The English dialect is beautiful, complex, witty and, at times, stupid. As a Texan, I am constantly surrounded by strange and confusing idioms that I should know. Although the south has its own bundle of phrases, English in general is littered with bewildering common sayings, some of which have no right to be as popular as they are. When you stop to think about these expressions you realize how silly you sound, at least I did. I wanted to clean up my vocabulary, so I researched some idioms that I say without a second thought, and I’ve rated them based on its history, whether or not it is easy to understand and its level of popularity.

• A dime a dozen – 2/10
  • Originating in the 1800s, “a dime a dozen” refers to something being common or easy to come by. It was a literal phrase for buying twelve items, normally some kind of poultry or food, with a dime. It became a commonly used idiom in the 1930s, whether or not that’s related to the Great Depression I have no clue, but here’s to assuming! The reasoning behind this saying is that if twelve of one thing could cost a dime, that item must be common or accessible. This idiom sucks. I remember hearing it as a kid, and I assumed that it meant the opposite; it would be rare to be able to buy a dozen of something for that cheap. Also, I feel like it’s not used enough to be common knowledge, so I docked points for a lack of popularity. I still threw in some measly points because it does make sense when you research the historical context behind the phrase, but that’s simply not good enough. 

• Better late than never – 10/10
  • “Better late than never” is the English translation of the Latin term “potiusque sero quam nunquam,” used to motivate someone to still do something or go somewhere even if it’s late. The first recorded English use of the phrase was in Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales.” This was originally released between 1387 and 1400, so the closest modern English translation would be “For better than never is late; never to succeed would be too long a period.” Wow, extra points for being philosophical and poetic. My favorite thing about this idiom is that you don’t need to know the historical context in order to understand it, as a commonly used phrase should be! This is just an overall great idiom with everything that a good idiom should have: popularity, positivity, good history and an objectively easy to understand meaning.

• Break a leg – 7/10
  • The history behind this common wish of good fortune is much harder to track down than other idioms, and it’s been resolved as a layered answer. Some linguists trace the phrase back to Germany where the phrase “hals- und beinbruch,” essentially translating to “break a leg,” was first used to wish good luck on a hunting trip, and later in theatre. There are other theories as to its origins, like the “leg” referring to the side curtain on a stage, or that bowing after a good performance may break one’s leg. It became popular in the 1920s, often linked to Vaudeville performers, where it was mainly used as a way to not jinx someone else’s success. I may be biased since I spent so much time in theatre, but I really like this idiom. I understand that it’s not easy to assume the meaning behind the phrase, but in my experience it’s popular enough to assume that it’s a means to wish someone good luck. The popularity of this phrase also runs deep, being used to create community and culture across actors. Don’t worry, I’m still docking points for its vagueness. 

• Get out of hand – 9/10
  • Originating in the 18th century as a horseman’s phrase, something “getting out of hand” implies that something is out of control. The literal meaning of this idiom refers to how the rein used to control a horse would literally get out of the hand of the cowboy if the horse were to become unmanageable. There’s no finite time period where the phrase became popular, so it was likely just a gradual progression. This is one of the most objective idioms, as if something were to leave your hands when you no longer have control of it. The only reason that I docked one point is because you have to think about it for a second to understand what it means. However, again, it is extremely common, so its meaning is incredibly easy to assume and easy to use. 

• Bite the bullet – 0.5/10
  • In case you couldn’t make out the meaning of this stupid idiom, to “bite the bullet” means to decide to do something that you were hesitant about. I already don’t like this meaning, as “biting the bullet” implies that one stopped (bit) something bad from happening (the bullet).  Once I learned the historical context behind the phrase, I disliked it even more; “biting the bullet” comes from 18th century military practices where soldiers would bite lead bullets during battlefield surgeries/amputations without anesthetics. First of all, ouch, why would any common, casual phrase be formed from that kind of experience? Additionally, I believe the modern usage of the word doesn’t really correspond to its origin; biting the bullet in the literal sense was done to avoid or distract from the pain of the unmedicated surgery, where it’s now used when someone is done avoiding something. I still gave the phrase half of a point because it’s used enough, I guess. 

I hope that you read this and got a better understanding of your vocabulary and have come to realize how silly you sound sometimes. I strongly stand by all of my ratings, and think that “bite the bullet” should be taken out of commission, or its modern meaning should shift. Use this as a sign to take a closer look at things that you say without a second thought, and maybe consider giving it a second, maybe even third, thought.