The origin of the phrase ‘sick as a dog’ can be found in the early 1700’s, when it was common to compare undesirable things to dogs. The explanation for this isn’t that people didn’t like dogs, it is that diseases such as the plague were often spread via animals like rats, birds, and unfortunately, dogs.
Is I am sick as a dog a cliche?
Cliché very sick; sick and vomiting. (*Also: as ~.) We’ve never been so ill. The whole family was sick as dogs.
Why do we say sick as a parrot?
The term sick a parrot derives from the knowledge that some parrots will feed on rotting and fermenting (and therefore alcoholic) fruit. The term drunk as a parrot derives from this. After being drunk, the parrot would suffer a hangover the next day and be sick a parrot.
Is sic a real word?
The adverb sic, meaning “intentionally so written”, first appeared in English circa 1856. It is derived from the Latin adverb sīc, which means “so, thus, in this manner”.
What does sick as a chip mean?
it means “fed up”
What does crook as a dog mean?
Crook as a dog: Unwell.
What does happy as a lark mean?
(simile, colloquial) Very happy (sometimes with the extra connotations of being carefree or unaware of grimmer realities). She’s happy as a lark with her ten dollar pay raise, even though the long-term prospects for the business are not good.
Where does the expression right as rain come from?
The allusion in this simile is unclear, but it originated in Britain, where rainy weather is a normal fact of life, and indeed W.L. Phelps wrote, “The expression ‘right as rain’ must have been invented by an Englishman.” It was first recorded in 1894.
What does in a flap mean?
: angry or unhappy : upset. He got in a flap over the delays in the schedule.
Where does the phrase when push comes to shove come from?
This term comes from rugby, where, after an infraction of rules, forwards from each team face off and push against one another until one player can kick the ball to a teammate and resume the game. Its figurative use dates from the 1950s.
What’s a simp slang?
“‘Simp’ is slang for a person (typically a man) who is desperate for the attention and affection of someone else (typically a woman),” said Connor Howlett, 23, a digital strategist for Turner PR in New York City, in an email to CNN.
Is it sic or sick a dog?
The command given to a dog, “sic ’em,” derives from the word “seek.” The 1992 punk rock album titled “Sick ‘Em” has helped popularize the common misspelling of this phrase. Unless you want to tell how you incited your pit bull to vomit on someone’s shoes, don’t write “sick ’em” or “sick the dog.”
Is using sic rude?
But it can also serve as a sneer, an unseemly tool to mock a trivial error or an utterance of questionable pedigree. The Columbia Guide to Standard American English, echoing Mitford, says the use of sic “may be defensive, but its overuse is offensive”.
Where did the saying jobs a fish come from?
Once upon a time, knowing how to fish or farm might have set someone up for life. The Industrial Revolution and urbanization changed that by creating a market for skilled labor, where “knowing how to fish” meant having job skills that provided similar security in the new economy.
What is a chip in British slang?
British Slang. to jeer or criticize severely; deride; taunt.
Where does dry as a chip come from?
Extremely dry [1631 Ben Jonson The New Inn iv. i. 3–4: ‘As dry as a chip!
Where does the saying stop carrying on like a pork chop come from?
pork chop: to carry on like a pork chop However it is probably a variant of the older expression like a pork chop in a synagogue, meaning something that is unpopular, unlikely, or rare (with reference to the Jewish prohibition of the eating of pork). To carry on like a pork chop is first recorded in 1975.
What is the meaning of idiom raining cats and dogs?
“Cats and dogs” may come from the Greek expression cata doxa, which means “contrary to experience or belief.” If it is raining cats and dogs, it is raining unusually or unbelievably hard. “Cats and dogs” may be a perversion of the now obsolete word catadupe.
How do you spell sic a dog?
Definition of sic (something) on (someone or something) : to order (an animal, such as a dog) to attack (someone or something) He sicced his dog on me. —often used figuratively The company sicced their lawyers on me.
What does as quiet as mice mean?
Definition of quiet as a mouse Silent, without noise, as in She sneaked into the house, quiet as a mouse, or When he heard the news he was still as a mouse. The first of these similes dates from the mid-1500s, the second from the 1300s.
What does the idiom as dead as a dodo mean?
Definition of (as) dead as a dodo informal, chiefly British. —used to stress that someone or something is dead The old captain was dead as a dodo. —often used figuratively The negotiations are as dead as a dodo. The deal is dead as a dododo.
What is a stubborn mule?
Extremely obstinate, as in He’s stubborn as a mule about wearing a suit and tie. This simile evokes the proverbial stubbornness of mules, whose use as draft animals was once so common that the reputation for obstinacy can hardly be as warranted as the term indicates. [
Where does neat as a pin come from?
neat as a pin Trim, orderly. This term dates from the late eighteenth century and appeared in print in several works by John Wolcot (who used the pseudonym Peter Pindar), as “neat as a new pin.”
What does a dime a dozen mean?
So plentiful as to be valueless. For example, Don’t bother to buy one of these—they’re a dime a dozen.
What does spilling the beans mean?
Disclose a secret or reveal something prematurely, as in You can count on little Carol to spill the beans about the surprise. In this colloquial expression, first recorded in 1919, spill means “divulge,” a usage dating from the 1500s.