Snow Idioms

Several words have become part of the language in being used in phrases. Last time we looked at ‘pound’ and now look at ‘snow’. The word which would have come into use in Sanskrit is snihyati which literally translates as ‘he gets wet’.

Snow as slang for cocaine is first used in 1914.

Snow-white, an adjective, not a person, is first used in Middle English. The fairytale character first appears in 1885, although is known by the German Schneewittchen.

Snowblind is first used in 1748.

Nobody described a snow-shovel until 1820.

Snow tyres have been used only since 1952 – of course this is an American concept, ever being ready for snow in the UK is something we Brits have yet to consider (and then we wonder why the country comes to a standstill after half a centimetre falls).

Snowgoose have been known as such since 1771 – you’ll probably already have guessed these birds have white feathers.

Snowshoes will have been worn for millennia but is not recorded as such until the 1670s.

Snowboot appears from 1773.

Snow ploughs have been described as such since 1792, although in America known as snow plows – clearly not a British thing, it would require being ready for snow and, as already established, Brits don’t rate snow.

Snowbirds were any of several white feathered avians from 1680, but from 1923 it was also a slang term for northern US workers who fled south for the winter to work, and from 1979 was used to describe seasonal tourists.

Snowballs were first described as such in 1400; and from 1910 we see the ‘snowball’s chance in hell’ used to refer to ‘no chance’.

Nobody was snowbound until 1814 – except the Brits, of course, who are still wondering what to do with that 1.3 centimetres.

Snowman does not appear until 1827 – but then we couldn’t afford to waste coal or carrots until then.

Snowflakes are first recorded in 1734.

Snowstorms have been known as such since 1771.

Snowdrifts became a problem from the early 14th century – and as the US hadn’t been ‘found’ then, these must have been British snowdrifts, and yet we still ignore the snow until it’s too late.

Snowmobiles have been driven since 1831.

Snowfalls have only been described as such since 1821.

Snowdrops were first recorded in the 1660s.

Snow flurries have been seen since 1883 – although ‘flurry’ had been used to me ‘confused, agitated’ since 1757.

Stone Idioms

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

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.