Wind Idioms

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

Nobody was long-winded until the 14th century – great days those, great days.

Not until 1830 did anyone get their second wind, and that was initially only used in hunting circles.

Orchestral wind instruments were not referred to by that collective term until 1876 – well that blows.

Knowing ‘which way the wind blows’, in a figurative sense, appears as early as the 14th century.

To get wind of, as in information, appears in writing in 1809.

Also figuratively ‘to take the wind from one’s sails’ is not seen until 1883.

Nobody had heard of ‘wind chill’ until 1939 (prior to that is was just ‘cold’).

Wind energy first appears in 1976.

Wind vanes appear as early as 1725, albeit they must have been used for centuries before then.

Around the end of the 14th century we started to ‘get wind of’, but it referred to scenting something. The figurative sense is first seen in 1809.

To wind, as in to make breathless, is seen from 1802 and used specifically when discussing pugilism.

Predictably windsocks were only first described in 1922.

Crosswind is first recorded in 1725.

Windbreaks must have been planted and used for centuries, but not described until 1861.

Windward first occurs in print in the 1540s.

Windsurfing was unheard of before 1969.

Windbreaker, the item of clothing, was coined in 1918.

Upwind was a nautical term used from 1838.

Windhover, an alternative name for the kestrel, is first attested in the 1670s.

Windfall, the fruit dislodged by a breeze, is first recorded in the middle of the 15th century. Interesting to note the figurative sense of ‘unexpected acquisition’ first appeared as early as 1540.

Windswept, not only originally referring to hair but still mainly used in that sense today, is first seen in 1932.

Windpipe, also known as the trachea, is first described in the 1520s.

Windscreen is first seen in 1905, the US windshield first appears three years earlier.

Whirlwind is first seen in the middle of the 14th century, it began as a Norse term hvirfilvindr.

Windmill is first recorded in the late 13th century, most mills were water powered prior to this, and the use of the word to describe someone waving their arms around first appears in 1888.

Wood Idioms

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

Can’t see the wood for the trees is said to have first appeared in print in 1546, used in John Heywood’s Prouerbes in the English Tongue.

Out of the woods, a way to say ‘safe’, is most often used when describing a patient who is on the road to recovery. I found it surprising to learn it appears in print as early as 1792.

Matchwood, first seen around 1390 to describe small pieces of wood used as kindling, took on the use of small fragments of wood in 1791.

Heartwood, that central portion of the tree, is found as late as 1400.

Deadwood, as used to refer to something useless, is found from 1887.

Nobody collected driftwood before 1660 – at least they certainly collected it but did not refer to it as such.

Similarly firewood is not found in writings until the late 14th century, and yet humans must have been burning the stuff from the time when they first tamed fire.

Woodpeckers have only been known as such since 1520 – prior to that a variety of dialect terms were used including laughing Betsey, taffingale, yappingale, Jack Eikle, rainbird, weather cock, wet bird, and (as featured in that well-liked BBC series for children named Bagpuss) yaffle.

Nobody played a woodwind instrument until 1876, again used prior to that but not referred to as such.

Knock on wood is in print from the 19th century, but is believed to originate with the Druids more than two thousand years ago.

Put wood in the hole (or shut the door) is a phrase of uncertain origins, although I can guarantee it was not used before doors were used.

Come out of the woodwork – something long-lost relatives did on American soap operas -

Wooden spoon, is to come last in a competition, is said to have originated in the early 19th century at Cambridge University and an award given to the student coming last in the mathematics tripos – a course taught specifically at Cambridge.

And I could not resist putting in ‘shiver me timbers’, a phrase synonymous with Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island - although he also uses ‘shiver me sides’ and ‘shake up me timbers’ – yet the first appearance in print is in 1834 when Captain Frederick Marryat published Jacob Faithful.