Bite the bullet.  This phrase, signifying being tough through a difficult situation has its beginning in our Civil War.  With thousands wounded on battlefield after battlefield, there were never enough ether, whiskey, or other painkillers to help the desperately wounded soldiers.  During the operations, a bullet was placed between the molars of the patient, who bit down on the bullet as the operation proceeded.  Artifacts found on battlefields often yield what were called “pain bullets”, which were flattened minie balls with molar imprints.

Close but no cigar.  In the nineteenth century, county fairs, like today, had games of chance with a prize to anyone skilled (or lucky) enough to win.  Cigars, especially for the men contestants, were considered a top prize.  Carnival barkers were often heard exclaiming to those who almost won the prize but failed, “Close, but no cigar!”  The phrase remains popular today for anyone who gets close to reaching a goal or winning, but barely loses at the last moment.

Letting the cat out of the bag.  Centuries ago, in Europe and even in Colonial America, piglets were sold at open markets and given to buyers in a sack.  Merchants who were less than honest sometimes placed a cat instead of a pig in the bag for some buyers, hoping they wouldn’t realize they had been cheated until they reached home.  If, however, the bag opened and the cat was discovered, the dishonest seller was caught.  Today, if someone lets the cat out of the bag, it means that a secret has been exposed before its time.

Give the cold shoulder.  This adage has its origin in medieval Europe, where parties could last for weeks in country manors of wealthy and aristocratic hosts.  Since meat was a symbol of money and status, a country squire or gentleman had to provide it for his guests.  When the host was ready for his guests to leave, he served them the less coveted cold shoulder meat of the cow or lamb, dropping the subtle hint (or perhaps not so subtle) that it was time to go.  Today, giving someone the cold shoulder implies ignoring or snubbing that person – also not subtle at all.

Costing an arm and a leg.  The phrase, which describes something excessively expensive has its beginnings in the Middle Ages across the Atlantic.  In the centuries before photography was invented, those who wished to have their likenesses remembered posed for a painting, commissioned by an artist – and the more talented and famed he was, the more expensive the likeness would be.  Those who wished to pay less for their portraits had only their head, face and possibly shoulders captured on canvas.  Those who wanted their full bodies painted had to pay extra for the arms and the legs.  Hence, costing an arm and a leg became a popular phrase.

Riding shotgun.  In today’s vernacular, riding shotgun is where a passenger rides in the front seat beside the driver.  The phrase has its origin in the Old West of the nineteenth century, where stagecoaches took travelers from place to place, often through dangerous territory.  Passengers sat within the coach, while the stagecoach driver sat outside in the front, driving the horses.  A second person sat beside the driver, rifle in hand, to ward off attacks and robberies – therefore, riding shotgun.

Pass with flying colors. The phrase, which signifies passing a test easily with a high score, has its beginnings from the 1600s to the 1700s, when ships provided the main form of travel and were important implements of battle.  When a war ship won a victory at sea, the ship flew its nation’s colors as a symbol of the win.  When a ship came into port with its colors proudly flying, witnesses knew their navy had won a victory at sea.

Barking up the wrong tree.  This phrase lets someone know that they are in error – or heading in that direction.  It has been used for centuries, from both sides of the Atlantic, when hunting with dogs was a common practice, especially in Great Britain.  The dogs, trained to corner a specific beast, barked loudly when they caught the scent of their quarry, and often chased it relentlessly into a hole or tree.  Sometimes the hunted creature, when cornered up a tree, jumped from one tree to another and escaped.  When the hunters arrived at the tree but found no beast there, they coined the phrase “barking up the wrong tree” in the literal sense.

Stealing someone’s thunder.  This adage, which signifies taking the limelight from someone who deserved the recognition, comes from an eighteenth-century playwright named John Dennis.  An Englishman with high hopes of success on the stage, Dennis, in the early 1700s, perfected a way to recreate the sound of thunder by placing balls in a metal drum and rolling them around inside.  He patented his thunder-sounding invention, and at the same time, managed to get one of his plays produced.  His play closed within the week, and while visiting another play, he saw that they used his patent illegally to create the sound of thunder.  Dennis was incensed and accused the rival production company of stealing his thunder – and they certainly had.

It’s definitely interesting to know where our idioms have originated.  Pass them on!