Mixed Bag of Idioms in Wordwise Form 2 Quiz

Answer: A grain of salt

To take something "with a grain of salt" is an expression that dates right back to Roman days. Author, philosopher and naval commander, Pliny the Elder, who died in 79 AD, mentions it in his work "Naturalia Historia", in which he discusses an antidote to poison - which was big in those days as a means of removing enemies and rivals.

This antidote was believed to be salt, or more specifically, a small amount of it. As this would have no effect whatsoever, it is suspected that Pliny had tongue firmly in cheek when he advised this.

Answer: Gone Bush

If anyone is said to have "gone bush" in Australia, that person has disappeared from civilisation, from family, from anyone who knew him or her, and won't be seen again until good and ready to reappear - if at all. Thought to have its origins in hunting methods, it describes any prey that has eluded the hunters and disappeared out of sight into the bush.

Answer: Upside down

If anything is described as being upside down, it is topsy-turvy, the wrong way around, or all out of order. Topsy-turvy itself is a term dating back to 16th century England, meaning the same as above, and based on an Old English word "tearflian" which translates to "roll over and over".

Answer: A Loose Cannon

If anyone is described as being a loose cannon, that person has lost all self-control on normal behaviour, and is potentially dangerous, because the behaviour cannot be predicted, to anyone in his or her vicinity. This is an old naval term basically warning all seamen aboard a warship to make sure all cannons on that vessel are tied down securely - or suffer the consequences.

Answer: Push

If anyone is described as pushing up the daisies, this is a colloquial term meaning that person has died and been buried, and with flowers growing on that quiet little mound of earth. It appears to date back to a poem written by English poet and soldier Wilfred Owen (1893-1918) in one of his famous poems about the sorrow and loss of so very many young men during World War I - caused by the stupidity and greed of politicians who remained safely at home while the flowers of youth bled and died on the battlefields. Owen died on those battlefields, one week before the war ended.

Answer: Right as rain

To be as right as rain means everything is in a satisfactory condition, including one's health. This idiom, rather unsurprisingly, is an English expression, a country known for its lovely rainy weather. We surely could do with some of that rain here in Australia, the driest continent on earth.

Answer: Spill

To spill the beans is to reveal a secret, or something that is not for public knowledge. The etymology of this expression is interesting and is thought to go right back to ancient Greece, when beans were used to vote for various issues, by placing the bean of your choice in a bag that was handed around. If the beans in the bag have been spilled before counting is finished, then the results of the vote are revealed before they were due to be.

Answer: Under the Weather

To be under the weather is a nautical term that arose in the 1800s in the English speaking world, and referred to sailors who weren't feelig very well during a storm at sea. They were sent down below deck to escape from being under the harsh weather above. Today it describes anyone who isn't feeling the best health wise.

Answer: Beat About The Bush

Beating around the bush, or about the bush, refers to the cruel practice of hunting for sport, when, if the prey in question has disappeared from sight, it became a common practice to beat around nearby bushes to see if the poor creature had fled there to escape certain death. Today, however, if anyone is described as beating around, or about, the bush, that person is avoiding giving a straight answer to a request for information.

Answer: Through Thick and Thin

This is a Middle English expression and originally refers to one's surroundings as being either densely forested or open plains. One is difficult to travel through and the other much easier. Today the term is more a reference to whether one can stay the course of any given task, whether it be difficult or easy.