The Weird Origins of Everyday Sayings
English is filled with quirky phrases that we rattle off without thinking twice. But dig a little deeper, and these sayings have surprisingly vivid — or downright bizarre — backstories.
Why Do We Say “On the Fritz”?
If your computer is glitchy or your car won’t start, it’s common to say it’s “on the fritz.” But why?
It likely comes from early 1900s American slang, possibly poking fun at German names like “Fritz” (popular around WWI). It was a playful way to say something had gone haywire, and the phrase stuck.
“Riding Shotgun”
Today, it means grabbing the front passenger seat. But in the Wild West, stagecoaches often had an armed guard literally riding shotgun to fend off bandits. Calling “shotgun!” is your modern-day (less dangerous) way to claim the best seat.
“Read the Riot Act”
When someone gets a stern talking-to, you might say they’ve been “read the Riot Act.” This comes from 18th-century England, where officials literally read the Riot Act to crowds to disperse them. If the crowd didn’t break up in an hour, they could be arrested.
“Bring Home the Bacon”
This one’s a bit disputed. Some say it comes from 12th-century English villages that awarded a side of bacon to men who could swear before the church that they hadn’t argued with their wives for a year. Others think it’s tied to old fairground competitions. Either way, it ended up meaning earning money for the household.
“Let the Cat Out of the Bag”
Markets once sold piglets in bags — unscrupulous sellers might swap a pig for a less valuable cat. If the buyer opened the bag too early, they’d literally let the cat out of the bag, exposing the fraud. Now it just means revealing a secret.
Why These Phrases Hang On
Idioms and colorful expressions stick because they’re memorable, vivid, and often funny. Even if the original context fades, the phrase survives.
