Eight of My Mum’s Favourite Idioms

I have always loved idioms.  When I was working, I used them all the time to explain principles of policies to the employees I was training.

As long as I can remember, my mother would always have an idiom that she would use.  I can see her now as she goes about her business.

“I’ve had this old knife for donkey’s years; I don’t remember where it came from,” she would say when I asked about it.

“You had better go and hit the sack; you have got school tomorrow.”

“Put on your raincoat; it’s raining cats and dogs out there."

Here are eight of my mum’s favourite idioms and explanations of how they may have come about.  Why eight?

Why not? It's a nice-looking number. 😉😉

#1 "Bob's your uncle."

In 1887, British Prime Minister Robert Gascoyne-Cecil appointed his nephew, Arthur Balfour, as Chief Secretary for Ireland. This looked like nepotism. It suggested that Balfour's success came easily due to "Uncle Bob."

These days, it is used to indicate that something has been completed or resolved, often in a few simple steps. To show that something is finished quickly and easily.

"Just add the flour and eggs to the bowl. Mix it all together, and Bob's your uncle! You've got a batch of cookies!"

It is used in place of "and there you have it" or "it's done," and is typically said at the end of a set of instructions.

#2 "Donkey's years”

This started as a pun about a donkey's long ears. The original phrase was "donkey's ears" for a long time. The phrase became a favorite Cockney saying and fell into the typical rhyming slang.   "Ears" is a rhyme for "years," supported by the idea that donkeys have a long lifespan. 

It is used to signify a long period of time.  For example, “If you're going to count all those leaves you have raked up, you will be here for donkey's years.”

#3 "over the moon"

The idiom "over the moon" likely comes from the nursery rhyme "Hey Diddle Diddle." This rhyme dates back to the 16th century. In this rhyme, a cow jumps over the moon. The phrase "over the moon" comes from the older idea of "jumping for joy." This saying has been around since at least the 1700s.

The phrase "leap over the moon" came from the 1718 London comedy, The Coquet: Or, The English Chevalier. Charles Molloy, an Irish playwright and journalist (1690-1767), opens his play with Ranger. Ranger, who serves Bellamy, the English Chevalier, and discovers his master in prison."

Tis he, ’tis he! I know him now: I shall jump over the Moon for Joy! Master, my dear master, have I found you!"

#4 "hit the sack"

Likely started in the early 1900s. Back then, mattresses were simple cloth sacks stuffed with straw or hay. The phrase literally meant to go to sleep on this sort of bed. Then, it turned into a casual way to say going to bed or sleeping. 

In those days, there were no “Dreamtime” or “Dunlopillow” mattresses. "Hitting the sack" meant fluffing the straw to make the bed comfy before lying down. 

The phrase has become a common, informal way to say "go to bed," and it is still used today to mean "go to sleep."

#5 "as happy as Larry”

This has a controversial origin. Some believe it started in late 19th-century Australia or New Zealand. The exact source is still debated. The most popular theory connects it to the undefeated Australian boxer, Larry Foley. He made a lot of money from his last fight, which secured his finances. 

Accounts in a newspaper headline called the excited crowd "Happy as Larry" after his win. 

Some theories link it to the slang "larrikin," which means a rowdy young man. Others think "larrie" might come from Irish or Scottish, meaning "joking." 

This theory connects the phrase to a larrikin. He is happy due to his carefree lifestyle or being intoxicated. 

#6 "under the weather"

“Under the weather” is thought to have originated from an old British maritime phrase. Sailors would go below deck when they felt seasick or unwell. This helped them escape the harsh weather. This literally put them "under the weather". Over time, the phrase evolved to mean anyone feeling unwell, not just sailors. 

Many 19th-century cases of feeling under the weather aren't about bad health. It can also mean personal money issues, a political party's flaws, or a city's struggle to thrive. 

#7 “piece of cake”

In the mid-nineteenth century, there was a popular dance called the “cakewalk”. It was mainly done by enslaved people. They mocked the fancy dances of white slave owners.  The winner of the dance would be given a piece of cake as a prize, hence the term “piece of cake.”

“Piece of cake” is usually preceded by “a” to indicate that something is easy.

For example, "I finished my housework today; it was “a piece of cake” (OK, bad example, no housework is a piece of cake ).  Another example, "I trained so hard; the race was a piece of cake."

#8 "raining cats and dogs"

Last but not least, is my favourite explanation.  Most likely, this idiom came from references to heavy rains in 17th-century England.  Heavy rains sometimes washed dead animals through the streets. 

Jonathan Swift's 1710 poem, "A Description of a City Shower," paints a vivid picture. He describes "drowned puppies, stinking sprats, all covered in mud, and dead cats" swirling in the flood.

Other, less likely explanations are a twist on the Greek word for waterfall or a comparison to a cat and dog fight. 

So there we have my Mum’s favourite right idioms. 

Do you have a favourite idiom?  I would love to hear it.

Till next time,

Calvin