Back by popular demand, here are a few more…
Sleep tight
| Meaning: | Sleep well. |
| Example: | Good night, sleep tight. |
| Origin: | Before box springs were in use, old bed frames used rope pulled tightly between the frame rails to support a mattress. If the rope became loose, the mattress would sag making for uncomfortable sleeping. Tightening the ropes would help one get a good night sleep. |
Strike while the iron is hot
| Meaning: | Act quickly while the opportunity is still available. |
| Example: | If you want the job, you need to strike while the iron is hot. |
| Origin: | Blacksmiths working iron by hand heat the iron in a fire to red-hot making it malleable. The Smith removes the iron from the fire and shapes it with blows from a hammer. They need to work quickly before the iron cools. Once the iron is cool, it becomes brittle and the opportunity to hammer it into shape has passed. |
With a grain of salt
| Meaning: | With a healthy dose of skepticism, suspicion, and caution. |
| Example: | Dave has been known to stretch the truth a bit. Take what he says with a grain of salt. |
| Origin: | Salt is now an inexpensive and readily available commodity. But it was once very valuable due to its high demand as a food preservative and relative scarcity. Salt was thought to have healing properties and to be an antidote to poisons. To take (eat or drink) something “with a grain of salt” was to practice preventive medicine. One would do this if they were suspicious that the food might be poisonous or may cause illness. The phrase and meaning is thousands of years old, the Latin equivalent phrase is “cum grano salis”. |
Thanks LJ!
