Idiom origin post #1 (NOT a bad joke!)

Hi. I figured I would help share some trivia about where we get some of the idioms we use in conversation. If you're not sure what an idiom is, then continue reading. If you still don't understand, then go to another thread. :smile:

1).OK
Became popular in the mid 1800's but the origin is unknown. The oldest written references to 'OK' result from its adoption as a slogan by the Democratic party during the 1840 American Presidential election. Their candidate, President Martin Van Buren had the nickname 'Old Kinderhook', and his supporters formed the 'OK Club' (he lost the election though). Another possible origin for "OK" is that during the late 1830s, humorous misspellings were a fad, and one of them was "Orl Korrekt" (OK - All Corrrect).

2). P's and Q's (Mind Your P's and Q's)
a.-
Means to learn one's letters. Dates back to the late 18th century. Some people think it refers to the hard time children had learning to distinguish between the letters p and q, since they are mirror images of one another.
b.-P’s n Q’s: it actually means, Mind your Pints and Quarts. In Pubs when people would start arguing, the bartenders would tell them to mind their own drinks... being pints n quarts!

3). Put your best foot forward
To make a bold start. Originating from the days when women looked for a well turned leg in a man. Rather an odd saying as it implies you have three or more feet. 'Put your better foot forward' would make more sense.

4). Pie in the Sky
Of course, this means to search for the impossible dream but it originated in the early 1900's. A famous labor organizer named Joe Hill was extremely critical of the clergy's treatment of slaves. He wrote a tune called 'The Preacher and the Slave" accusing the clergy of making false promises of a better life in heaven while people starved on earth. The song goes: 'Work and pray, live on hay. You'll get pie in the sky when you die. That's a lie!

5).All Your Base Are Belong To Us
The phrase "All Your Base Are Belong to Us" is from a Japanese video game called Zero Wing. It was a bad translation that turned into a joke among gamers. It now appears on many websites having nothing to do with video games.

Just tryin' to decrease the amount of ignorance in the world. Take care all. :smile:

The only interesting one is the OK one, and we don't even know the hard facts :p

Dang....ive always been wondering where ok came from:rolleyes: but the all yer base one is awesome

:eek7:

right....

Actually, nobody yet knows where O.K. came from, among the possible origins you listed, another is "Old Knickerbockers"
Anway, this is an idiomtic thread. :)

nice dude thanks for the lesson

actually in math the other day we got into a discussion about where the ps and qs one came from...very interesting

Hey, I tried.

cool. i learned something.

actualy minding your P's and q's was taking care of your bar tabe when sailors would come in from see some times thay would get a drink befor heading to sea so apon return sailors would visit the bars and mind the pints and quarts that where drank

but still good try tonie and i need to lay of the smoke........

That was a fun little read.

i feel like an idiom! :screwy: