MORE ORIGINS OF THE COMMON SAYING

GO COLD TURKEY

Meaning: To quit something abruptly
History: People believed that during withdrawal, the skin of

drug addicts became translucent, hard to the touch, and

covered with goose bumps – like the skin of a plucked turkey.

GO THE WHOLE 9 YARDS

Meaning: To try one’s best
History: World War II Fighter pilots received a 9-yard chain of

ammunition. Therefore, when a pilot used all of his ammunition

on one target, he gave it “the whole 9 yards.”

JAYWALKER

Meaning: One who crosses the street in a reckless or illegal manner
History: Jay birds that travelled outside of the forest into

urban areas often became confused and unaware of the potential

dangers in the city – like traffic. Amused by their erratic behaviour,

people began using the term “Jaywalker” to describe someone who

crossed the street irresponsibly.

KICK THE BUCKET

Meaning: To die
History: When a cow was killed at a slaughterhouse,

a bucket was placed under it while it was positioned on a pulley.

Sometimes the animal’s legs would kick during the adjustment of

the rope and it would literally kick the bucket before being killed.

LET YOUR HAIR DOWN

Meaning: To relax or be at ease
History: Parisian nobles risked condemnation from their peers if

they appeared in public without an elaborate hairdo. Some of

the more intricate styles required hours of work, so of course it was

a relaxing ritual for these aristocrats to come home at the end of a

long day and let their hair down.

MORE THAN YOU CAN SHAKE A STICK AT

Meaning: Having more of something than you need
History: Farmers controlled their sheep by shaking their staffs

To  indicate where the animals should go. When farmers had

more sheep than they could control, it was said they had

“more than you can shake a stick at.”

NO SPRING CHICKEN

Meaning: Someone who is past his prime
History: New England chicken farmers generally sold chickens

in the spring, so the chickens born in the springtime yielded

better earnings than the chickens that survived the winter.

Sometimes, farmers tried to sell old birds for the price of a

new spring chicken. Clever buyers complained that the fowl was

“no spring chicken,” and the term came to represent anyone

past their prime.

PLEASED AS PUNCH

Meaning: To be very happy
History: A 17th century puppet show for children called

Punch and Judy featured a puppet named Punch who

always killed people. The act of killing brought him pleasure,

so he felt pleased with himself afterwards.