Making Heads or Tails of Idioms

Hand Over Fist

REMA’s SUMMER OF IDIOMS! Vol. 1 Issue 3

Original Release: 8/3/2009

What was said? That company makes money “hand over fist”.

Did someone really say that? Yes, then I put my hand over my fist to see if it would make sense… but try it… it doesn’t.

What does it mean? Quickly and continuously.

Origin: The allusion in this phrase is to the action of hauling on a rope. An earlier version of the phrase was ‘hand over hand’, which dates to the mid 18th century. This is found in a paper by Cooke in the Royal Society’s Philosophical Transactions for 1736: “A lusty young Man attempted to go down (hand over hand, as the Workmen call it) by means of a single Rope.”

The term is now used to suggest speed and profusion, especially in financial dealing, e.g. ‘making money, hand over fist’. In the 18th century ‘hand over hand’ and the later ‘hand over fist’ had a different meaning though and meant ‘making steady progress’. ‘Hand over fist’ is a little more descriptive of hauling on a rope than ‘hand over hand’, after all, when we grab on a rope to pull it we do make a fist and then reach forward with our other open hand.

This term makes an appearance in William Glascock’s The naval sketchbook, 1825: “The French … weathered our wake, coming up with us, ‘hand over fist’, in three divisions.” Many of the early citations refer to slow steady progress – exactly what could be expected if a ship were being pulled closer to another by means of a rope. The ‘making money hand over fist’ figurative use is a clear allusion to grabbing handfuls of money and pocketing it. This is later, but not much later, in Seba Smith’s The life and writings of Major Jack Downing, 1833: “They… clawed the money off of his table, hand over fist.”

Source: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/hand-over-fist.html

SIDE NOTE: Rema’s Summer of Idioms would like to give a shout out to Rob for teaching me the difference between a “call out” and a “shoutout”.
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Table Stakes

REMA’s SUMMER OF IDIOMS! (Special Edition)
Original Release: 8/1/2009

What makes this a special edition you may ask? Well, the following expression is brought to you by a special guest!

Special Guest: Chloe

What was said? Table Stakes (in two of Chloe’s meetings last week)

Did someone really say that? Yes (unless you think Chloe is lying).

What does it mean? In business, table stakes also refers to the minimum entry requirement for a market or business arrangement. It can refer to pricing, cost models, technology, or other capability that represents a minimum requirement to have a credible competitive starting position in a market or other business arrangement. For example, if you want to be a Wireless service provider the table stakes are the basic features you need to have in order to be in that business to achieve foundation capability – Network, Handsets, a data service, a mail server etc. Beyond that real competitive advantage comes from additional nimbleness and cost or product differentiation.
SOURCE: Wikipedia

In poker, table stakes limits the amount a player can win or lose in the play of a single hand. A player may bet no more money than he had on the table at the beginning of that hand and consequently cannot go back to his pocket for more money once a hand is dealt. In between hands however, a player is free to rebuy or add-on so long as his entire stack after the rebuy or add-on does not exceed the maximum buy-in.

SIDE NOTE: Rema’s Summer of Idioms welcomes new subscribers: Lindsey and Alan.
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Minnesota Nice

REMA’s SUMMER OF IDIOMS! Vol.1 Subject 2
Authentic Launch: 7/10/2009

What was stated? Oh he’s sooooo Minnesota Good.

Did somebody actually say that? Ya… that was severely stated to me in a gathering final week.

What does it imply? Principally… when somebody is good to your face however apparently doesn’t imply it. Who new Minnesotans had been such assholes?

ORIGIN: Minnesota good is the stereotypical habits of long-time Minnesota residents to offer hospitality and courtesy to others. The time period can be generally utilized in a derogatory approach, to connote a kind of smiling stubbornness, compelled politeness, false humility or passive aggressive hostility of individuals within the Higher Midwest area.

Stereotypes of Minnesotans typically overlap with qualities of different individuals from the Higher Midwest, together with the notion that many are quiet and don't want to offend others or trigger a disruption, even when it’s for their very own profit. Author Garrison Keillor performed with this picture in a chunk written for the radio program A Prairie Dwelling Companion referred to as “Wobegonics”, the supposed language of Minnesotans which incorporates “no confrontational verbs or statements of sturdy private choice, you already know.” Typically space residents who transfer away, or in any other case are available in contact with others who don’t subscribe to the perfect, say that they must shed their “Minnesota good” with a view to work together correctly with others or get out of troublesome conditions. The generosity of state residents has gained respect—the heavily-reported influenza vaccine scarcity of fall 2004 didn't strike the state as onerous as elsewhere since many individuals willingly gave up injections for others.

Minnesota Good can be the title of a 2003 28-minute documentary by Jeffrey Schwarz in regards to the Coen brothers’ film Fargo, a film that shows a number of the stereotypical habits.

One other definition of “Minnesota good” is to be passive aggressive. Ex: “I’m Minnesota good. After I’m offended at somebody, I don’t allow them to know. I simply smile pleasantly to his or her face after which proceed to speak about them behind their again. I'll almost certainly maintain a grudge too. ”

SOURCES:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_nice
http://www.urbandictionary.com/outline.php?time period=minnesota%20good

SIDE NOTE: Rema’s Summer season of Idioms welcomes new subscribers: Lauren, Kelly and Sharon.
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Get Your Goat

REMA’s SUMMER OF IDIOMS! Vol.1 Issue 1

Original Release: 6/17/2009

What was said? I’m gonna “GET YOUR GOAT”!

Did someone really say that? Ya… that was seriously said to me in a meeting today.

What does it mean? basically… to annoy someone… and let me tell you… he was successful

ORIGIN:
1. This apparently refers to an old English (Welsh?) belief that keeping a goat in the barn would have a calming effect on the cows, hence producing more milk. When one wanted to antagonize/terrorize one’s enemy, you would abscond with their goat rendering their milk cows less- to non-productive.

2. There is one theory, espoused by H.L. Mencken among others, that ties the phrase to the world of horse racing. It used to be common practice, goes this theory, to stable goats with race horses, trainers believing that the mere presence of the goats would help keep the excitable thoroughbreds calm. If an unscrupulous gambler were to arrange for the removal of a certain goat from a certain horse’s stall the day before a race, the horse might be so flustered by the absence of its hircine pal that it would lose the race. The gambler would thus have “gotten the horse’s goat.”

Unfortunately, the first occurrence of the phrase in print, according to the Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, was in 1908. Since goats are no longer (if they ever were) housed with race horses, the practice must have arisen near the beginning of the 20th century — and been abandoned shortly thereafter — for that theory to be true.

A more likely origin of the phrase lies in an earlier (1904) citation in the Random House dictionary, for “goat” as prison slang for “anger.” I think this may be the key. After all, goats do, with much provocation, get angry. To bring out the “goat” in someone may take some doing, but will eventually have dramatic results.

QUESTIONABLE: Some people say “Get your GOAD”, “Get your GUT”…..

A goad is a pointed rod used to urge on livestock. A modern equivalent of a goad is the cattle prod. To goad is to stimulate into action. The phrase “goad you on” comes to mind. To “get your goat (goad)” then is to be successful in stimulating a response. Alternative: The word ‘gut’ down through the years was altered to goat. When something gets your gut, it upsets you and ties your stomach in knots. Alternative: Hyperactive racehorses were often given goats as stablemates because their presence tended to have a calming effect on the horses. After the horse became attached to the goat, it got very upset when its companion disappeared – making it run poorly on the track. In the 19th century, when a devious gambler wanted a horse to lose, he would get the horse’s goat and take it away the night before the race, thus agitating the horse.

SOURCES:

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~genepool/sayings.htm
http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/10/messages/1015.html
http://www.joe-ks.com/phrases/phrasesG.htm
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Harsh My Mellow

“Harsh My Mellow” Definition, Origin, etc. Volume 1.1

Original Release: 3/17/2009

Dear Subscribers to Rema’s: “I grew up in this country and still don’t know their Idioms.”

HARSH MY MELLOW:
First heard: In cab en route to the Kill Bill restaurant in Tokyo with Chloe, Chris and Rob.
Context: Rob was about to summarize the readings for global strategy class he did earlier on the computer and Chloe said, you better do it now before dinner and drinks rather than “harsh my mellow.”

BASIC DEFINITION: buzzkill (when used with “don’t harsh my mellow” intention is “don’t be a buzzkill”)

ORIGIN: From Worldwideworlds.org: The longer expression seems to have originally been West Coast drug and hacker slang of the middle 1990s. It became more widely known in 1997 when it turned up in The Online Adventures of Ozzie the Elf on ABC television. When Ozzie is criticized by an elf in Santa’s workshop, he says, “Don’t harsh my mellow”. Since then, as you’ve discovered, it has begun to appear from time to time in mainstream newspapers and magazines; I’ve seen it in Time magazine and also in the issue of Fortune for March 2003: “That guy really harshes my mellow, and I don’t appreciate it”.

SOURCES:
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-har2.htm
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Harshing+my+mellow

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Somebody’s Gotta Make the Doughnuts

“Making Heads or Tails of Idioms” Newsletter. Volume 1. Issue 5. Part 1 of 2.

Original Release: 12/20/2010

**Special Edition** Pop Culture Idioms

What was said? “Well, somebody’s gotta make the doughnuts around here”

Did someone really say that? YES!

Doughnuts: Kari Steinberg texted me saying that it was used three times in her meeting. Then a week later, the partner on my project said it.

What does it mean?

“Somebody’s gotta make the doughnuts” means somebody’s gotta do the work. Originally, I thought it meant that making doughnuts is a difficult, laborious process, but no… I was wrong.

Origin:

Somebody’s Gotta make the Doughnuts: Fred the Baker in a Dunkin Donuts commercial from 1983 woke up saying “time to make the doughnuts” while he was getting ready to go to work to “make the doughnuts.”

Sources:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=time%20to%20make%20the%20doughnuts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_to_make_the_donuts

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Out of Pocket

“Making Heads or Tails of Idioms” Newsletter. Volume 1. Issue 4.

Original Release: 11/14/2010

What was said? Out of Office Message… “I will be out of pocket for the remainder of the week and can be reached on my cell phone at…”

Did someone really say that? Yes. Constantly.

What does it mean? Out of pocket has roughly three meanings.

In the sentence above, it is used to explain that the individual is unreachable / unavailable through the end of the week even via email and telephone, especially for work purposes. Another definition usually refers to expenses that are not reimbursable and therefore one has to pay it out of their own pocket, especially as it charges / payments that are not covered by health insurance. Finally, the third meaning usually references something “out of whack” and is typically used on the streets (according to my sources)… if someone is wearing something ugly “that girl’s clothes are out of pocket” (however replace girl with another word).

Origin: Around 1974 “out of pocket” started being used to mean “out of touch” or “unavailable.” No one seems to know exactly why this sense arose or what the “pocket” in this case might be… however below is an interesting theory:

“Out of pocket” refers to the quarterback on a passing play in American football. When “in the pocket,” the quarterback is protected by the linesmen, and is therefore in his/her normal mode of operation, operating ideally, relatively stationary (seeking out receivers). When he/she is chased out of the pocket, he/she is on the run, not able to pass effectively, and is unprotected from the vagaries of the other team. “In the pocket” is used multiple times per game by color commentators, and “chased out of the pocket” (also “scrambling”) is used very frequently, or at least was in the 80’s. People who tell me they are “out of pocket” are on the run (on a business trip), not operating ideally (maybe they have their laptop but no high-speed Internet connection), and unprotected (schedule in flux, not at home, etc).

A more common phrase meaning the same thing is “out of the loop,” which first appeared around 1983 and is probably rooted in computer terminology.

Sources:

http://www.word-detective.com/102603.html

http://ask.metafilter.com/87766/Out-of-pocket

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=out+of+pocket

My Corporate Flashcards – with a pic of someone going in an ambulance and the following quote “Looks like he’ll be out of pocket for a while.”

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Welcome New Subscribers! Adam, Amanda, Andrea, Mihir, Emily, Rachel, Manav, Puja & Jeff!

Golden Handcuffs

“Making Heads or Tails of Idioms” Newsletter. Volume 1. Issue 3.

Original Release: 10/11/2010

What was said? My golden handcuffs are really tight.

Did someone really say that? Yes – Kari said it to me when talking about our jobs… and it’s one of my corporate phrase flashcards (a gift from Chloe)!

What does it mean? A series of raises, bonuses, etc., given at specified intervals or tied to length of employment so as tokeep an executive from leaving the company. Basically monetary incentive to stay at one’s job i.e. salary + benefits + perks that will be forfeited if the employee resigns.

Origin: In Beware of the Golden Handcuffs, the phrase “Golden Handcuffs” was applied to traditional jobs, not just those with stock options or super lucrative deals. The idea is that one is locked down to his/her job and is “handcuffed” per say. The idiom dates back to the 1976 (according to Meriam-Webster Dictionary of Idioms) and was stated by John Steinbeck, who described San Francisco as a ’golden handcuff’ without a key.

Sources: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/golden+handcuffs

Beware of the Golden Handcuffs: http://www.ratracetrap.com/the-rat-race-trap/beware-of-the-golden-handcuffs.html

http://www.bukisa.com/articles/111050_10-business-Idioms-you-might-want-to-know

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Boil the Ocean

“Making Heads or Tails of Idioms” Newsletter. Volume 1. Issue 2.

Original Release: 8/30/2010

I know… I took a 6-month hiatus from the last email…but now that I’m working, I seemed to have found the time;)

What was said? Boil the ocean

Did someone really say that? Yes- day 3 training at work….the slide read “60% of data collection and analysis effort is wasted in a typical ‘boil the ocean’ approach….”

What does it mean? Boiling the ocean is an idiomatic phrase that can have a few related meanings. One is that it is obviously impossible to boil the ocean. Where would you start? Thus boiling the ocean can refer to an impossible task — something so complicated it’s hard to know where to begin.

Another definition of the boiling the ocean is used in business and tends to relate to projects that are hugely complex, perhaps overly so. The idea of boiling the whole ocean means that you are concerned with a minutia of fine details. This may mean that you’re being thorough or it could mean that you have made something so complex you can never accomplish your goals.

Some people, when they have ideas, may be warned not to boil the ocean, which makes a good deal of sense. It can be applied to lots of situations in business and personal life. If you have something you want to accomplish, you may be able to reduce the steps it takes to accomplish it. On the other hand, if you keep adding on extra details and trying to “cover all your bases,” you may be accused of boiling the ocean. It’s also possible that if you do too much or plan for too many contingencies, you can never see your idea or concept come to fruition.

Origin: This is the one most websites agree upon: When asked how the US should handle the problem of German U-boats, during World War I, Will Rogers recommended that the ocean be boiled. A reporter asking the question supposedly followed up by inquiring how this could be done. To which Rogers replied: “I’m just the idea man.”

Sources: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-boiling-the-ocean.htm http://www.netlingo.com/word/boil-the-ocean.php http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?BoilTheOcean http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/13/messages/1284.html

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Making Heads or Tails of…

Rema’s First Ever: “Making Heads or Tails of Idioms” Newsletter. Volume 1. Issue 1.

Original Release: 2/21/2010

To all receiving this email for the first time… Welcome! You have probably been referred by Lee.
To those who know what this is all about… Welcome back!

TWO ANNOUNCEMENTS:
1) Winner of the “name that newsletter” contest is Miss Chloe- this is now knows as the “Making Heads or Tails of Idioms” newsletter. THANK YOU! This newsletter is in honor of YOU!
2) Winner of the most referrals is, as noted above, Mr. Lee. Lee would frequently point to all of the people in a room and say “I refer him, I refer her, and so on. CONGRATULATIONS! Your prize is this bullet point.

What was said? Making Heads or Tails of Idioms

Did someone really say that? Yes- It’s the name of this email if you haven’t noticed already!

What does it mean? It means being able to make something out. Alternatively, not being able to make heads or tails of something means that it is ambiguous, puzzling, or unclear. The phrase head or tail is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as ‘one thing or another’, so etymologically speaking, the singular makes some sense. In England, they say “making head or tail of whatever” in the singular version… damn brits.

Origin: back to the time when money was created.
Heads or tails or Head or tail, this side or that side; this thing or that; — a phrase used in throwing a coin to decide a choice, question, or stake, head being the side of the coin bearing the effigy or principal figure (or, in case there is no head or face on either side, that side which has the date on it), and tail the other side.

Sources: http://separatedbyacommonlanguage.blogspot.com/2007/07/making-heads-or-tails.html;http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_meaning_of_the_phrase_’not_able_to_make_heads_or_tails_of_it‘

SIDE NOTE: Rema’s “Making Heads or Tails of Idioms” would like to give a welcome ALL new subscribers.
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Hair of the Dog that Bit You

REMA’s “It’s Not SUMMER Anymore” IDIOMS! Vol. 1 Issue 6

Original Release: 11/1/2009

What was said? The hair of the dog that bit you.

Did someone really say that? Yes- Lindsey said it yesterday and then reminded me about it today.

What does it mean? It is a colloquial English expression predominantly used to refer to ingestion of alcohol as treatment for a hanger. It is occasionally used with respect to dealing with the after effects of use of other recreational drugs. (Source: Wikipedia)

Origin: The origin of the phrase is literal, and comes from an erroneous method of treatment of a rabid dog bite by placing hair from the dog in the bite wound. The use of the phrase as a metaphor for a hangover treatment dates back to the time of William Shakespeare. Ebenezer Cobham Brewer writes in the Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898): “In Scotland it is a popular belief that a few hairs of the dog that bit you applied to the wound will prevent evil consequences. Applied to drinks, it means, if overnight you have indulged too freely, take a glass of the same wine next morning to soothe the nerves. ‘If this dog do you bite, soon as out of your bed, take a hair of the tail in the morning.'” He also cites two apocryphal poems containing the phrase, one of which is attributed to Aristophanes. It is possible that the phrase was used to justify an existing practice, and the idea of Simila similibus curantur (“like cures like”) dates back at least to the time of Hippocrates. (Source: Wikipedia)

For more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hair_of_the_dog

SIDE NOTE: Rema’s “It’s Not SUMMER Anymore” Idioms would like to give a welcome new subscribers Joyce, Jason, Mike, Walid, Pablo & Christina, Ben, Fabrice, Karim, Kristina, Lee and Jeff.

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THANK YOU FOR THOSE PLAYING IN THE CONTESTS!
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Partner in Crime

REMA’s “It’s Not SUMMER Anymore” IDIOMS! Vol. 1 Issue 5

Original Release: 10/12/2009

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS: ***2 CONTESTS***
NAME THAT NEWSLETTER! Be a part of my Idiom Email more than you ever thought you could!
Since it’s not longer Summer (:() and soon Fall will be over too, I need a new newsletter name!
Please send in your suggestions and on a day of my choosing, I will pick the best one.

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On a day of my choosing, the person with the greatest number of referrals will win their very own “special edition.”

Now… on to the good stuff!

What was said? I need a Partner In Crime.

Did someone really say that? Yes, last night Lindsey said it to Lilian, to which Lilian said “What’s that?”

What does it mean? Basically it means someone to be by your side; someone who assists in a plot.
According to Urban Dictionary: “your significant other; someone you can depend on to help you get shit done! Your Boo”

Origin: I tried to find the origin but couldn’t. If you can find it… please send it along.

SIDE NOTE: Rema’s “It’s Not SUMMER Anymore” Idioms would like to give a welcome new subscribers Laura and Lilian..Ni-Hao.
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All that and a Bag of Chips

REMA’s SUMMER OF IDIOMS! (Special Edition Double Feature)
Original Release: 8/19/2009

What makes this a special edition double feature you may ask? Well, the following expressions are brought to you by TWO special guests!

Special Guests: Kelly & Alan

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Second: Alan

What was said? All that and a bag of chips.

Did someone really say that? Alan emailed it to me, said it to me twice and even talked to Meagan about it.

What does it mean? To mean that a person is all that and more. Usually it is an opinion and the only one who thinks it is that person. Other people usually don’t believe the person is “all that and a bag of chips.” The word chips can be replaced by almost any other word. Such as “all that and a bag of cookies.” Or “all that and a bag of candy.” Just to name a couple. Used in a sentence: “That bitch thinks she is all that and a bag of chips.”
Celebrities who have used this phrase include: “Damn baby, you are all that and a bag of chips” – Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1993); “What’s Next?” by Leaders of the New School, Busta Rhymes used to be in this group. The line went “All that, and a bag of Chips Ahoy”.
Origin: 1990s

Sources:

http://www.inthe90s.com/generated/terms.shtml
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?defid=229803&term=all+that+and+a+bag+of+chips

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Have Your Cake and Eat it Too

REMA’s SUMMER OF IDIOMS! (Special Edition Double Feature)
Original Release: 8/19/2009

What makes this a special edition double feature you may ask? Well, the following expressions are brought to you by TWO special guests!

Special Guests: Kelly & Alan

First: Kelly

What was said? Have one’s cake and eat it too

Did someone really say that? I don’t have to answer this.

What does it mean? To have one’s cake and eat it too or simply have one’s cake and eat it (sometimes eat one’s cake and have it too) is the instance of an individual consuming, exhausting, taking advantage of or using up a particular thing and, then, after that thing is gone or no longer reasonably available, still attempting to benefit from or use it. It may also indicate having or wanting more than one can handle or deserve, or trying to have two incompatible things. It is a popular English idiomatic proverb or figure of speech and is most often used negatively. The proverb’s meaning is similar to the phrases, “you can’t have it both ways” and “you can’t have the best of both worlds.”

As an example, an individual who is engaged to marry someone but is still dating others romantically would be said to be having one’s cake and eating it too.

Origin: The oldest recording is from 1546 as “wolde you bothe eate your cake, and have your cake?” (John Heywood’s “A dialogue Conteinyng the Nomber in Effect of All the Prouerbes in the Englishe Tongue’) alluding to the impossibility of eating your cake and still having it afterwards; the modern version (where the clauses are reversed) is a corruption which was first signaled in 1812.

Paul Brians, Professor of English at Washington State University, points out that perhaps a more logical or easier to understand version of this saying is: “You can’t eat your cake and have it too”. Professor Brians writes that a common source of confusion about this idiom stems from the verb to have which in this case indicates that once eaten, possession of the cake is no longer possible. Alternatively, the two verbs can be understood to represent a sequence of actions, so one can indeed “have” one’s cake and then “eat” it. Consequently, the literal meaning of the reversed idiom doesn’t match the metaphorical meaning. The phrase can also have specialized meaning in academic contexts; Classicist Katharina Volk of Columbia University has used the phrase to describe the development of poetic imagery in Latin didactic poetry, naming the principle behind the imagery’s adoption and application the “have-one’s-cake-and-eat-it-too principle”.

Interesting Fact: The reversal of this expression helped in the identification of the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski. In the Unabomber’s “Manifesto”, it was written and signed “…you can’t eat your cake and have it too. To gain one thing you have to sacrifice another.” His brother David Kaczynski was able to identify Ted after reading the “Manifesto”. Ted and their mother both used the more accurate but older and less popular use of the phrase.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Have_one%27s_cake_and_eat_it_

SIDE NOTE: Rema’s Summer of Idioms would like to welcome new subscribers Kari and Lindsay (both are Michigan Wolverines).

Smoke and Mirrors

REMA’s SUMMER OF IDIOMS! Vol. 1 Issue 4
Original Release: 8/12/2009

What was said? It’s all just smoke and mirrors.

Did someone really say that? Yes, then I asked “Smoke IN mirrors?” and my teammate said “No, Smoke AND Mirrors”

What does it mean? It’s basically bullshit / an illusion.

Origin: Smoke and mirrors is a metaphor for a deceptive, fraudulent or insubstantial explanation or description. The source of the name is based on magicians’ illusions, where magicians make objects appear or disappear by extending or retracting mirrors amid a confusing burst of smoke. The expression may have a connotation of virtuosity or cleverness in carrying out such a deception.

In the field of computer programming, it is used to describe a program or functionality that doesn’t yet exist, but appears as though it does (cf. vaporware). This is often done to demonstrate what a resulting project will function/look like after the code is complete — at a trade show, for example.

More generally, “smoke and mirrors” may refer to any sort of presentation by which the audience is intended to be deceived, such as an attempt to fool a prospective client into thinking that one has capabilities necessary to deliver a product in question.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_and_mirrors

SIDE NOTE: Rema’s Summer of Idioms would like to give a welcome new subscribers Jeffrey and Laura. Good luck Laura on your 1/2 marathon this weekend!
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Knee-High to a Grasshopper

Volume 2. Issue 2.

What was said? Have you heard of “knee-high to a grasshopper?”

Did someone really say that? Yes, when discussing my idiom newsletter at a colleague’s farewell party, a Partner asked me if I knew of that idiom… which I naturally did not.

What does it mean? Two meanings: 1) To be very young 2) Very short

Used in context :

1) Back when I was knee-high to a grasshopper, I used to play hopscotch.
2) You will need a ladder… you are just about knee-high to a grasshopper!

Origin:

Originally recorded in 1814 as knee-high to a toad, this American Idiom has taken many forms… knee-high to a frog, bumblebee, splinter, mosquito, jackrabbit and…grasshopper.

In the Democratic Review in 1851 it was said “You pretend to be my daddies; some of you who are not knee-high to a grasshopper!

Among the >17k species of grasshoppers, reaching knee-high to a grasshopper would mean that a person is roughly less than an inch tall… that’s pretty short.

Sources:

http://www.bookbrowse.com/wordplay/archive/detail/index.cfm?wordplay_number=8

http://www.answers.com/topic/knee-high-to-a-grasshopper

http://www.allaboutstuff.com/Critters/Knee_High_to_a_Grasshopper.asp

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Grasshopper

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Shooting Fish in a Barrel

Volume 2. Issue 1. (It’s a new year, we’re moving on)

What was said? Come on guys… this is like shooting fish in a barrel.

Did someone really say that? Yes… in my virtual book club at work, the moderator said that when no one volunteered to give their opinion / answer to his question. (Also, an avid subscriber sent me the link to the YouTube video below).

What does it mean? It means that it’s a really simple action with guaranteed success.

Origin: Prior to the modern days of refrigeration, fish were packed and stored in large barrels. The barrels were packed to the rim full of fish. As such, any shot the entered the barrel would be guaranteed to hit at least one of them. This being the case, nothing would be easier than shooting fish in a barrel.

There are some skeptics out there, so this became a feature on Discovery’s MythBusters Season 5 (article below)… where they proved that “shooting fish in a barrel is a whole lot easier than finding the original source of that adage.”

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Where_did_the_phrase_like_shooting_fish_in_a_barrel_originate_What_does_it_mean#ixzz1ktGvHjwu

Sources:

Check out this video:

http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/mythbusters/db/animals/shooting-killing-fish-barrel.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_fish_in_a_barrel

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Go Pound Salt

“Making Heads or Tails of Idioms” Newsletter. Volume 1. Issue 10.

Original Release: 9/23/2011

What was said? Go Pound Salt (aka Go Pound Sand)

Did someone really say that? Yes, in a meeting about a month ago, the client said “if we tell our sales teams that, they’ll tell us to GO POUND SALT!”

What does it mean? Basically another way to say “get lost” or “go away”

Origin: Apparently, “Go pound salt” is the less vulgar version of “go pound sand”. The origin of the expression “go pound sand” is from a longer expression, “not to know / have enough sense to pound sand down a rat hole.” Since filling rat holes with sand is menial work, telling someone to pound sand down a hole is like telling them to go fly a kite.

The phrase originated in the US and is more common in the Midwest. It dates back to the early 20th century in which a more vulgar version was used in 1969 by Max Yasgur when arguing with local dignitaries over bringing his Woodstock to Bethal, New York, saying: “Well, you can all go pound salt up your a@#, because come Aug 15, we’re going to have a festival!”

Earlier, a less vulgar version appeared in the Southeast Economist, Chicago, 1948: “From her store of memories, Mrs. Mary R. Stuart….recalls that ‘go pound sand in your ears’ meant to soft-pedal the noise”

Sources:

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/go-pound-sand.html

http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/39/messages/777.html

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=pound%20sand

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Playing Hooky

“Making Heads or Tails of Idioms” Newsletter. Volume 1. Issue 9. Part 2 of 2.

Original Release: 7/31/2011

***Theme: “I surprised myself and used Idioms!”***

What was said? Are you going to play hooky?

Did someone really say that? Yes… I did. One would expect that after two years of an idiom newsletter, that I may begin to use Idioms myself. Hence the “I surprised myself and used Idioms” SPECIAL EDITION newsletter!

What does it mean? Play hooky/hookey: to stay away from school without permission; sometimes refers to staying away from a job or avoiding a duty

Origin: A few theories of origin:

a) This Americanism meaning to skip school most likely comes from the Dutch hoekje, a name for the game of hide and seek (first recorded in late-1840s). However, it is sometimes suggested that the phrase may come from the phrasal verb “to hook it” meaning to run away or clear out.

b) Hooky first appeared in print in 1848, although the term had probably been in common use among children long before then. The phrase “play hooky” seems to have been an American invention and has a number of variations: in Boston, children who skip school were “hooking jack”.

c) Hooky may have developed from the colloquial phrase “hooky-crooky” common in the early-19th century, which mean dishonest or underhanded.

Sources:

http://www.wordorigins.org/index.php/site/comments/hooky/

http://www.word-detective.com/back-m.html

http://Idioms.thefreedictionary.com/play+hooky

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Jump the Gun

“Making Heads or Tails of Idioms” Newsletter. Volume 1. Issue 9. Part 1 of 2.

Original Release: 7/31/2011

***Theme: “I surprised myself and used Idioms!”***

What was said? Sounds like I jumped the gun!

What does it mean? Jump the gun: to begin something before preparations for it are complete

Origin: Jump the gun is derived from track and field races and was preceded in the USA by the phrase “beat the gun” / pistol. From 1905 in Crowther and Ruhl’s Rowing and Track Athletics, “False starts were rarely penalized, the pistol generally followed immediately on the signal “Get Set!” and so shiftless were the starts and officials that “beating the pistol” was one of the tricks which less sportsmanlike runners constantly practised”

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jump_the_gun

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/jump-the-gun.html

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