If you are in an English speaking part of the world then you are very likely to hear someone say “I am on cloud nine.” If you would like to learn what this expression means and be able to integrate it into your vocabulary then keep reading!
Meaning
The phrase is used to express a feeling of extreme happiness or elation. The expression denotes the highest degree of happiness when a person feels, to use another idiom, on top of the world.
Etymology
The idea of using clouds in figurative expressions originated in the United States and the first recorded use dates to the year 1935 in The Underworld Speaks by Albin Pollock. It reads “Cloud eight, befuddled on account of drinking too much liquor.”
It is a few years later, in 1946, that the expression “cloud nine” is first used. This is in The Oxnard Press-Courier which reads “I think he has thought of everything, unless the authorities pull something new on him out of cloud nine.”
Example
A famous example of the expression in use is in the title and lyrics of the George Harrison song “Cloud Nine.” One of the verses including the lyrics is the following;
“Take my hope
Maybe even share a joke
If there’s good to be shown
You may make it all your own
And if you want to quit that’s fine
While you’re out looking for cloud nine.”
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The English expression “to have a gut feeling” is commonly used in day-to-day conversation. This article will help you understand when it should be used!
Meaning
The expression when someone senses something about a person or thing without having concrete evidence. The person doesn’t have a clear reason for thinking what they do but they believe strongly that they are correct.
Etymology
The expression only came into usage fairly recently, in the 1970s. Despite this, it is widely accepted that the idea behind the expression and the feelings and sensations associated with the gut have been around for much longer.
Some people believe that this idea can be traced back to certain verses in the Bible. For example, Psalm 22:14 which reads “”I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.”
Example
An example of the expression can be found in a quote from Barbara Streisand. She is quoted to have said “I guess if you have an original take on life, or something about you is original, you don’t have to study people who came before you. You don’t have to mimic anybody. You just have a gut feeling inside, an instinct that tells you what’s right for you, and you can’t do it in any other way.”
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This is a commonly used metaphorical English expression which does not have to relate literally to doors. This article will explain when and how to use it!
Meaning
The expression is used to denote the act of completing the first step in a process. An example of this could be securing a job interview which therefore opens up the possibility of progressing further in the recruitment process.
Etymology
The expression was first used more literally in the sense that when in conversation, putting a foot in the door would stop the door from shutting and therefore this ongoing conversation would have to continue.
More recently, the expression has adopted a more figurative meaning. One of this first recorded examples of this type of usage dates to the year 1914 in The Oakland Tribune. It is found in the following piece of dialogue;
“I’m merely asking that the first step be taken,” answered Mayor Mott.
“You’ve got a mighty clever way of getting your foot in the door, and then we can’t get it closed until the whole proposition is carried”, said Turner.
Example
An example of the use of this expression can be found in a quote from the American inventor, Lori Greiner. He is quoted to have said “in business it is most often all about getting your foot in the door and once you do, everything opens up and things start to naturally progress into bigger and more opportunities.”
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This English idiom can sound extremely amusing and even frightening to those who don’t understand the meaning. Don’t worry if you don’t as this article will provide you with all the information you need regarding the meaning and origin of the phrase.
Meaning
The expression is used to describe the sound of someone’s voice when they have something stuck in their throat and thus their voice sounds rather hoarse. When a person “has a frog in their throat” they will often feel the need to constantly try to clear their throat.
Etymology
This expression originated in America towards the end of the 19th century. The first recorded usage dates to the year 1847 in an instructive book written by Harvey Newcomb called How To Be A Man. In this book he advises “now let me beg of you to learn to say NO. If you find a ‘frog in your throat,’ which obstructs your utterance, go by yourself, and practise saying no, no, NO!”
The reason behind the use of this expression is simple. It is due to the fact that when a person has something stuck in their throat they literally make a sound similar to that of the croaking of a frog.
Example
An example of the use of this expression can be found in a memorable quote from the television series Smallville. This takes place in a conversation between Clark and Lois when Clark simply asks Lois “how’d you get that frog in your throat?”
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