bosom buddy/friend

An intimate friend. This turn of phrase for denoting a very dear associate is found in both the Old and New Testaments. Nathan says it “lay in his bosom and was unto him as a daughter” (2 Samuel 12:3), and in the Gospel of St. John, John, often called the “beloved disciple,” is described as the bosom friend of Jesus. In his “Ode to Autumn” John Keats wrote, “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, close bosom-friend of the maturing sun.” By this time “bosom friend” was also a euphemism for body lice, and Jonathan Swift’s Polite Conversation (1738) includes the pun, “I’m afraid your Bosom Friends are become your Backbiters.” The alliterative bosom buddy is of later provenance; the word “buddy,” for comrade or chum, dates from the mid-nine- teenth century and originated in America. See also BOON COMPANION.

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borrowed time, on

An unexpected extension of time. It often refers to someone terminally ill or in great danger but surviving longer than was anticipated, on time that is in effect borrowed from Death. The term dates from the late 1800s. Raymond Chandler used it in The Big Sleep (1930): “Brody was living on borrowed time.” James Patterson also had it, referring to the 48-hour deadline for a threatened bombing attack: “We were defi- nitely operating on borrowed time” (London Bridges, 2004).

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born with a silver spoon

Born rich, or lucky, or both. Several writers believe this phrase comes from the custom of godparents giving their god- child a silver spoon, and only the wealthy could afford this gift. However, the spoon here may simply be symbolic of wealth, and indeed, other locu- tions, such as “He was borne with a penny in ’s mouth” (John Clarke, Parœmiologia Anglo-Latina, 1639), also occurred. The silver spoon was cited in Peter Motteux’s translation of Don Quixote (1712), as well as in two proverb collections of the same period.

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born, not made

Describing an innate ability or talent. The original phrase was a translation of the Latin Orator fit, Poeta nascitur (Orators are made, Poets are born), quoted by Sir Philip Sidney in his Apologie for Poetrie (c. 1521). Later it was extended to include other occupations. Harriet Beecher Stowe (Uncle Tom’s Cabin, 1851) provided an interesting twist on it when she had Topsy say, “I ’spect I growed. Don’t think nobody never made me.”

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born and bred

Describing a native, a person born and raised in the same place. The alliterative appeal of this phrase no doubt led to its overuse. Joseph Addison paired the two early on (The Spectator, 1711): “Being bred to no business and born to no estate.” The precise locution appears in Fanny Kemble’s travel book (1863), “Born and bred in America.”

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bore to death/tears, to

To be extremely tedious or dull. The literature abounds with epigrams concerning bores. Both of these clichés for being exceedingly boring allegedly date from the nineteenth century and are much duller than, for example, “Society is now one polished horde, formed of two mighty tribes, the Bores and Bored” (Byron, Don Juan), or “Bore, n. A person who talks when you wish him to listen” (Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary).

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boot is on the other foot

See SHOE  IS  ON THE  OTHER  FOOT.

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boonies, the

The provinces, a remote rural area. This slangy term is an abbreviation of boondocks, which comes from the Tagalog word bundok, for “hill” or “mountain.” It was coined by U.S. Marines fighting against Filipino guerril- las after the Spanish-American War (1899–1902) for the rough hill country there. Later American troops in the Philippines during World War II shortened it, and after the war it began to be used more widely as an equivalent for another such term, the sticks, which dates from the early 1900s. W. C. Handy used it in Father of the Blues (1957), “I continued playing for dances, touring on the road and through the sticks.”

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boon companion

A favorite friend, a convivial associate. Now on its way to obsolescence, the adjective “boon” comes from the French bon, for “good,” and has meant “jolly” since the twelfth century. As for the pairing with “companion,” several sources cite the Roman epigrammist Martial, who wrote nulli tefacias nimis sodalem, which has been translated as “to no man make yourself a boon companion.” The association with drinking was made explicit by John Arbuthnot (The History of John Bull, 1712): “A boon companion, loving his bottle and his diversion.”

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born yesterday, not (I wasn’t)

Not naive; more experienced than one might think. Already a popular saying by the early nineteenth century, it appeared on both sides of the Atlantic. “I warn’t born yesterday,” said Thomas Haliburton’s Sam Slick in one of his Wise Saws (1843). Approximately a cen- tury later Garson Kanin used the phrase for the title of a Broadway play that became extremely popular, as did the later (1950) film version. In both, actress Judy Holliday played the quintessential dumb blonde who, despite seeming unsophistication, is graced with enormous good sense.

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bone of contention, the

The central point of a dispute. The phrase alludes to two dogs fighting over a single bone, and originally was a bone of dissension (“This became a bone of dissension between these deere friends,” William Lambarde, 1576). The current cliché dates from the early eigh- teenth century, although the metaphor of dogs fighting over a bone had been transferred to human quarrels long before (“The devil hath cast a bone to set stryfe between you,” John Heywood’s Proverbs, 1562).

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bone dry

Very thirsty; extremely dry. The simile dry as bone, referring to the bones of a dead creature, dates from the sixteenth century and has sur- vived to the present day, while others of the same period (dry as a sieve, dry as a chip, dry as a red herring) have long since died out. See also DRY AS DUST.

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bolt from the blue, a

A sudden, unexpected event, usually of a cata- strophic nature. The term refers to a bolt of lightning or thunder that comes from a blue (cloudless) sky and hence is not anticipated. Although “blue” was a poetic allusion to the sky by 1700, the precise expression dates from the early nineteenth century. It appears in Thomas Carlyle’s description of chaotic events of the French Revolution: “Arrestment, sudden really as a bolt out of the blue, has hit strange victims” (1837).

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in a heartbeat

Extremely quickly. This hyperbolic expression—what could actually happen in the space of a single heartbeat?—dates from the late 1800s.

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in a dither, all

In a jittery, agitated state. This expression dates from the early 1800s, when it also was put as of a dither. The noun dither comes from the Middle English verb didderen, meaning “to tremble.” A newer synonym is in a tizzy, dating from the first half of the 1900s. Its origin is not known.

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I’m from Missouri, you’ve got to show me

I won’t believe it without proof. This expression, signifying shrewd native skepticism rather than provincial stupidity, has been traced to a number of sources. The oldest source of the thought suggested to date is the Missouri Compromise of 1820, a proviso that the constitution of the then new state would not pro- hibit slavery, which was reached after several years of dickering. As for the wording, one writer cites a speech made by Congressman Willard D. Van- diver in 1899; another refers to a song from the same period, “I’m from Missouri and You’ve Got to Show Me,” with lyrics by Lee Raney and music by Ned Wayburn. Thomas Oliphant, describing Senator Edward Kennedy’s doubts about a Supreme Court nominee, wrote, “Kennedy has become the leading Show Me Senator” (Boston Globe, Sept. 29, 2005).

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ill wind that blows no one any good, it’s/’tis an

Someone or other usually benefits from a misfortune or loss. This expression appeared in John Heywood’s 1546 proverb collection and several of Shakespeare’s plays. Today it remains current, often shortened simply to an ill wind. Laurence McKinney punned on it in People of Note (1940), saying of the notoriously difficult oboe, “It’s an ill wood wind [sic] no one blows good.”

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ignorance is bliss

It sometimes is better not to know one’s fate, or the outcome. Although the idea was stated by the Greek playwright Sophocles (c. 409 B.C.) and quoted by Erasmus in the early sixteenth century, the pre- cise wording of the cliché comes from the closing lines of Thomas Gray’s poem, “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College” (1742): “Where igno- rance is bliss, ’tis folly to be wise.” Both it and blissful ignorance became clichés in the nineteenth century, but the latter has died out.

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if worst comes to worst

If the most unfavorable or injurious circum- stances should occur. This term would make more sense as if worse comes to worst (comparative to superlative), but it has been used in its present form since the late sixteenth century. It generally is followed by some expedient solution, as in “If worst comes to worst he’ll declare bankruptcy.” The Restoration dramatists had fun with it. John Dryden said (Sir Martin Mar- All, 1667), “If worst comes to the worst, he leaves you an honest woman,” and William Congreve (The Way of the World, 1700) wrote, “If the worst comes to the worst, I’ll turn my wife to grass.”

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if truth be told

To be perfectly honest, to present all the facts of a case. James Patterson used it in his novel, Roses Are Red (2000): “I am a little scared, truth be told.” See also FACT OF THE MATTER; TRUTH TO TELL.

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if the shoe fits, wear it If

If something applies to you, accept it. This expression is a version of an older term, if the cap fits, put it on, which origi- nally meant a fool’s cap and dates from the early eighteenth century. This version is rarely heard today. Its replacement by a shoe probably came about owing to the increased popularity of the Cinderella story, and indeed, an early appearance in print, in Clyde Fitch’s play The Climbers (1901), states, “If the slipper fits.”

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if the mountain will not come to Mohammed

When you can’t get your own way, bow to the inevitable. The complete expression is, “If the mountain will not come to Mohammed, Mohammed must go to the moun- tain.” This expression, with the spelling Mahomet (a slightly different transliteration from Arabic), is based on the story that Mohammed once asked for miraculous proof of his teachings and ordered Mount Safa to come to him. When the mountain did not move, he said, “God is merciful. Had it obeyed my words it would have fallen on us to our destruction.” Sir Francis Bacon retold the story, saying, “If the Hil will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet will go to the Hil” (in Of Boldnesse, 1597). It was repeated in John Ray’s English Proverbs (1678) and numerous sources there- after, including Shaw’s play, The Doctor’s Dilemma (1906).

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ifs, ands, or buts

Reservations or restrictions; excuses. This expression actually mingles two older ones, ifs and ands with but me no buts. The first, dating from the sixteenth century, was more or less the equivalent of wish- ful thinking, and its most famous version is Charles Kingsley’s rhyme of  1850: “If ifs and ans were pots and pans, there’d be no trade for tinkers.” Almost as old is “but me no buts,” meaning make no objections or excuses, which according to Eric Partridge was popularized by Sir Walter Scott’s use of it in The Antiquary (1816). The current cliché is most often used as a neg- ative imperative, as in, “I want this done by tomorrow, and no ifs, ands, or buts.”

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if push comes to shove

See PUSH  COMES TO  SHOVE

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if not now, when?

An explanation, sometimes a bit rueful, of the reason a person is embarking on a particular enterprise, a trip, or some other, per- haps surprising undertaking. It often refers to the fact that the person feels the approach of old age and attendant infirmities, and wants to accomplish something while it is still possible. For example, “When I asked Joe just why he was booking a trekking trip to Nepal, he said, ‘I’m turning 65 next year. If not now, when.’” But the expression also may simply refer to the fact that an excellent opportunity has presented itself, one to take advantage of, as in “That jeweler’s going out of business and I’m buying myself a diamond ring—if not now, when?”

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if looks could kill

See LOOK  DAGGERS.

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if it ain’t broke don’t fix it

See LEAVE WELL  ENOUGH ALONE.

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I don’t think so

I don’t agree with what was just stated, either by myself or by someone else. Generally pronounced with a marked emphasis on think, this twentieth-century expression started out as I don’t think, with the emphasis on don’t, in the nineteenth century. Dickens had it in Pickwick Papers (1837): “‘Amiably disposed . . . , 

‘I don’t think,’ resumed Mr. Weller, in a tone of moral reproof.” A slangy one-word synonym used in the same way is not, which became very popular from the late 1980s on. It actually originated a century or so earlier; J. E. Lighter cites the Princeton Tiger of March 30, 1893: “An Historical Parallel—Not.” It reappeared on the tele- vision show Saturday Night Live and in the film Wayne’s World (1992), but may again be dying out.

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I could/couldn’t care less

See COULDN’T  CARE  LESS.

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I can’t complain

See CAN’T  COMPLAIN.

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have a good/half a mind to, to

To be strongly inclined toward; to be somewhat inclined toward. The first term began life back in the fifteenth century as having a great mind to do something, as in “I have a great mynd to be a lecherous man” (John Bale, Kyng Johan, c. 1550). In 1674 Lord Claren- don wrote in History of the Rebellion, “The duke of Lorrayne had a very good mind to get a footing in Ireland.” The second phrase, which implies indeci- sion—half of one’s mind inclines one way and the other half the other way—was known by 1700 or so and appeared more and more often in the nineteenth century. “She had half a mind to reply,” wrote Edward Bulwer- Lytton (My Novel, 1853).

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have a conniption fit, to

Display hysteria; an extreme emotional upset. This term dates from the early 1800s. Seba Smith had it in Major T. Downing (1860), “And Keziah fell down in a conniption fit.” The phrase has a rustic sound and is heard less often today.

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have a bone to pick, to

To have a point to argue, an unpleasant issue to discuss, or a complaint. This term, which alludes both to a dog worrying a bone and to two dogs fighting over a single bone, dates from the early six- teenth century. “I will add this, which may be a bone for you to pick on,” wrote James Calfhill (Answer to Martiall, 1565)—that is, an issue to worry to death. “There is a bone for the gastronomers to pick,” Sir Walter Scott was quoted as saying about 1830, denoting something for more than one person to argue about.

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haul/rake over the coals, to

To administer a severe reprimand. The term alludes to the medieval practice of pulling an alleged heretic over the coals of a slow fire, which is described in numerous sixteenth-century church chronicles. By the early nineteenth century the term had been trans- ferred to more benign kinds of punishment, often signifying only a severe scolding, as in Byron’s poem “Beppo” (1818): “They’d haul o’er the coals.”

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hat in the ring, to put/throw one’s

To enter a contest; to become a candidate in an election. This expression comes from boxing, where in the early nineteenth century the practice of throwing one’s hat into the ring indi- cated a challenge. “Throw in his hat, and with a spring get gallantly within the ring,” wrote John Hamilton Reynolds (The Fancy, 1820). Later the term was transferred to other kinds of challenge, particularly political ones. It was so used by Theodore Roosevelt in 1912, when he told a journalist, “My hat’s in the ring,” indicating his candidacy.

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hat in hand, to go/with

To behave submissively or obsequiously; to plead for something (pardon, a favor, and the like). The term alludes to the old custom of removing one’s hat as a sign of respect. “A man’s hat in his hand never did him any harm,” wrote Samuel Palmer (Moral Essays on Proverbs, 1710). The custom of wearing and doffing a hat has become far less common, so the term is dying out, but it is still used in diplomatic circles.

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hatchet man

A person who performs nasty tasks for his or her superior, such as firing subordinates, attacking the character of a political opponent, spreading rumors about a competitor, or the like. The term, so used since the 1940s, was applied particularly in politics and journalism, and the work so performed was also called a hatchet job. The magazine Newsweek had it on July 27, 1968: “He’ll be the hatchet man . . . just like Nixon was in 1952.” It also is used in other contexts, for example, “This critic did a real hatchet job on her concert.” A related term is character assassination, dating from about 1950, but it is no longer heard as often.

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hard way

See THE HARD WAY.

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hard/tough sledding

A difficult route, difficult progress. Dating from the first half of the nineteenth century, this term alludes to the usual ease with which a sled travels toward some goal. The antonyms easy or smooth sledding date from the late nineteenth century.

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hard nut to crack

See TOUGH NUT TO CRACK.

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hard as nails

Unyielding, tough, usually describing a person. This simile, which replaced the earlier hard as flint or stone (dating from Chaucer’s time), seems to allude to a nail’s ability to withstand the blows of a ham- mer. Shaw used it in at least three of his plays (You Never Can Tell, Heartbreak House, Man and Superman) to describe an unsentimental character.

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hard and fast

Describing a strict rule that cannot be altered under any circumstances. This term originally described a ship that was out of the water, either because it had run aground or because it was in dry dock, and hence could not move. In the mid-nineteenth century the term was trans- ferred to inalterable courses of action or precepts. The OED lists an early figurative use in two different speeches given in the House of Commons in 1867: “The House has . . . determined to have no hard and fast line.”

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hard/tough act to follow

An outstanding person or performance. The term comes from American vaudeville around the turn of the twentieth century and originally referred to a particularly good act that might make the one following it look mediocre by comparison. In time it was applied to any particularly successful enterprise or admirable individual.

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