This is a very commonly used English proverb which derives from Shakespearean language. Find out more about the meaning and origin below!
Meaning
The expression is used most commonly in introductions when it comes to the final person the speaker may use the phrase in order to affirm that the final speaker is just as important as those who have come before.
Etymology
It is agreed upon that the expression was first used in theatrical productions however there is no consensus regarding the date on which it was first used. It is suggested that it was first used in 1580 in John Lyly’s Euphues and His England which reads “I have heard oftentimes that in love there are three things for to be used: if time serve, violence, if wealth be great, gold, if necessity compel, sorcery. But of these three but one can stand me in stead – the last, but not the least’; which is able to work the minds of all women like wax.”
Although this first example dates to the year 1580 it has been suggested by some that the phrase was inspired by a verse from the Bible. In Matthew 19:30 from the year 1382 the phrase “but manye schulen be, the firste the laste, and the laste the firste” is found and it is often argued that this inspired the current phrase.
Example
An example of this expression in use can be found in Shakespeare’s King Lear from 1605. It reads; “No less in space, validity, and pleasure,
Than that conferr’d on Goneril. Now, our joy, Although the last, not least; to whose young love The vines of France and milk of Burgundy Strive to be interess’d; what can you say to draw A third more opulent than your sisters? Speak.”
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This has been a popularly used expression since the mid-20th century and is still commonly used. It has recently been taken even further by English artist Banksy who has used it as inspiration for an installation. In this he has painted a large 3D elephant in the same pattern as the wallpaper in the room to highlight that even when the elephant is by far the largest object in the room people still choose to ignore it. This was particularly poignant as the exhibition centred around world poverty and thus he was keen to focus on the ignorance of many people.
Meaning
This proverb is used to denote a topic which is of high importance and one which everyone in the room is aware of but one which is being purposefully ignored. This topic is generally one which is uncomfortable or awkward and thus it is being avoided.
Etymology
The first recorded use of the expression dates to the year 1952 from the US publication The Charleston Gazette which reads “Chicago, that’s an old Indian word meaning get that elephant out of your room.” The meaning behind the expression in this citation is rather unclear and it is not until the year 1984 when we find it used in the same way in which it is today. This can be found in the title of a book by Typpo and Hastings; An elephant in the living room: a leader’s guide for helping children of alcoholics.
Example
An example of this expression can be found in a quote by American author Stephen King; “how could you let such a business go on for so many years? Didn’t you see the elephant in the living room?”
Ne ratez pas
Should I be pleased to be described as “the laughing stock?”
publié le 4 June
Have you ever been described as "the laughing stock?" Do you want to know if this is a compliment or not? If this is the case then keep reading and th...
What does it mean if something happens at “the eleventh hour?”
publié le 2 June
The English idiom, "at the eleventh hour" is often used in conversation. It can seem rather confusing if you do not have prior knowledge of what it me...
This English expression is very commonly used, particularly in general day-to-day conversation. If you want to find out when and how to use it, read t...
This phrase does not relate to teeth or appearances in any way but rather is used in a less literal context. To find out more about the meaning as well as the origins of this strange expression read below!
Meaning
The expression is used to denote age. It is used in order to suggest that either a person or, in some cases, a horse is old.
Etymology
The expression is closely linked to horses and derives from the fact that the teeth of horses continue to grow as they age and thus the older the horse the bigger their teeth will be. Therefore the age of a horse can be established through looking at the teeth.
Similar phrases to this are in Latin and can be dated back to the 16th century but the first instance of an English phrase dates to the year 1852. It can be found in The History of Henry Esmond, Esq. by English novelist William Makepeace Thackeray and reads “his cousin was now of more than middle age, and had nobody’s word but her own for the beauty which she said she once possessed. She was lean, and yellow, and long in the tooth; all the red and white in all the toy-shops in London could not make a beauty of her.”
Example
An example of this expression can be found in Peter Cite’s novel Blindsight which reads “radar is too long in the tooth for fine detail.”
This is not the only English expression involving a horse. We can also cite the expression “straight from the horse’s mouth.”
Ne ratez pas
Should I be pleased to be described as “the laughing stock?”
publié le 4 June
Have you ever been described as "the laughing stock?" Do you want to know if this is a compliment or not? If this is the case then keep reading and th...
What does it mean if something happens at “the eleventh hour?”
publié le 2 June
The English idiom, "at the eleventh hour" is often used in conversation. It can seem rather confusing if you do not have prior knowledge of what it me...
This English expression is very commonly used, particularly in general day-to-day conversation. If you want to find out when and how to use it, read t...
Despite the initial reaction this expression is not used to literally suggest that someone has been dragged backwards through a thorny or jaggy hedge. Rather, it is used in a less literal context.
Meaning
The expression is used to express the idea that someone looks a mess. In general the expression is most often employed to suggest that someone’s hair is messy and thus it looks as though they have been dragged through a hedge backwards despite the fact that in reality this is not the case.
Etymology
This expression is predominantly used in Britain and this is because it originates from 19th century England. The first recorded usage of it can be found in the 1857 edition of The Hereford Journal which reads “in the class for any distinct breed came a pen of those curious birds the silk fowls, shown by Mr. Churchill, and a pen of those not less curious the frizzled fowls, sent by the same gentleman, looking as if they had been drawn through a hedge backwards.” This use of the expression was related to the way in which the chickens being sold looked rather than the more common use nowadays which relates to human beings.
Example
The phrase has been revived more recently and has begun to be used a lot more commonly thanks to English chef and food writer Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall who promotes foraging in hedges to find food and thus the literal sense of the phrase is beginning to be closer to the truth. He is quoted to have said “if I had a pound for every reviewer who said I looked as if I’d been dragged through a hedge backwards, I’d have, ooh, about 17 quid minimum. Actually, I have never been dragged through a hedge, backwards or forwards.”
Ne ratez pas
Should I be pleased to be described as “the laughing stock?”
publié le 4 June
Have you ever been described as "the laughing stock?" Do you want to know if this is a compliment or not? If this is the case then keep reading and th...
What does it mean if something happens at “the eleventh hour?”
publié le 2 June
The English idiom, "at the eleventh hour" is often used in conversation. It can seem rather confusing if you do not have prior knowledge of what it me...
This English expression is very commonly used, particularly in general day-to-day conversation. If you want to find out when and how to use it, read t...
