Do you know these creepy English idioms?
- Listen to learn some Halloween-related expressions.
- First, try listening without reading the transcript. After that, listen again to check for any words you might’ve missed.
- You’ll also find a quiz at the end!
Transcript:
In today’s episode, we’ll be learning about 5 common and creepy English idioms. From bones, to blood, to skeletons in closets…we’ll be learning about the stories behind these strange phrases. Stay tuned.
Halloween is celebrated on October 31st.
It’s that time of year again. Halloween this year falls upon the blue moon of October 31st. A strange occurrence… for a very strange year. Most of us will be staying inside with a pizza and a scary movie due to our current restrictions. However, I hope these creepy idioms will help get you into a spooky mood. Before we begin, I want to let you know that the research behind this episode comes from linguist, Gary Martin, creator of “The Phrase Finder” website. If you’re interested in learning the history behind more strange English phrases, check out Gary’s website at www.phrases.org.uk. Alright, let’s get started.
A Skeleton in the Closet
Number 1 on our list is “to have a skeleton in the closet”. You’ve probably heard this phrase when listening to news about a politician or celebrity that has some dirty secrets to hide. To “have a skeleton in the closet” means that someone has a secret that could probably destroy their public image or reputation. For example, we could say “it was discovered that the president had some skeletons in his closet when it was reported that he was connected to the leaders of many powerful companies.”
So what is the story behind this phrase? It is said that this idiom came into use in 19th century England. This saying refers to keeping people in your closet. And by people I mean dead people. And by dead people I mean people you have murdered.
One of the first recorded usages of this phrase comes from an English magazine called “The Eclectic Review” in 1816. In the Victorian period, famous author, Edgar Allen Poe, also used this expression in his writings. Another well known author of that period, William Makepeace Thackeray, helped popularize the phrase in one of his works from 1845. It should be noted that in American English we say “they have a skeleton in the closet”, however, in British English you may hear “they have a skeleton in the cupboard”.
Do you know any celebrities with skeletons in their closets?
Graveyard Shift
Our second phrase is “graveyard shift”. We often use this phrase when talking about our work schedules. To have a “graveyard shift” means that you are working during the night and into the early morning. A typical graveyard shift might be from midnight to 8 in the morning. For example, we could say “many nurses and doctors have difficulty sleeping because they often have to work graveyard shifts”.
There’s a real creepy story behind this one. Some people say that in the 1500’s people were afraid of being buried alive after they found scratch marks on the inside of coffins. To prevent anyone from waking up inside their box, they began to tie bells on a string to the hands of dead people so that they could pull on the string to get help if they weren’t actually dead yet. It would be someone’s job to sit in the graveyard overnight and listen for the sounds of bells to save any of these unfortunate people. These people were working the “graveyard shift”.
Is this true? Probably not. It seems to simply be an unverified rumor that was spread around the Internet. We do know, however, some of the earliest examples of this phrase can be found in American newspapers in 1895 and 1897.
Have you ever worked a graveyard shift?
To Play the Devil’s Advocate
Third on our list, is the phrase “to play the devil’s advocate”. Do you know someone who likes to disagree with you just for fun? Who enjoys having the opposite opinion of everyone else? Well, this person is “playing the devil’s advocate”. To “play the devil’s advocate” means that you take the opposing position in an argument, usually to test how strong that argument is. For example, you may be discussing COVID restrictions with a group of friends. Everyone agrees that bars and restaurants should remain closed. But then you say, “well guys, let me play devil’s advocate here…maybe bars and restaurants should open so that people don’t lose their jobs.” That’s being the devil’s advocate.
I love the history behind this expression. The phrase has its roots in the 18th century and comes from the latin “advocatus diaboli”. In medieval Europe, the “devil’s advocate” was actually a job. In Catholicism, there is a process that happens within the church called “bay-at-ification”. This is when Roman Catholics make someone a sort of saint.
In order for this to happen, someone typically dies while fighting for their religion or they perform some sort of medical miracle. Typically, this honor is given to missionaries or priests who may have healed someone of an incurable disease. The church then must decide if there have been enough heroic and spiritual deeds done for that person to be given this status. This is where the “Devil’s Advocate” comes in. The “devil’s advocate” would bring to the church all of the reasons this person should not be given this title. Essentially, acting as a balance throughout the process.
Do you have a friend that likes to play devil’s advocate in an argument?
Blood is Thicker Than Water
Number 4 on our list is the saying “blood is thicker than water”. This phrase is often used when talking about friends and family. “Blood is thicker than water” means that the connections between you and your family members are stronger than any others. For example, someone might say, “when I was moving to a new apartment, my sister was the only one who helped me move my stuff. None of my coworkers offered to help. I guess, blood is thicker than water.”
I wasn’t able to dig up too much of the backstory on this one. It is agreed that there is some connection to a German expression from the 12th century. In the German epic from 1180, titled “Reynard the Fox”, there is a proverb that translates to “kin-blood”, or the family blood,” is not spoiled by water”. We can first see this phrase being used the way we use it today in 1617 and later in 1815 by famous Scottish writer, Walter Scott.
Do you agree that blood is thicker than water?
Bone Dry
Our 5th and final expression is “bone dry”. If we want to talk about something that is completely dry, we may use the phrase “bone dry”. When you think of bleached and brittle skeletons that have turned completely white, this is the image that comes to mind. For example, we could say, “after returning from my vacation, all of my houseplants were bone dry and desperately needed to be watered.”
There isn’t much known about the history of this expression. What is known is that the phrase can be found in a glossary called “The Vocabulary of East Anglia” from 1830. This reference to dead bodies being left in the sun until their bones turned white led me to another creepy fact in my research. Did you know that the white skeletons we might see in museums are often cleaned with skin-eating beetles? These ferocious bugs are known as “dermestid beetles’. “Dermestid” comes from the Greek word, “derma” meaning “skin”. Hundreds of these bugs are placed on a dead body. The beetles then lay eggs within the rotting flesh and within 3 days they can leave a skull completely clean. These skin-eating bugs have even been used in murder investigations, since they can tear away the muscle, blood, and flesh while leaving even the smallest bones undamaged.
After many years, these skulls are bone-dry.
Alright, so in today’s episode, we learned 5 idioms. “To have a skeleton in the closet”, “to work the graveyard shift”, “to play the devil’s advocate”, “blood is thicker than water”, and “bone dry”.
I hope you enjoyed hearing about the history behind these phrases. If you’re listening to this on Facebook or Instagram, you can try using these phrases in a sentence by leaving a comment below the video, and I’ll be happy to correct them.
