Beginning in the 1870s, carbon paper was used to make copies of documents. This kind of technology hadn’t existed before.

Essentially, a sheet of carbon paper would be inserted between the original document and the blank piece of paper that was going to be a copy. We now use this phrase to mean an exact copy of an original.

The Idioms credits the ancient writer Pliny the Elder for this one: “It is said that Pliny the Elder translated an ancient antidote for poison in 77 A.D., which recommends taking the antidote with a grain of salt.”

This phrase typically means one should have some healthy skepticism about what they’re hearing.

This phrase means something begins very suddenly. It dates back to the American Wild West.

Often a race or a duel would begin with someone firing off a gun. But sometimes a hat was used instead – and when it dropped and landed on the floor, the race would begin.

The origins of this 19th-century phrase, meaning, “dressed extremely well,” are somewhat murky.

Some people believe that this saying originated because it took nine yards of fabric to make a full three-piece suit.

Other people point out, however, that the saying “to the nines” existed before this phrase and that it seems like the “dressed” part was simply added on.

The 1635 book Quarles’ Emblems, first used the phrase “midnight oil,” which refers to the oil in an oil lamp.

This phrase means that you are awake late at night doing work.

Meaning “getting banned or excluded,” this phrase originated in 1770.

In polite society, people would cast votes in order to decide whether or not to allow someone into their social club. On a ballot, the downvotes would be made with a black ball.

You might be surprised to learn that this often-used phrase comes from organists.

According to the American Guild of Organists, organ pipes are controlled by “stops.”

In order to keep specific pipes silent, the organist will push in the stops. In order to make sound, the organist pulls out the stops and makes beautiful, loud music.

This saying isn’t quite as old as some of the others on this list, but it still dates back to the 1920s.

Cigars used to be the top prize in carnival games.

Someone losing the game and therefore not winning a cigar would prompt the carnival workers to say this now-famous phrase.

This phrase comes from when horsemanship was more popular in the 19th century.

It means that the information that you have comes from the most original source or best authority, and it refers to how stable boys and horse trainers often had a better knowledge of a horse’s condition and ability to win a race than their owners did.

Back in New England around the 1830s, it was custom that a disgraced army officer or soldier would be sent home with a specific song playing on the drums. They were literally facing the music for whatever wrong actions had led the

This may come as a shock to some younger readers, but when cars were first invented, you had to crank the windows open and closed with a crank located near your feet.

(Anyone born before 2000 can feel free to roll their eyes now!)

Although power windows, the kind we are all used to today, were first invented for luxury cars in 1941, this phrase came about at a time when getting a breeze in the car was much harder than it is today.

Shakespeare used this phrase in his 1595 play King John, writing “Nay, but make haste; the better foot before.”

It typically means to begin something with bravado and your best self.

A bandwagon was a phrase coined by PT Barnum to describe the wagon that carried his circus’s band. His circus would ride into town parade-style and sometimes politicians would use bandwagons for their electoral campaigns.

People jumped on the bandwagon to express their support for a designated candidate.

That Alice In Wonderland character’s name actually did make sense! Turns out, hatmakers in the 18th and 19th centuries used the dangerous chemical mercury nitrate as part of their hatmaking process.

This led to the workers developing many ailments such as shakes and hallucinations.

Fortunately, hat makers do not use this chemical anymore.

Originates from the 19th century when a patient would clench a bullet between their teeth as a way to endure pain without anesthetic during a surgical procedure.

Stemming from the days when navigation involved breaking literal ice to move forward, it now refers to reducing tension when meeting new people.

This phrase’s origin is not definitively known, but one theory suggests it refers to the cat-o’-nine-tails whip used by the English Navy for flogging, which left victims speechless.

This saying dates back to the 1880s and means there’s no point in being upset about something that has already happened and can’t be changed.

This proverb has been traced back to Aesop’s Fables, where the moral is not to act on the expectation of something that has not yet occurred.

This phrase can be traced back to John Milton’s “Comus” (1634) with the line “Was I deceived, or did a sable cloud Turn forth her silver lining on the night?”

Originates from the Bible, where Jesus declares that if a Roman soldier demands you carry his gear for a mile (which they were allowed to do), go with him two miles.

This likely comes from carpentry, where hitting a nail on the head drives it in straight, an analogy to the accuracy of a point made during an argument or discussion.

One theory is that it comes from the method of slaughtering pigs; a bucket was placed under them as they were killed and they would kick it in their death throes.

This phrase may come from a time when piglets were sold in bags at markets. An unscrupulous dealer might put a cat in the bag instead of a piglet. If the cat were let out, the deceit was revealed.

Originally a phrase from accounting, dating back to the 1680s, meaning to balance income and expenditure.

The term “blue moon” has been around for over 400 years, originally signifying an absurdity, but later becoming a term for a rare event, as a blue moon is an uncommon occurrence.

Popularized by the US Air Force; an easy flight mission was referred to as a “piece of cake.”

This phrase is shortened from an English proverb, “Speak of the devil, and he doth appear,” dating back to the 16th century.

Originates from the playwright John Dennis who, in the 18th century, invented a thunder machine for his plays. When the machine was used in another play, he accused the other playwright of stealing his thunder.

This expression dates back to at least the 17th century and refers to the soot that would build up on cooking pots, which would then stain kettles placed on the stove.

Comes from boxing, where a trainer throws a towel into the ring to concede defeat on behalf of their fighter.

A term from the days of sailing ships, where sailors feeling seasick would go below deck to avoid the weather.

Dating from the 1600s, the phrase is used to scoff at over-ambition, coming from a time when flying pigs were a symbol of impossibility.

First recorded in the journal “American Speech” in 1944, it’s a metaphorical phrase which means one shouldn’t prejudge the worth of someone or something by its outward appearance alone.

Comes from the early 19th-century United States, where it was used to describe a hunting dog that mistakenly thought it had chased a prey up a tree.

Originating from a Native American custom of burying one’s weapons as a sign of peace.

This saying originated because of a law that stated if someone butchered an animal that wasn’t theirs, they would be punished if they were caught with the animal’s blood still on their hands.

Comes from a military term where soldiers’ feet would become so cold that they would be unable to walk, thereby developing “cold feet” about a battle.

From the early days of Hollywood, where silent films would often end in chase scenes, and if the film was lagging, the director would say “cut to the chase.”

Dates back to Aesop’s Fable “The Cobbler Turned Doctor,” where a cobbler used to give bitter medicines and was forced to take his own medicine.

Legal origin, where a defendant is entitled to acquittal if the jury has a reasonable doubt about their guilt.

“Sack” refers to the sackcloth that mattresses used to be made of; hence “hitting the sack” meant going to bed.

Originates from the 13th century and means to avoid interfering in a situation that is currently causing no problems but might do so as a result of such interference.

This phrase comes from a Greek proverb that was first mentioned in English in Thomas More’s work “A Dialogue of Comfort against Tribulation” (1534).

Stemming from the steam engine era, where a steam train would stop once it ran out of steam.

Likely from an ancient Greek voting method where beans were used to cast votes. If someone spilled the beans, the election results were revealed prematurely.

From tennis, meaning it’s the other player’s turn to respond or take action.

Originates from nautical terminology, where caution is synonymous with the customary careful handling of a vessel’s sails.

From the Middle Ages, where knights would tie a lady’s token to their arm to display their emotional attachment to her during a tournament.

This idiom is thought to have originated in the horse racing world, where it was used to describe a horse that gets a burst of energy after the first lap of a race. It is now used more generally to describe someone who gets a burst of energy after feeling tired.