I’ve always pondered some of the phrases we use in every day conversation - and I’ve found the answers to quite a few of them (10 to be exact), which I will go into here. One that I have not been able to find the origin of is when you “catch the sun”, meaning to get sunburn, or get a tan - so if anyone knows, maybe they could let me know. I’m sure it’s as simple as it sounds, but some have an unexpected interesting history.

Right, here we go..

10. Raining cats and dogs

In 16th century London, dogs and cats used to hunt on the connected rooftops, high above the streets. Occasionally, however, heavy downpours of rain would wash them away, sending them sprawling down to the ground. Thus, it seriously was raining cats and dogs.

9. Pull the wool over (somebody’s) eyes

Interesting one, this. It all started in the 1600s, when wealthy Brits took a liking to long grey wigs - the same you see atop high court judges today. Highwaymen would make use of that fact, and tug them down over their face, to make it easier to steal all of their gold, or whatever rich people carried with them in those days. A mobile, perhaps.

8. Bring home the bacon

At old fairs in England, they’d have competitions to see who could catch a greased pig first, the prize being tonight’s dinner.

7. Red-light district

I always thought this came from the red lights in brothel windows, but apparently that is a result of this phrase being coined. (Ooh, where did ‘coining a phrase’ come from?!). In reality, early railway workers would take with them, into the prostitute-filled areas of the city, train caution lights. You guessed it, they were red, and they hung around outside brothels with them. Still don’t understand why they needed to take lights with them, but apparently so.

6. Put my two cents in

In the UK it’s “my two penneth” but whatever. It originates, unsurprisingly, from games of poker, where players have to put in their “ante”, in this case two cents, to be able to participate. It therefore means putting your ante in so that you can take part in the conversation.

I’ll do the final five tomorrow - this post is getting a bit long.