They are often said almost automatically. But do you really know what you are saying?
Have you ever stopped to think about the meaning of the popular expressions we use in everyday life?
They are often said almost automatically.
But do we really know what we are saying?
The truth is that several of these popular expressions carry curious stories.
Some were born centuries ago, others came from unusual situations.
6 popular expressions that everyone speaks, even without knowing the meaning
1. Mother’s house Joana
Who has never heard anyone say that a place is a “mother’s house”?
We usually use this popular expression to talk about messy environments, where each one does what they want.
But the origin of this phrase is very curious. They say it comes from a queen named Joana I of Naples.
She would have created laws that gave a lot of freedom to the goers of a tolerance house. Over time, such a “house of mother Joana” became synonymous with disorder.
2. End in pizza
This popular expression is very famous, especially in the world of politics.
We say something “ended in pizza” when a complicated situation ends without punishment, as if everything had been resolved friendly (or under the cloth).
The origin of this phrase is believed to be in São Paulo football.
In long and tiring meetings, the leaders used to end the discussions with a pizza dinner to relieve the tense mood.
In the end, no one solved anything, but everyone was satisfied.
3. Pay the duck
Another widely used popular expression is to “pay the duck.” Usually, we say this when someone gets to blame or pays for something they didn’t do.
The expression originates in the Middle Ages, when there was prejudice against a musical instrument called “a-lap”, which became “duck” in Portuguese.
The musicians who played this instrument were malaise and ended up “paying the duck” for the problems of parties and events.
4. Saved by the gong
Have you ever felt “saved by the gong”? We use this popular expression when something happens in the last second and delivers us from a difficult situation.
The most common explanation comes from boxing. The fighter was about to be knocked out, but the sound of the gong announced the end of the round, saving it.
Another, slightly scarier theory involves bells trapped in coffins to warn that the buried person was alive.
The bell played and someone was “saved by the gong.”
5. Wash the mare
This is a popular expression typical of Brazil. When someone says that “he washed the mare”, it means that it did very well in something, which had a great profit or success.
The origin is linked to mining. In ancient times, when a prospector found a lot of gold, he made so much money that even “washing the mare” from so much gold he had.
That is, the expression was associated with gaining a lot or getting along in some business.
6. With the whole rope
To say that someone is “with the whole rope” is the same as saying that the person is excited, full of energy.
The origin of this popular expression is linked to the universe of children. In the past, the toys worked with rope, such as strollers and dolls.
When they were “with the whole rope,” they moved fast and full of strength.
Hence came the association with someone who is excited and ready to act.
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