Category Archives: Idioms

Idiom of the Week

Idioms, Reflections

Hello and welcome!

I thought I would stick with the egg theme this week so our idiom is “egg on your face“.

Writing explained tells us that to have egg on your face is:

To feel embarrassed; to have made a fool of oneself.

They go on to tell us:

This expression first appeared in mid-20th-century America. It quickly made its way into British parlance as well.

Its exact origin is unclear. Sources speculate that it might come from eating eggs, and having some of the food stuck to one’s face in an embarrassing way.

Others think it might come from the theater, when angry audience members threw rotten food, such as eggs, at bad performers.

I don’t have a personal story to go along with this idiom but I am hoping some of you might.

Can you think of a time when you “had egg on your face”? Please tell us in the comments section below.

Idiom Of The Week

Idioms, Reflections

Hello and welcome!

Our idiom this week is “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”

According to idioms.com this phrase means:

  • don’t make everything dependent on one thing
  • don’t put all your resources into one thing
  • don’t depend for your success on a single plan
  • don’t concentrate all efforts into one area

They also tell us: The origin of the phrase is unclear, but it is most commonly attributed to the book Don Quixote written by Miguel Cervantes in the early 1600s.

I used this phrase recently when my husband and I were discussing our garden 2021 garden results. As he talked of the benefits of growing a diverse garden, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” I quipped. “There is your next idiom” he replied. 🙂

We use this philosophy in many areas of our life – having a backup plan or alternative means of doing things. Long time readers might remember my preparedness advice from this post. Ironically one of the times we don’t adhere to this is when collecting eggs. LOL! That’s right we collect all of the eggs in one basket but rarely do we have a problem. When it comes to collecting eggs the better advice is don’t put eggs in your pocket! Hmm – Perhaps there is a new idiom there.

Do you use this phrase?

Idiom Of the Week

Idioms, Reflections

Hello and Welcome!

Photo by Peter Fazekas on Pexels.com

Our idiom this week is: a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.

The idioms.com defines this phrase as:

  • a proverb that means easy situations can never improve you or make you better
  • the harsh conditions of life make a person tougher and more capable
  • challenging experiences often give the best lessons of life

They also say, this proverb is believed to have an African origin. It’s been in use for quite a while and there is no record of the first use and actual origin of this proverb.

I find it surprising that I had never heard this saying before, since my husband was a sailor for 35 years. I do, however, like the phrase and the idea that it represents. I may begin using it. 🙂

Have you ever used this phrase?

Embracing Summer and This Week’s Idiom

Fishing, Idioms, Reflections, Summer

Hello and welcome!

Our idiom of the week is hold one’s feet to the fire.

The free dictionary.com tells us that to hold one’s feet to the fire means:

To put pressure on one to do, say, or consent to something or To pressure (someone) to consent to or undertake something.

while weird facts.com says it means:

To hold one accountable for a commitment, make good on a promise.

They also tell us that the origin of the phrase pertains to torture used during the Crusade’s. As a method for extracting confession for heresy, non-believers were positioned in a manner that allowed the inquisitor to apply flames to the feet of the accused. This was done until the accused confessed or died.

As ridiculous as that method of obtaining a confession seems by today’s standards, consider a modern parallel – plea bargaining. The accused is offered the choice between a reduced sentence in exchange for a confession, or prosecution with the risk of more severe penalty (possibly death).

I choose this phrase because I feel like my husband has been “holding my feet to the fire”. Ever since my last post where I vowed to embrace the good weather while we have it, he has been reminding me and encouraging me to take some time off each day to do the things I really enjoy: ride the 4-wheeler, spending time with the kids and grandkids and fishing.

It is easy for me to get caught up in the work that needs to be done. Things like staining the deck and power washing the house are also activities that need to be done when the weather is nice, so I am thankful for his subtle reminders: “go ride your bike” or “put that away for today, let’s go fishing.”

We hadn’t done any fishing this summer until last week. However the pair of green herons that spend summers at the farm arrived in sometime in July, as they do every year, and had been enjoying daily meals at the pond. They are largely camouflaged along the ponds edge, as you can see in the photo below, but they make their presence known when they squawk and fly up into one of the surrounding trees as someone approaches the pond. They seem a bit disgruntled over the interruption.

It was about two weeks ago that my husband asked me to help him store the boat for the winter. I agreed but suggested that we needed to do some fishing first. A couple days later my husband came home with a few dozen worms and said “lets go fishing”. 🙂

While our green herons may be eating a lot of the small fry that swim up near shore my husband and I have caught some real whoppers. I’m sorry I don’t have any fish photos but I have decided that taking my camera in the boat is not really a good idea. You’ll just have to decide for yourself if this is a fish tale (bonus idiom) or I’m telling the truth (I am).

We have spent several evenings over the last week out in our little paddle boat baiting our hooks and casting them into the pond and to date the fish we have caught include a 18 inch (45.72cm) walleye, another large walleye that we did not get a chance to measure, a 17 inch (43.18 cm) pike and an 11 inch (27.94 cm) perch (who has been caught several times). We have also caught some 6 and 7 inch perch and lots of small fry (2-4 inch), which we always take as a good sign because if there are little ones that means the big ones are reproducing.

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful day!

Have you ever had anyone hold your feet to the fire?

This Week’s Idiom

Idioms, Reflections

Hello and welcome!

Our idiom this week is stir up a hornet’s nest – something I try to avoid.

Theidioms.com tells us that to stir up a hornets nest means:

to create trouble

to cause an uproar

to cause an upheaval

a commotion which possibly ends in anger and frustration

They also tell us that this phrase has been used since at least the 1700’s and though it’s origin is unknown many authors have used it in both fiction and non-fictions writings.

A few weeks back, while I was cutting back lavender blossoms which had died off, I noticed what looked like small bees begin swarming near the ground where I was standing. Normally seeing bees in the prayer garden does not bother me but their action seemed angry. I stepped back several steps and observed these bees flying in and out of the ground beneath a lavender plant. Their action was apparently warning me that I was getting too close to their nest and they were prepared to defend their territory. I certainly did not want to stir up a yellow jackets (hornet’s) nest. I have stayed clear of that area since then.

Here’s what I know about stirring up a hornet’s nest.

  • Hornets are prepared to aggressively defend their territory.
  • If threatened they will inflict pain.

Are humans any different?

Have you ever literally or figuratively stirred up a hornets nest? Please tell me about it in the comments box below.