English Phrase Origins

For my second blog I thought I would look at the origins of some not-so-common English phrases. This is an area which has always interested me, but even more so since discovering the Grammar Girl podcast, which often looks at the origins of phrases.

"Fine words butter no parsnips"

This is a phrase I hadn't heard of until recently, but - as you may have guessed - discourages the person being addressed from pointless flattery.

The site twominenglish.com says, "The proverb “Fine words butter no parsnips” means that flattering or insincere words do not lead to practical results. It’s a reminder that actions speak louder than words. Imagine someone promising to help you with a project, but they never actually show up. Their sweet talk doesn’t get the job done, just like fancy words won’t cook a meal."

"Hoist with your own petard"

This phrase means that someone has been harmed by something that they intended to use to harm others, and was used by Shakespeare in Hamlet, published 1602.

The site phrases.org.uk says, "A petard is, or rather was, as they have long since fallen out of use, a small engine of war used to blow breaches in gates or walls. They were originally metallic and bell-shaped but later cubical wooden boxes. Whatever the shape, the significant feature was that they were full of gunpowder – basically what we would now call a bomb. The device was used by the military forces of all the major European fighting nations by the 16th century. In French and English – petar or petard, and in Spanish and Italian – petardo."

"The shoemaker always wears the worst shoes"

In simple terms, this phrase refers to artisans or tradesmen (or women) who make expensive goods for the wealthy but either cannot afford these goods for themselves or prefers cheaper, sub-standard versions.

The site phraseshub.com gives further detail. "This saying originated in the 1800s and refers to the fact that in the past, shoemakers often neglected to take care of their own footwear, wearing old, worn-out shoes instead of the new ones they had crafted for their customers. Today, the idiom is still relevant and can be applied to any profession where someone produces exceptional work for others, but neglects to practice what they preach in their own life."

I hope you have enjoyed this brief look at three slightly obscure phrases. Watch this space for more posts about the origins and meanings of English words and phrases - and please let me know if you come across an interesting phrase I might not have heard of.