West Idioms

Several words have become part of the language in being used in phrases. Last time we looked at ‘ear’ and now look at ‘west’.

West Country, in referring to my favourite part of England in Devon and Cornwall, has been used since the late 14th century.

West Coast, as in that shore of the USA, is first seen in 1850.

West End (of London), known since 1776. West-Enders have been named such since 1833.

West Side, the part of Manhattan which gave a name to a famous musical, could not have been written before 1858 as that was the first year anyone recorded such.

Go west, as in dying, became popular during the First World War, but may have been in use for more than two thousand years. In 17th century London the phrase was used to mean ‘a hanging’, almost certainly a reference to Tyburn.

West Indies have been known since around 1650 – although West Indians is not seen until 1928.

Mae West, slang for a inflatable life jacket, is first found in 1940. It takes its name from a buxom film star of the same name, and you can work the connection out for yourself.

West Bank, the former Jordanian territory, has been known as such since 1967.

Westerns, as in films or books about the Old West in the US, is first seen in 1909.

Western omelettes, first recorded in 1922, contain ham and onions.

Nobody was westernized until 1837.

Westerly winds have been described since the 15th century.

Nothing is found for southwesterlies until 1833, although the sou’wester (protective nautical coat) is seen thjree years later.

Northwesterlies have been known since the 14th century.

Northwest Passage is found in a document since 1600.

Ear Idioms

Several words have become part of the language in being used in phrases. Last time we looked at ‘cake’ and now look at ‘ear’.

Ears burning meaning someone is talking about you is first mentioned in the writings of Pliny, 1948 years ago. Note historically itching has also been seen as a sign. And if you think that’s daft, what about having your ears pierced would improve your eyesight? It was a common belief until at least the 1880s.

Nobody was described as ‘wet behind the ears’ until 1902….

However, the walls have had ears since at least 1610.

Thje handle of a pitcher has been known as an ‘ear’ since around the middle of the 15th century.

Earrings have been worn for millennia, but not described as such until the 17th century.

Nobody got an earful until 1944 – this coming to Britain from Australian slang.

The tympanic membrane is first referred to as the eardrum in 1640.

Nobody wore an earplug until 1841.

Earmuffs are first described in 1859.

In the 1650s we first see a comment about the curled or turned over pages of a book being called ‘dog-eared’.

Earworm is first seen in 1855 when it referred to a parasite infecting corn; the following year it also appears as an alternative name for the earwig; in 1881 it described a ‘secret counselor’; and finally in 1989 was used to speak of any annoying song or refrain which one cannot get out of their head.

Earlobes have only been known as such since 1786.

Nobody had earache until 1789 – or rather it was not described as such until then; which does not help us know what it was known at prior to that.

Earwigs have been known as such since Saxon times – the suffix comes from the Germanic wicga meaning ‘beetles, insect, worm’, and has also given us the word ‘wiggle’ to describe the movements of such creatures. Note this may be named because of the ancient and widespread belief that earwigs will crawl into ears, but in the whole of recorded history there has not been a single confirmed example of Forficula auricularia ever being found in any ear – human or otherwise. Of more interest is the discovery that in the middle of the 17th century, northern England would also describe it as a ‘twitch-ballock’.

Cake Idioms

Several words have become part of the language in being used in phrases. Last time we looked at ‘flower’ and now look at ‘cake’.

To have one’s cake and eat it is first seen in the writings of John Heywood in 1562, where it appears as What man, I trow ye raue, wolde ye bothe eate your cake and haue your cake?

To take the cake is a phrase first seen in 1847.

Nothing was described as a ‘piece of cake’ until 1936.

Let them eat cake has been associated with Marie Antoinette since 1870. However, it appears in Rousseau's Confessions as early as 1740 and speaks of it being a phrase associated with French queens and princesses for some time.

Seed cake has been known as such since the 1570s.

Sweet cake, ie cake made with a significant amount sugar, is unknown before 1726.

Spice cake dates from the early 15th century.

Johnny cake, an American dish, has been around since 1775 and is of uncertain origin, although one explanation is a corruption of ‘Shawnee cake’.

Cupcakes have been around since 1828, and the phrase has been used as a reference to an attractive young woman since the 1930s.

Pancakes have been known as such since around 1400, although Shrove Tuesday is not referred to as Pancake Day until 1777.

Cakewalk – as in something easy – dates from 1863.

Cheesecake is from the middle of the 15th century, although it wouldn’t be the same thing as in the modern era.

Fruitcake is first recorded in 1838. As a term describing someone as ‘not sane’

Shortcake has been recorded since the 1590s.

Yellowcake was coined in 1950 – don’t look for a recipe, this oxide of uranium is most certainly not edible.

Simnel cake has been recorded since around the end of the 12th century.

Flower Idioms

Several words have become part of the language in being used in phrases. Last time we looked at ‘book’ and now look at ‘flower’.

Flower boxes may be fairly common in the 21st century, and probably were before they were first noted in 1818, simply not known as such until then.

Flower arrangements are first mentioned in 1873.

Flower children is first heard in the hippie movement in 1967.

Flowerpots have been named since the 1590s.

Sunflowers were named from the 1560s, although they had been in Europe since 1510 and in Britain from 1590.

Sunflower state, more often known as Kansas, has only been known as such since 1881.

Wallflowers have been known as such since the 1570s. For more than two centuries it was known as a ‘wallfair’.

Cornflowers have only been known as such since the 1570s.

Mayflowers are first named as such around 1600, It has been used to refer to the hawthorn, lady’s smock, the marsh marigold, and several other plants blooming in the month of May. Of course the most famous Mayflower was the ship taking the first settlers to the New World, although this name was common to many vessels in the early 17th century.

Cauliflowers were originally known as cole florye or ‘flowered cabbage’, a direct translation of the Italian cavoli fiori from the 1590s. Not until 1907 did the term ‘cauliflower ear’ come to be used for the swollen ears of boxers.

Deflower – as in maidens and virgins – dates from the late 14th century. But the term had been in use for two centuries, used to describe ‘excerpts of the best pages of a book’. And if you can work out how the latter works – don’t bother writing to me.

Book Idioms

Several words have become part of the language in being used in phrases. Last time we looked at ‘wall’ and now look at ‘book’.

Book is also used to refer to a record of bets made, this is first seen in 1812. Although ‘bookmaker’ is seen as early as 1862.

Book of life dates from the middle of the 14th century.

Nobody had the book thrown at them (in a legal sense) before 1932.

Nobody did anything ‘by the book’ until the 1590s.

Book-burning used to be a fairly common phrase, this from a time when it would have limited access to what some might consider inappropriate material, and first seen in 1850.

Domesday Book, a record dated 1086, but the first time anyone used the phrase was in 1178.

The red book, a list of peerages, is seen in 1788; but the more famous Little Red Book (Chairman Mao) comes from 1967.

The term schoolbook first appears in 1709.

Copybooks made their debut in the 1580s.

Fieldbooks, used by naturalists, is seen from 1848.

Bookplates have been written about since 1791.

Nobody used a cheque book until 1872.

Scrap books have been known since 1821.

Matchbook, which contains matches, is seen from 1913.

We have seen songbooks since the late 15th century.

Storybooks have been seen since 1711, these always then referring to books for children.

Bookends have been utilized for many years, and certainly predate the first written mention in 1907.

Textbooks have existed since 1779.

Bookkeepers have been known since the 1550s.