In casual conversation, we use phrases or idioms that seem normal to us, but I often wonder “how did we come to say those things?”
An idiom is a phrase or expression whose meaning cannot be understood from the literal definition of its individual words. Instead, they have a figurative meaning that is learned as a whole, often functioning as culturally specific, colourful, or metaphorical language. For example, “raining cats and dogs” means raining heavily.
The phrase “run-of-the-mill” originated from late 19th-century manufacturing, referring to the entire unsorted output of a factory or mill before quality inspection. It signified average, unsorted goods, including both high and low quality. The phrase became synonymous with “ordinary” or “unremarkable” by the 1920s.
The phrase “as clear as mud” may have originated in satire. One of the first printed references to “as clear as mud” appeared in an 1842 book by RH Barham. The phrase was likely in colloquial use before this printed instance, reflecting the common practice of using irony or humour to highlight confusion.
According to the online idioms dictionary, “as clear as mud” means extremely unclear or confusing, something that is hard to comprehend or follow. Over time, it has become an integral part of everyday speech, used to describe everything from bureaucratic complexity to simple misunderstandings.
The phrase “it ain’t over till the fat lady sings” was coined in 1978 by Dan Cook, a sports writer from San Antonio, Texas, after his town’s basketball team had gone one up in a championship series.
According to Wikipedia, the phrase, “it ain’t over till the fat lady sings” is a colloquialism, often used as a proverb. It means that one should not presume to know the outcome of an event which is still in progress. More specifically, the phrase is used when a situation is or appears to be nearing its conclusion. It cautions against assuming that the current situation of an event is irreversible and clearly determines how or when the event will end.
The phrase is generally understood to be a reference to opera sopranos, who were typically heavyset. In the last half hour of Wagner’s opera Der Ring des Nibelungem. The phrase “the fat lady” likely refers to Brunhilda, who was traditionally presented as a buxom woman. Her farewell scene lasts almost 20 minutes and leads directly to the finale of the whole Ring cycle. Thus, it’s over when the fat lady sings.
