My grandfather, in referring to the weather, used to say, “Red in the morn; sailors take warn. Red at night, sailors’ delight.” I have heard others use terms and phrases like rule of thumb and peeping tom.

When I hear these phrases I often wonder where, when and how they originated. Curious minds want to know so I did some research. Here, then, is the history of some sayings and phrases you may have said –

I have often used the phrase, you’re barking up the wrong tree. People who know these sorts of things claim it originates from hunters in the early 1800s. Coon hounds would sometimes bark at trees from which their prey (raccoons) had already escaped.

After a 40-year career in the news business I am familiar with the term deadline but always wondered how the word originated. Many years ago, I have learned, a literal line was drawn in newspaper offices beyond which no copy would be accepted for the current edition of a newspaper.

I also read that years ago a literal line was drawn around a prison camp that prisoners could not cross without being shot. This was true at the Confederacy’s Andersonville Military Prison in Georgia.

I’ll bet you are familiar with the expression Rule of Thumb. You may not, however, know that the expression relates to an old British law which ruled that a husband could beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb.

As a little kid I was asked, “Cat got your tongue?” As odd as it may sound, there is a theory of its origin. It may have come from a whip called “Cat-o’-nine-tails” that was used by the English Navy for flogging and often left the victims speechless.

You don’t often hear the phrase Baker’s Dozen anymore. I have purchased sweet corn from sellers who threw in an extra ear of corn when you bought a dozen ears. This phrase is believed to go back to the 13th century when a piece of medieval legislation addressed the problem of bakers selling underweight loaves of bread. To be legally safe, bakers started giving an extra piece of bread with every loaf and a thirteenth loaf with every dozen.

Back when I still had a head full of thick hair, British duo Peter and Gordon recorded “Lady Godiva.” The hit song loosely referred to the 13th century legend of Lady Godiva who, according to the tale, rode naked through the streets to protest oppressive taxation.

Townspeople allegedly closed their curtains to offer Lady Godiva privacy but Tom the Tailor peered at Lady Godiva through a window. And this is supposedly how we came by the term peeping tom. By the way, the legend has it that Tom went blind after peeping.

I enjoy a good debate and, at times, have played the Devil’s advocate in doing so. This phrase goes back to the 16th century when Pope Leo X created the post of Promoter of the Faith. The Promoter’s job was to argue against the proposed canonization of a saint by bringing up all that was unfavorable to the claim. This job led to the unofficial title of advocatus diaboli or Devil’s advocate.

A matter that seems to be difficult for some people is ending a quarrel or conflict; something often referred to as burying the hatchet. This phrase goes back to negotiations between Puritans and Native Americans when men, having reached agreement, would bury all of their weapons.

I usually wake up in a decent mood but when I have awakened cranky I have been accused of having gotten up on the wrong side of the bed. Years ago the left side of nearly anything was considered the evil side so waking up on the left side of the bed was not a good thing. To ward off evil, homeowners pushed the left side of the bed against a wall so sleepers had no option but to get up on the right side.

Well, I’ve made hay while the sun shines and I’ve put my best foot forward but now I’m plum tuckered out and ready to hit the sack. I hope to wake up tomorrow bright eyed and bushy tailed and will hit the ground running. If I put my nose to the grindstone I might just move mountains tomorrow.

Arvid Huisman can be contacted at huismaniowa@gmail.com. ©2026 by Huisman Communications.