Random Facts
Idiom facts
Where does the idiom "rule of thumb" come from?
The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb. Reference:
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Why does Donald Trump say you're fired?
Clans of long ago that wanted to get rid of their unwanted people without killing them used to burn their houses down - hence the expression "to get fired." Reference:
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Why do people say "playing possum"
When possums are playing 'possum, they are not "playing." They actually pass out from sheer terror. Reference:
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Isn't the term "the whole 9 yards" related to football?
The term "the whole 9 yards" came from WWII fighter pilots in the Pacific. When arming their airplanes on the ground, the .50 caliber machine gun ammo belts measured exactly 27 feet, before being loaded into the fuselage. If the pilots fired all their ammo at a target, it got "the whole 9 yards." Reference:
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What the heck does mind your P's and Q's mean?
In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them to mind their own pints and quarts and settle down. It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's." Reference:
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