Wordwise Reboot I Trivia Quiz

Answer: Do not cry over spilt milk

The Oxford English Dictionary defines this phrase "It is futile to regret what cannot be altered or undone." (Spilt milk cannot be retrieved). It lists the first published citation from a collection of English proverbs written by James Howell in 1659: "No weeping for shed milk." As Howell was recording a proverb rather than inventing a new phrase, this indicates that the proverb had been in use long 1659.

Answer: Bigger fish to fry

The expression can be traced back to Peter Motteaux's 1700-3 English translation of Cervantes' Spanish "Don Quixote". It was quoted as "other fish to fry" meaning more important things to do. That became "bigger fish to fry' before 1900 but these two versions were used together before "bigger" prevailed. However, as a proverb in 1703, its use predates this work.

Answer: Down for the count

The idiom "down for the count" references the sport of boxing where contestants lose the bout if they are knocked down and they cannot get up before the referee counts to ten. The idiom means that something or someone is failing. It dates to the early 1900s in England. There is a secondary more figurative meaning that a person has given up on a task and will not return to it.

Answer: Cut corners

This idiom's exact origin is unknown. Its origin dates back to at least the mid-1800s. Its literal meaning refers to when a carriage was passing the corner of a road or path. It could take a shorter but riskier route by taking the diagonal. This phrase was found in an article titled 'About "Going Straight On"' in "Oxford Magazine and Church Advocate" (Vol. III., October 1863, No. 36, page 340).

In modern usage, it has taken a more figurative meaning that reaching the outcome is more important than the quality of the results. As such it is in common usage in the workplace.

Answer: Put something down in black and white

"To put something down in writing means there is a guarantee being offered as it is now a written contract not a verbal one (Cue Samuel Goldwyn who said that "a verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on"). In other words - the outcome is assured. If you put something down in black and white, the outcome is not only guaranteed, it is very clear what the assurance is and it is not ambiguous.

Answer: golden opportunity

Usage of "Golden opportunity" can be traced back to London in 1731. It simply uses 'golden' (meaning best) as an adjective to emphasise this opportunity or circumstance should be taken. The implication is the opportunity will not last.

Answer: Straight

"Straight from the horse's mouth" originated around the turn of the 20th century in Great Britain. An early citation is from the London newspaper "Reynolds Newspaper" in June 1896:
"As the great British nation takes far more interest in horse racing than in politics, the exchange of rulers would be delightful, because, look you, we'd get all our tips straight from the horse's mouths, instead of being deluded and swindled every day by their lordly owners."
The colloquial use of the expression indicates readers were familiar with it and earlier examples may exist.
In horse racing, any information on horses that were racing on the day was important amongst punters. The most trusted authorities are those closest to the recent form of the horse, such as trainers and stable lads, 'From the horse's mouth' is supposed to indicate a further step closer than even that inner circle - in other words, from the horse itself.

Answer: Kiss and make up

"Kiss and make up" originated in the mid-1900s and replaced another common phrase "kiss and be friends" which pre-dates Shakespeare and was in use since the late-1400s.

Answer: sail under false colours

To sail under false colours literally means to sail with false identification. Pirates often sailed under the national flag of the ship they planned on attacking. However national navies have also performed the same perfidious act. The terrestrial use of flying false colours is contrary to global law. However, its naval application is still condoned by the Geneva Convention!

Figuratively it means to function deceptively. eg John was sailing under false colours until someone found out what he really was doing.

Answer: roll out the red carpet

The first known incarnation of the red carpet idiom was in the Aeschylus play" Agamemnon". The red carpet was not intended for ordinary people. A path of scarlet tapestries was rolled out to welcome the ancient Greek king after his jubilant return from the Trojan War. Even the King hesitated to walk on the red path laid in front of him because he is "a mortal, a man and not a god". "I cannot trample upon these tinted splendours without fear thrown in my path" in which he portends his own demise by his vengeful wife, Clytemnestra.

A red carpet denotes high status. In 1821 in South Carolina, the arrival of US president James Monroe was marked a red carpet to welcome him ashore from the riverboat he arrived in. In 1902, it was used by the New York Central Railroad from 1902 to welcome its first-class passengers aboard with a red carpet, directing them to their exclusive part of the train. In contemporary times, it is still associated with royalty - movie royalty that is. The carpet used to welcome nominees for the annual Academy Awards is 16,500 square feet in area and takes two days to install.