Reader Opinions
Robert – (stalking horse) May 28, 2026
My father, a jockey, used “stalking horse”, as the fast breaking horse, with no hope of victory, setting a fast pace for the horses not strong in the long run. The winning horse would be the enduring horse that didn’t participate in the early fast pace, meant to exhaust the others.
Pete Sheehan – (do you mind) May 25, 2026
What about “Do you mind?” as an assertion of irritation for some perceived intrusion? Does it have a known origin or at least an early known example?
Anonymous – (flip the bird) May 17, 2026
Corruption, a precode film in 1933. Flipping the bird in the end.
Colleen – (good grief) May 15, 2026
Good grief, are these bots putting in Bible references or actually living beings who troll the internet looking for words/phrases that might match up with scripture? Slang is usually playful, imaginative, and bends the meaning of language. I’m pretty sure Charlie Brown wasn’t citing the Bible when he uttered Good Grief!
Himothy – (a lot on my plate) May 13, 2026
The idiom was originated by Jesus in the beginning of the world
Eliza – (apple of one’s eye) May 6, 2026
The “apple” in the phrase has nothing to do with the fruit. It refers to the pupil of the eye, which is round and apple-like in shape—a comparison that dates back more than 2,000 years. In Old English, the pupil was literally called the “æppel” (apple) of the eye.
Cathy – (crocodile tears) May 4, 2026
In a 2007 University of Florida study, researchers filmed caimans and alligators (close relatives) eating on dry land. Five out of seven started “crying” with visible tears and even bubbling eyes before, during, or after their meal. It’s caused by jaw-smacking and hissing that pushes air through their sinuses, forcing out lubricating tears from their tear ducts — basically a built-in eye-moisturizing reflex, not emotion.
Anonymous – (fall out) May 2, 2026
Obscure and stupid expression. Total lack of logic!
Art Campbell – (it is what it is) April 30, 2026
Actually “it is what it is” has been a Buddhist expression (in Pali) for over 2000 years. It refers to the fundamental emptiness of whatever is being discussed. Cheers! Retired law-prof.
Jade – (crocodile tears) April 29, 2026
The idiom “crocodile tears” (fake or insincere sorrow) originates from an ancient myth that crocodiles weep while eating their victims. It dates back to classical sources (e.g., anecdotes linked to Plutarch) and spread in medieval Europe through Latin texts and The Travels of Sir John Mandeville (14th century). Real crocodiles do produce tears (for eye lubrication while feeding), but the emotional remorse is fictional.
