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I can't believe it is Friday again and the week seems to have just disappeared before our very eyes. Just think another 14 of these and it will be bloody Christmas already which normally we would be looking forward to taking a break. I am sure there are many of us who have hardly done any work and it is super frustrating. My couch has been the hardest working thing I have known this year and is suffering from depressed cushions.
To start off this week we will go with one that most of you probably know or should know.
Turning a blind eye. Which as we know is ignoring something that maybe you shouldn't do. Letting something go on purpose because possibly it is the right thing to do.
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The origins of this saying come from a naval battle where Admiral Horatio Nelson ignored a signal to stop attacking a fleet of Danish ships. Nelson reportedly lifted the telescope up to his blind eye as he only had one and said he couldn't see the signal and carried on with his attack.
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Caught red handed. Is rather commonly used and had no idea about the origins of this one.
In the olden days the law allowed people to be punished for butchering animals that weren't their own. The only way of proving that they had done it was if they hadn't washed the blood off their hands. Caught red handed means the crime was still fresh and obvious with the evidence of the blood. These days you would need dna and god's knows what to convict someone of any obvious crime.The law states you are innocent until proven guilty. Even with red flags and heaps of evidence criminals literally get away with murder.
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A bakers dozen.
Another one I have obviously heard but didn't know the origin of. I thought that a bakers dozen was 13 and has always been standard for them. Apparently back long ago in medieval times bakers gave an extra loaf of bread for anyone purchasing 12 loaves which is a dozen. The reason behind it is that in those days nasty things could happen to you like flogging,pilloried or fined for selling underweight loaves. Pilloried by the way is like a standing type of stock where you face the public. Pity some of these laws have disappeared as I know a few companies who should be flogged.
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Finally the last one for this week and had no idea and would never had guessed it's origin either.
Basket case. Normally referring to someone who is a waste of time and is useless. During World War 1 when soldiers lost limbs like an arm or a leg they often had to be carried around like a basket. Bit harsh I know but makes perfect sense. Obviously there were many basket cases for it to become a thing back then and has stuck ever since.
As you can see there are no tricks with these meanings as most of them mean exactly what they say.My favorite this week has to be "basket case".