Clichés and Sayings of the Victorian Era

Often in the historical books we read, we become fascinated and curious about some of the witty and thought provoking language of the time. So, we thought to invite you to travel back with us to the Gilded Age, to learn some of the popular lingo originating or in use during that fascinating period of contrasts.

Dark Horse: its origins sketchy, it was first noticed in print in the publication, "The Young Duke" by Benjamin Disraeli, in 1831 and has come to signify a contestant in a race of whom little is known about. To quote: "A dark horse, which had never been thought of...rushed past the grand stand in sweeping triumph."

Dawned on Me: noticed broadly when used in Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in 1852, it signifies to suddenly become apparent.

Dead to Rights: thought to be of strictly American origin, and used to mean correctness without possibility of error.

Demon Rum: phrase coined by Timothy Shay Arthur in his "Ten Nights in a Barroom" (1854) to describe the evil consequences of the consumption of hard liquor.

Dose of His Own Medicine: a popular saying at the end of the 19th century, it meant to treat someone the way they treated you, and not necessarily in a good way.

Double in Brass: a term meaning to take on two jobs for the extra income. Since the brass referred to the general term for musical instruments, it is thought to have originated in the American touring shows and circus groups of the 1800's.

Down and Out: a saying that in all probability originated and became more popular as boxing caught on in the late 1800's, but ascribed to being financially hard up.

Draw a Blank : not sure exactly how old this saying is, but first real notice came of it when used in Washington Irving's 1824 "Tales of a Traveller" and used as failing to remember something.

Draw the Line At : noticed first in print in 1821 England, in the newssheet "The Examiner", and meant to describe unfavorable behavior that simply would not be tolerated.

Drop of the Hat: in the 1800's, this saying was used to indicate acting immediately on a signal of some kind, and was used most widely when discussing races or fights.

Drop the Pilot : a term originating with and made popular by Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany in 1890, when he dismissed Otto von Bismarck, the German chancellor and key government figure.

Dry as Dust : actually began as one word as an individual Sir Walter Scott often acknowledged in the preface of his works as the reverend Dr. Jonas Dryasdust.

Dull as Dishwater: actually, the original saying was coined by the irrepressible Charles Dickens and was "Dull as Ditchwater" in his 1865 "Our Mutual Friend"; used to mean uninspiring and boorish.

Dutch Uncle: first known usage of this term was in 1837 in an article titled "Charcoal Sketches" by Joseph C. Neal. An American slang, it was described in 1853 as being a man who gives strong advice or is a severe disciplinarian. The Dutch refers to the sober attitude Americans thought of the Dutch to possess, while the uncle refers to an oft well-liked and generous family member.

Easy as Pie: another American Victorian saying meaning an easy task to complete. The pie does not refer to a baked good, but rather of an easy fight, or match, which resulted in an easy victory.

Eat Crow : another Americanism, it originated in 1870 and came from a story about an American soldier, who, during the War of 1812, killed a crow in front of a British officer. The officer complimented the American on his amazing shot and asked to see the weapon used. The soldier gave him the gun, at which time the officer turned it upon the soldier, upbraided him about killing the bird and then made him eat some of the dead crow. When the officer returned the weapon to the American, the soldier turned the tables and, pointing the weapon at the officer, made the officer finish eating the dead bird.

Eat Humble Pie : used when someone acknowledges an error, this saying was a play on an earlier saying, Eat Umble Pie, which really was a kind of baked pie. It was put askew in 1825 by Robert Forby in his "Vocabulary of East Anglia", when he quoted the term as Eat Humble Pie and defined it as lowering ones tone in order to be submissive.

Face the Music : a saying popular by 1851, it meant to cope or win over a difficult situation. What meaning the music stands for, is still unclear.

Fair Shake: American in origin, it is thought to originally refer to the throwing of dice. Popular by 1834, it appeared in "The Life and Writtings of Major Jack Downing of Downingville" by Seba Smith and is used to designate an even deal or good opportunity.

Far Cry: First in print in "The Legend of Montrose" by Sir Walter Scott in 1819, and is of Scottish origin. To quote: "One of the Campbells replied, 'It is a far cry to Lochow', meaning the domains of the clan were beyond the reach of the invading enemy.

Fill the Bill: an American term meaning to meet the need of. It is thought to have originated in theatrical circles, when an act was added to a play list or bill of acts in order to fill the page.

Fine Fettle: a popular 19th century saying, fettle was a verb which meant to put in order or arrange properly. To be in a fine fettle was to be well organized to do something.

Fine-tooth Comb: while fine-toothed combs in the physical have been around for eons, the figurative saying of "I'll go through this book like a fine-tooth comb," is from the 1890's.

First Water: an expression that was first used and documented figuratively in 1825 by Theodore E. Hook in "Sayings and Doings.". Referred to the quality of diamonds and their resemblance to water, such as in clarity and brilliance, with first water being the highest rating, then second water and so on.

Fish or Cut Bait: terminology used meaning to choose, or stop procrastinating. Its first appearance in print was in 1876 in the Congressional Record by Rep. Joseph G. Gannon of Illinois.

Fix His Wagon: means to deal with a pesky problem or annoyance. It first originated as Fix His Flints, but changed to wagon during the great American westward expansion of the 1800's, when wagons were the major mode of transportation.

Flip Your Lid: get mad or irate. This phrase may be somewhat newer, but the thought was there in the 1870's, used in a different phraseology.

Forty Winks: a term which first became popular in the early 1800's. Winks has commonly been used throughout history to mean sleep, and sometimes even death. How the word forty evolved to be connected to it is still a mystery..

From Start to Finish: a phrase which first appeared in the British publication, "The Field", in 1868, and referred to racing, literally.

From the Word Go: an American term which originated in 1838 in the "Knickerbocker Magazine", meaning at the start or from the beginning.

Full Head of Steam: Civil War times in origin, it came about from the use of steam and the power and strength it conveyed. Thought to have originated in "The Times" of London in 1862.

Full Steam Ahead: again, thought to have origins in the mid 1800's and the use of steam.

Get In on the Ground Floor: first appeared in print in 1889, and meant to get in at the beginning of something; from the start.

Get His Dander Up: dander is Dutch for anger, or it may have originally been donder, which translates to thunder. Whichever, it was used to express becoming irritated or angry and was popular by 1830.

Go Around Robin Hood's Barn: originated in 1854 and meant to take a round-about-way instead of direct route to something.

Go Fry an Egg: while its original first use cannot be pinpointed, it was used in print as early as 1841 to convey to a pest to go bother someone else.

Go for Broke: thought to be originally a gambling term, it originated in the 19th century and is used to convey going all out for something whether you win or lose.

Go on the Warpath: yes, this is another American term and was used to describe the Native American Indian intent to go to battle by both the Native Americans and the white reporters who wrote about them in the late 1800's. The term also became well used and popular in England by the late 1880's..

Go to Town: when used to describe doing something with great verve and gusto, it is of 19th century American origin.

Grit Your Teeth: first noted in print in 1887, it was used to define a task that took hard work and perseverance.

Gum Up the Works: comes from the 19th century era of expanding industrialism, when oiling machines was quite an art. At times the oil would be gummy in texture and impeded, rather than improved the workings of the machinery.

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