The Return Of Wednesday Words. #9

via Pinterest.

Late at night when we should be really going to sleep (especially me!) Harps and I can't help ourselves but to turn onto Challenge TV and watch a little old school gameshows. Usually aiming for that prime slot of Bullseye so we can shout with Bully at the tv screen and cringe at the lack of political correctness. Over the last few days however, we caught some classic Catchphrase and I've genuinely spent any moment of relaxation since, giggling at the phrase...

"Like a bear with a sore head."

Now if like me you've never heard that phrase, you may have many immediate questions; Are bears notorious for headaches? What happens when a bear has a sore head? Does one wish to be like a bear with a sore head or is it something to avoid? And is it sore from injury? Are there bandages? Oh how I have laughed and laughed thinking about this recently. Simple things as they say.

"To be in a bad mood that causes you to treat others badly and complain a lot." Is the most common definition that I could find but the origin is a little more interesting. Though some debate between British, American or Australian origins, it's suggested overall that the idiom was coined by early hunters, who when trying to kill a bear found that shooting/attacking their heads directly did little more than anger them. As I can imagine it would!

So there we go. Now you know.

Catch up on some previous Wednesday Words here.

Love Sophie Xx

Wednesday Words #8

Snuggled down, watching 'That 70's Show', it suddenly dawned on me that I hadn't thought of a phrase for this weeks Wednesday Words. I thought back to how I've been feeling this week (tired and relieved if you're asking) and thought about how hard the charity event was to pull off (we did though, it was a brilliant success!) It led me to thinking;

'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.'

Certainly apt. I think this is on of those sayings that follows you through life, I know that I've thought it on plenty of occasions. I do believe that the hard times are there to shape us as individuals. My priorities have changed massively over the last ten years. I imagined travel was the only plan for me, I didn't care about a career of having a family, just me and the world. Experiences changed me in that my aim became having a secure and safe home- something I'd never have imagined I'd care about.

That quote is attributed to German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche in 1887. Actually he said it much more eloquently; "That which does not kill us, makes us stronger."

And now we know,

Love Sophie Xx

Wednesday Words #7 Good Things Come To Those Who Wait.

Image source Via Pinterest.

Wednesday is actually speedily becoming Thursday and I find myself panicking for the weekend and hoping that our charity event goes off without a hitch! We'll sit down on Sunday and have a cup of tea and a catch up shall we? With charitable intentions and good faith in mind, positive attitude has been my motto of the week- followed by this little gem:

'Good things come to those who wait.'

Used, but probably not originated, by Violet Fane (1843-1905) in her poem Tout vient ß qui sait attendre.

'Ah, all things come to those who wait,'

(I say these words to make me glad),

But something answers soft and sad,

'They come, but often come too late.'

I just couldn't find the origins of this phrase but did think the slightly darker undertones of this poem made it all the more interesting!

How is everyone's weeks going? 

Cold isn't it?!

Love Sophie?

Information sourced from Phrases.org 

Wednesday Words #6

Image via Pinterest-Click image for source.

The cold winds are currently hurling outside my window, sitting with the heating finally on (I gave in yesterday!) My special winter 'Figgy Pudding candle from St Eval Candle Co' burning and wooly socks on- I am ready for you winter.  

The drop in temperature made me think of a rather well known proverb: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. One that I'm sure most of us are used to hearing from our mothers and grandmothers, a plight to eat your fruit, especially this time of year, I wondered where it came from.

Wales seems like an unlikely source for most commonplace English phrases, however there's a fair chance that this little maxim originated there! In 1866 the first sourced printed use of this phrase was in Notes and Queries magazine:

"A Pembrokeshire proverb. Eat an apple on going to bed, And you'll keep the doctor from earning his bread."

Around the turn of the century, Elizabeth Wright recorded a Devonian dialect version of the phrase as we know it now:

"Ait a happle avore gwain to bed, An' you'll make the doctor beg his bread; or as the more popular version runs: An apple a day Keeps the doctor away."

'Apples have a good claim to promote health. They contain Vitamin C, which aids the immune system, and phenols, which reduce cholesterol. They also reduce tooth decay by cleaning one's teeth and killing off bacteria. It has also been suggested by Cornell University researchers that the quercetin found in apples protects brain cells against neuro-degenerative disorders like Alzheimer's Disease.'

So now we know! Is this phrase new to you? Or like me, did your grandmother used to entice to with an apple, humming this to you? I'd love to start hearing from you about some phrases local or unusual  that you've come across! 

Love Sophie Xx

Information used from here.

Wednesday Words #5

Good morning everyone, normal service is resuming round these parts and I've got an interesting Wednesday Words for you lined up. Before that, how are you all? I've been off for a few days now and am certainly feeling better from it. It's my first time off since the beginning of August and that feels forever away! I've also been having a catch up reading all of your lovely posts- keep an eye out for a little gush over you all later this week! 

'A little bit of what you fancy does you good.' I intended to share this phrase because I say it all the time! Especially over the last few days when I've been gorging on lots of delicious treats. Infact, I say it at least once a day, to people at work when they're dieting but eyeing up the biscuits, to Harps when I give him extra big portions of dinner. Anyway, it wasn't until I decided to post about this when I found out that it actually has a rather different meaning...

'A little bit of what you fancy' was the title of a song performed by risqué Victorian singer, Marie Lloyd. Winking at the audience familiarly when singing the chorus;

"I always hold in having it if you fancy it

If you fancy it that’s understood

And suppose it makes you fat? I don’t worry over that

‘Cos a little of what you fancy does you good."

The sexual innuendo of the song has long been forgotten; so much so that when I'm evaluating my food choices, I'm actually inenvertandly talking about wanting a little sex! 

And now we know!

Love Sophie Xx

Wednesday Words #4

Painting by Fiona Phillips Click image for source.

Isn't this portrait beautiful? I found it on Pinterest and knew I had to share it with you all! It brings my Wednesday Words to a rather obvious reveal; 'Raining cats and dogs.' Pretty apt if you're in the UK this week. What a weird phrase, if a collie fell on my head from the sky I'd be pretty panicked! A persian would rip your face off, I wouldn't mind a spaniel though- Michelle would agree. It was thanks to a lovely lady who I discovered actually reads my blog and sent me a lovely link to an article she saw and thought of me that I came across this. 

"So where does it come from?" I hear ye cry?

Well, so it says; a long ol time ago, houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof... Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs."

And now we know. Watch out for those animals hiding in your roof, and if they are, be a dear and pop some floor grips down to avoid any nasty accidents.

Love Sophie Xx

I Lived in a Haunted House...

People used to say I looked like Wednesday, maybe that should be my
Halloween costume this year...

October is here and we're getting into the midst of Autumn. The days are getting shorter, Halloween marking the end of this month, I thought I'd kick off the month with a post about a house that I used to live in. For the people who don't believe in the supernatural, I could have agreed with you once upon a time, but if you can come up with a more logical explanation as to the happenings that I can pinky promise happened, I'd love to hear it.

It was the first house that we lived in when we moved to Cornwall, in a quaint village that I would actually quite like to move back to, we rented a new build house. Built on what used to be allotments (or so I've been told) there wasn't any signs of anything unusual at first. At the age of 12, I was in the midst of puberty (something they say can entice strange activities.) I'm not sure if that's true, but maybe helps to explain the changes that gradually got worse.

It started with things just not being in the right place, things that would always be in the same place like; toothbrushes, glasses etc....The first time I knew something was wrong was one early morning. 

I remember it crystal clear, it was Sunday morning and I'd told Grandpa that I'd go to the butchers as soon as it opened to get him some meat for his roast later that day. He was going to pick me up early and then my parents would follow later. So I got up extra early (for a Sunday), went downstairs and tried to stay really really quiet because my parents were asleep, their one day for a lie-in. About 10 minutes later I went back upstairs (in silence) to get dressed. As I walked into my bedroom and looked at my bed, the type with a bunk bed on top and a sofa bed underneath- everything was on the floor. Both duvets (top and bottom bunk), all pillows/books etc on the bottom bunk, even both of the mattresses. I didn't know how to explain it. It's only been 10 minutes since I'd woken up and I'd been extra quiet whilst walking around, even if my parents had tried to prank me, it wasn't possible to move all of that so quietly, not even to creak the floorboards. 

The second experience wasn't long after. My mum had received what can only be described as a 'snow bunny' jacket. White suede and fluffy on the inside, I was super jealous. I really thought it was amazing and had been begging her to let me wear it (I didn't care that it was way to big and I looked more like abdominal snowman)...She relented and relented until she gave in- she'd known I'd get this pristine jacket mucky somehow. I was going out with friends that weekend and she agreed I could wear it then. Covered by other jackets and coats, the week passed and eventually Friday night came. As I went to fetch my fancy borrowed jacket for the weekend, I froze in shock. Across the entire back of the garment, black ink was scrawled and stabbed at it. Actual stab marks with a pen. Of course nobody could explain it, of course none of us would do that. But it happened. And I didn't get to wear the jacket. 

The third, I was home alone. My parents had gone to the local pub on a Friday night and I was watching tv until late. I decided to go upstairs to bed when all of a sudden felt 'different'. Like someone was watching me. The curtains were closed, it was very dark out (I seem to think it was winter at this point) Turning the living room light off and replacing it with the stairs one, I started to ascend. All of a sudden, what can only be described as 'a force' pushed me to the side of the stairs, grabbing the bannister for support, looking up, all I could see was a silhouetted figure against the wall, dance around the corner, and disappear. Now I can absolutely assure you 150% that it wasn't my shadow, nor was it a gust of wind, come on guys, I know a gust of wind when I feel/ hear one. I cried until my parents came home.

So what do you think believers and cynics? Have any of you had any haunting experiences? Do you have any disproving stories to share? I'd love to get a little collection together to post on Halloween!

And just so I'm not completely going off track from Wednesday Words #3...One which doesn't really need an explanation..."White as a sheet"....My sheets are currently yellow thank you very much Mr Idioms...

Love Sophie Xx

Wednesday Words #2

Wednesday wishes to one and all. I hope that you're all trudging though the week like the troopers you are! I've had a rather pleasant week so far and unlike many, am rather enjoying that fresh autumn crisp that's suddenly in the air.

I confess, I still have donkey sayings on the brain- seriously how can you not be when you just see this happy fellow? I was really pleased with the response to starting this little wordy based series, and I'm hoping that the lovely Sunae is going to be joining in with some Aussie idioms soon!

"Talk the hind legs off a donkey..."

An interesting phrase wouldn't you say? I expect some people haven't even heard of it? Thats something I'd be interested to find out actually, if there are phrases etc that you haven't heard of? So, after a little fiddling around with google, I checked a few sites (just to be sure) and the most accurate origins that I could find were that it was originally an expression used to show admiration! Showing powerful signs of persuasion, a suggestion that someone could create the impossible just from talking, is now though still admiringly, more likely to be used when complaining about someone's chatter.

And now we know.

Love Sophie Xx

Wednesday Words #1

Good Morning everyone, I've been thinking a lot about my Wednesday posts over the last couple of weeks and though I've enjoyed sharing news stories and other things that have made me chuckle, I've started to find it almost as a bit of a chore? Which should of course, never be the case when blogging. For example, Duck In a Dress does a brilliant news themed post (which you should totally check out!) whereas with mine, I find it not only takes up a lot of time but also never ends up how I want it. Anyway, long story short, I've decided to take a little break from it, #25 seemed a good number to stop.  

Instead, I've been having plenty of conversations at work recently revolving around the origins of phrases or idioms and I thought it might be quite fun to learn about some of them! This was the first one that actually started the whole thing, and I found it pretty interesting! Let me know what you think of my change, I'd love some sort of feedback! 

"It's going to take donkey's years..."

How cute is this guy! Photo from Pinterest
Click image for source.

Why do people say 'donkey's years'? Well that's exactly what I wondered a few weeks ago and after a quick hunt around the internet (a variety of sources just to make sure) it would seem that it comes from the origin of 'donkey's ears' obviously meaning in length- relating to length of time. It's suggested that rhyming slang is the origin for the above reason, but also because people used to believe that the longer the donkeys ears, the longer they'd live! Once again relating to time! 

So there we go, we all learnt something this morning and it's not even midday!

Love Sophie Xx