20 surprising origins of popular sayings

1. "Bite the bullet" - This saying originated from the practice of having soldiers bite on a bullet during surgery to help them endure the pain before anesthesia was widely used.

2. "Break the ice" - This saying comes from the practice of breaking ice to allow ships to pass through, symbolizing the breaking of tension or awkwardness in social situations.

3. "Cat got your tongue?" - This saying is believed to have originated from ancient Egypt, where liars' tongues were believed to be fed to cats as punishment.

4. "Cost an arm and a leg" - This saying likely originated from the practice of commissioning portraits in the 18th century, where artists charged more for including additional limbs in the painting.

5. "Don't cry over spilled milk" - This saying dates back to the 17th century and refers to the futility of lamenting over something that has already happened and cannot be changed.

6. "Kick the bucket" - This saying originated from the method of hanging animals for slaughter by placing them on an upturned bucket, which they would kick as they died.

7. "Let the cat out of the bag" - This saying comes from the practice of dishonest merchants substituting cats for pigs in bags at markets. If the cat was let out, the secret was revealed.

8. "Paint the town red" - This saying originated from a night of drunken revelry in 1837 when the Marquis of Waterford and his friends painted several buildings in the town of Melton Mowbray red.

9. "Saved by the bell" - This saying comes from the fear of being buried alive. A string was tied to the finger of a supposedly dead person and attached to a bell above ground. If the person woke up, they could ring the bell to be saved.

10. "Spill the beans" - This saying originated from ancient Greece, where beans were used to cast votes. If someone accidentally knocked over the jar of beans, the secret votes would be revealed.

11. "The whole nine yards" - The origin of this saying is uncertain, but it is believed to refer to the length of ammunition belts in World War II fighter planes, meaning to give it your all.

12. "Turn a blind eye" - This saying comes from the British naval hero Admiral Horatio Nelson, who turned a blind eye to orders during the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801.

13. "Under the weather" - This saying originated from sailors who would go below deck to escape bad weather, feeling seasick as a result.

14. "Wearing your heart on your sleeve" - This saying dates back to medieval times when knights would wear a lady's token on their sleeve to show their devotion.

15. "You can't judge a book by its cover" - This saying dates back to the 19th century and emphasizes the idea that appearances can be deceiving.

16. "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" - This saying dates back to medieval falconry, where a bird caught was more valuable than two birds still in the bush.

17. "A penny for your thoughts" - This saying originated in the 16th century as a way to ask someone what they were thinking about.

18. "Burning the midnight oil" - This saying originated from the practice of working late into the night by using oil lamps for light.

19. "Jump on the bandwagon" - This saying originated from politicians in the 19th century who would literally jump on a bandwagon to show their support for a cause.

20. "Throwing the baby out with the bathwater" - This saying originated from the medieval practice of bathing in a communal tub, where the water would get progressively dirtier. The baby would be bathed last, and there was a risk of accidentally throwing them out with the dirty water.

Above is 20 surprising origins of popular sayings.