Stone fruit is first seen in the 1520s.
Stone’s throw is first seen in writing in 1580, although at the same time stone’s cast was as common, with the same meaning.
Nobody lived in the Stone Age when it was the Stone Age (ie when stone tools were employed), indeed they had to wait until 1864; and the phrase had not been used to describe something outdated until 1927.
Killing two birds with one stone is recorded by 1540.
Describing someone has having a heart of stone is seen in print by the late 14th century.
Stone deaf is recorded in the 1590s
Also in the 1590s is stone cold, and stone cold sober is from 1937.
Stone blind is recorded in the late 14th century, although it has fallen out of use today.
Stone dead, as in ‘lifeless’ rather than actually dead, is first seen around 1300.
Rosetta stone, as used to describe the key to unlock something, is first seen in 1902. The stone itself, now controversially in the British Museum, is a misnomer. This is a European rendition of Rashid, a place named because it was founded by Caliph Harun ar-Rashid around 800AD.
Soapstone has been known as such since 1680.
Stonemasons will have been among the earliest of truly skilled and highly valued workers. But the term did not exist until as recently as 1760. Prior to that they were stone-cutters from 1530, hard-hewers from the 15th century, and in Saxon times stone-wrights or stanwyrhta.
Stonehenge is first recorded as such in the early 12th century, prior to that it was known by many names including Giant’s Dance.
Nobody had a tombstone until 1560, and headstone and gravestone are first used in 1771.
Nobody worked hard by putting their nose to the grindstone until 1828, prior to that the phrase was used to treat another harshly (especially when making them toil) and seen from around 1530.
Milestones were first described as such in 1746.
Cobblestones have been used for paving since the late 14th century; prior to that the same term described the stone in a cherry.
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