Hide yo wife" I laughed so loud the dog looked at me like I'd just lost my head! This was just my cup of tea! LOL

[zozsarhan]

Please, give us a pdf summary for your videos, because I'm studying English and I get benefit from watching your videos, getting pdfs will increase it😊

[VividVarnish]

It makes me super happy that you used a small but noticeable picture of Ellie Goulding for Halcyon Days

[ericsmith]

"Head over heels" to be out of control with or at the mercy of your whims, most commonly referring to love or infatuation. this is not a reference to cart wheels it is nautical in origin. a ship has a "head" (the front of it, also stem, bow, or fore) and it has "heels" (the rear, also stern, or aft). in stormy sea the waves can pitch high enough to toss even a large ship very violently and the crew will be at the mercy of the storms whims as it were. the waves can toss the ship at such extreme angles that it will actually ride the waves "Head over Heels" that is to say, vertically.