January 9, 2009

Where did that come from?

By Bill Highlander
Editor

Communication is effective when the listener understands what you said. Often we use phrases that we get the gist of what they mean, but wonder how that became part of our lexicon. So from time to time, that means when I get around to writing about it, I’ll share with you some interesting origins and background of words and phrases we use all the time.

Etymology can often be pedantic and confusing. Note that may words and phrases originated from folklore and sometimes there are different versions. Don’t get hung up on that. Just choose the one that’s most interesting.

And if you have a phrase you’d like to know more about, tell me and I’ll include it in a future column.
The first one is apropos of the weather.

Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. When fighting ships used cannons as the primary armament, the cannon balls were stacked on a brass tray called a “monkey.” It the weather got very cold, the metal tray would contract, causing the cannon balls to roll off onto the deck.

Give someone the cold shoulder. Reject or snub another person. From Scotland, where the least desirable meal, the cold shoulder of mutton, was served to a person you didn’t like.

The whole nine yards. Give it everything you’ve got. A version stemming from the military is that it refers to the length of an ammunition belt for a machine gun.