Beck and Call or Beckon Call? The Correct Phrase
It’s “beck and call,” not “beckon call,” an old phrase for a silent signal. See the real meaning and how to use it correctly.
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Idioms
Nip It in the Bud or Butt: Which Is Correct?
Nip it in the bud or butt? Bud is correct. Merriam-Webster calls butt an eggcorn, and Phrase Finder traces bud to a 1607 play.
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For All Intents and Purposes or Intensive Purposes?
It is ‘intents and purposes,’ a legal phrase the OED dates to 1546. Why ‘intensive purposes’ sounds right, and how to remember the correct form.
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Idiom Origin Myths: 10 Stories the References Reject
Rule of thumb, saved by the bell, sleep tight and seven more: the popular origin story, what the earliest citation shows, and the reference that says so.
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Folk Etymology Examples, and How to Spot a False Origin
Sparrowgrass, cockroach, posh and rule of thumb: the two kinds of folk etymology, why false origin stories spread, and a checklist to test one.
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Under the Weather Origin: The Nautical Record, Not the Myth
The sailing origin is real, but the sick-sailor-below-deck story is not documented. What the 1786, 1803 and 1815 citations actually show.
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Butter Someone Up Origin: Not an Indian Temple Custom
English used butter for flattery by 1618, paired with oil, and ‘butter up’ by 1798. Why the ghee-throwing temple story has no citation behind it.
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Cat Got Your Tongue Origin: The Whip Story Has No Evidence
Phrase Finder finds the phrase in an 1859 Wisconsin paper, not a ship. Why the cat-o’-nine-tails story fails and what the three earliest dates show.
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Turn a Blind Eye: Nelson Did Not Coin It, and the Date Proves It
Phrase Finder records Francis Lathom using the phrase in 1800, a year before Copenhagen, and Nelson never said the words attributed to him.
Turn a Blind Eye: Nelson Did Not Coin It, and the Date Proves It Read More »
Pull Out All the Stops: A Pipe Organ Phrase, Documented in 1865
Phrase Finder gives Matthew Arnold in 1865 as the first figurative use, and the organ he was writing about was a metaphor for the English mind.
Pull Out All the Stops: A Pipe Organ Phrase, Documented in 1865 Read More »