As Happy as Larry

The English language often comes under fire for being difficult to learn or for its inconsistencies and, as a native speaker, I can see why.

But we have some weird and wonderful expressions that are used without giving a second thought to their origins, which got me thinking.

I hope you will join me on a journey of discovery to find out what these weird and wonderful sayings mean and where they originated from.

1. Spill the beans
2. Bob’s your uncle
3. Let your hair down
4. Caught red-handed
5. Break the ice
6. Rub someone up the wrong way
7. Bite the bullet
8. Butter someone up
9. As happy as Larry

Spill the beans

This means to reveal secret information unintentionally or indiscreetly and sometimes happens in our house, but perhaps should more appropriately be called, “a spoiler alert.” Like the time I let slip that a man murdered his wife in a long-running drama series that my daughter had avidly been following.

I inadvertently let the cat out of the bag. Oh, no! I use these phrases without thinking about their literal meaning and because I use them so often, they have become part of my vocabulary.

To ‘spill the beans’ is thought to have originated from when the ancient Greeks used black and white beans in an anonymous voting system and to count the votes, they would spill the beans.

Bob’s your Uncle

“Bob’s your uncle” is a phrase commonly used in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Commonwealth countries that means “and there it is” or “and there you have it” or “It’s done”. Typically, someone says it to conclude a set of simple instructions or when a result is reached. The meaning is similar to that of the French expression “et voilà!” or the American “easy as pie” or “piece of cake”.

There you have it! Another phrase used regularly in our house that I now know the meaning of.

Let your hair down

This means to relax or chill out, which stems back to the days when aristocratic women used to wear their hair up tightly so that when they got home, they would let it down to relax.

That makes perfect sense to me — a bit like taking your shoes off after a very long day. Bliss!

Caught red-handed

This refers to when somebody is caught doing something they shouldn’t be, like having their hand in the cookie jar while they’re on a diet, or usually, something far worse.

It stems from way back in the 1400s, when someone was apprehended and their hands were red from blood, either from committing murder or poaching an animal.

Break the ice

This phrase would be used to get a conversation flowing and means that someone has forged a path through for others, referring to the breaking of ice to allow navigation vessels to sail through.

A joke at a dinner party is always a good ‘ice breaker.’

Rub someone up the wrong way

If someone irritates me, I often say they have ‘rubbed me up the wrong way,’ which refers to when an animal’s fur is rubbed in the wrong direction, it doesn’t sit well and feels uncomfortable.

I think it perfectly sums up the way I feel when someone rubs me up the wrong way.

Bite the bullet

This phrase is used when a particularly difficult situation has to be faced or a tricky decision is made. Again, this is a phrase used regularly in our home.

It is thought to originate from the days before anesthetic when soldiers would bite down on a bullet before emergency surgery.

Butter someone up

If someone is buttering you up, they are flattering you or praising you as a means of gaining your help.

It is thought to originate from the days in ancient India when worshipers would throw balls of butter at statues of Gods when seeking favors and forgiveness.

As happy as Larry

According to Google, it originates from a boxer called Larry Foley in the 1890s, before boxing was fully legalized. He won the biggest prize of about $150,000 and a newspaper article in New Zealand had the headline “Happy As Larry” and the phrase stuck.

I never knew that, even though this phrase is regularly used in our family without a second thought. Now we know who Larry is.

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This article was first published on Medium, where you can find more of my work. Connect with me here: Rosy's Ramblings. I look forward to meeting you.