Every Answer in this Quiz is "Right"

Answer: Her heart is in the right place

The origin of "heart is in the right place" is not known, but it's related to the odd belief that goodness (and love) are somehow generated by that thing in your body that pumps blood. But used figuratively, the phrase just means the person has a well developed sense of emphathy (and not that your blood pumping organ is physically located in the correct anatomical location).

Answer: Am I right or am I right?

There's no real origin story behind this odd little phrase. The reason you might feel like you've heard this phrase over and over again--it's what the irritating insurance salesman Ned Ryerson says to Phil Connors in "Groundhog Day" each and every day. By the way, when someone says this phrase, aren't you tempted to answer "neither"?

Answer: That's right up your alley

Nope, not from your local bowling alley. "Alley" is, of course, a small street in the back of a building, but in the 1600s, the term would often be extended to mean "one's own province." The phrase just means it's a good fit with your personal desires and skills.

Answer: Two wrongs don't make a right

The best anyone can tell is that this phrase originated with Benjamin Rush, one of the signers of the US Declaration of Independence. In a 1783 letter, he wrote, "Two wrongs don't make one right: two wrongs won't right a wrong." Well, his thinking has stuck with us, and the opposite phrase, "Two wrongs make a right" is considered one of the most common (and egregious) logical fallacies employed.

Answer: The left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing

This one comes from the Bible. In Matthew 6:3, Jesus says, "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing." He was referring to doing things in secret, so the phrase has obviously mutated quite a bit. Nowadays, it's just a metaphor where "left hand" refers to one department in an organization and "right hand" refers to another.

Answer: Might makes right

This phrase goes all the way back to ancient Greece, where Thrasymachus said in Plato's "Republic," "Justice is nothing else than the interest of the stronger." The words have changed, but the sentiment hasn't changed a bit--those in power make the rules.

Answer: Do the right thing

The phrase itself doesn't really have a single origin--it's just a basic way of encouraging folks to take the morally correct action. Its popularity, however, skyrocketed after the 1989 release of Spike Lee's film by that name. Its story of racial tension in a Brooklyn neighborhood explored what it really means to "do the right thing."

Answer: You hit the nail right on the head

I don't think you'll be shocked to learn that this phrase came from the world of carpentry. For folks hammering nails, not hitting them on the head can be problematic, e.g., the nail might bend, forcing you to start over. But hitting them "right on the head" means you'll finish the job faster and with fewer mistakes.

Answer: If you play your cards right...

The origin of this phrase, of course, comes from card games, especially poker. It just means smart playing will likely lead to more winnings. It was used as far back as the 1600s, and was pretty much only used for card games until the late 1800s. Eventually, it was expanded to include a variety of smart decisions that will lead to success.

Answer: That happened right off the bat

This is another idiom with an obvious origin--in this case, baseball. Baseball players on offense use a bat. In the exact moment the ball hits the ball and goes into play, it was said in the 19th century that it happened "right off the bat," i.e., the ball went into play immediately. So anything that happens without hesitation can now be described as "right off the bat."