Posted by Gregov on 29th February 2008
wrong side of the tracks -Before there were cars, trains were an important means of transportation. Of course, pollution wasn’t a big concern so when a train rolled by, heavy black smoke and soot went with it. Usually the wind blew the black smoke to one side of the tracks and only the poorest of people would endure living in that hard to breathe environment. No one wanted to be on "the wrong side of the tracks."
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Posted by Gregov on 28th February 2008
to be stumped – Be stumped no more! Being "stumped" comes from the pioneering days when the land was cleared to lay down train tracks. When the workers came across a tree stump, it would cause a dilemma or "to be stumped."
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Posted by Gregov on 27th February 2008
raining cats and dogs – If you’ve corrected your child after he or she took this phrase literally, you may owe them a slight apology! The origin of this saying dates back to the 1600s. Poor drainage systems on buildings in the 17th century caused gutters to overflow, spewing out along with water, garbage and a few unexpected critters. It is possible that animals such as rodents lived in the thatched roofs and when it rained heavily, the dead carcasses would fall––undoubtedly unpleasant! As far as large dogs falling from the sky…well…that one will have to remain a mystery.
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Posted by Gregov on 27th February 2008
This column is about the English language and both normal usage and the peculiar oddities of English. We will first examine some common sayings and their origins which are not obvious to the majority of the users of those very phrases.
The Manila Journal hope to be entertaining, informative and to assist our readers in the mastery of English.
We invite you to make comments and suggestions about our articles and to suggest future topics for this column.
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