Here are six more common English phrases and their backgrounds. How many do you recognise?

Toe the Line

Sometimes also spelt ‘tow’ the line, this expression means to conform to the rest of the group and to follow party procedure. It may also mean not to get ahead of oneself, but to stick with the group. This expression is generally believed to have come from the House of Commons in the Palace of Westminster, the British seat of Parliament. The floor of the House of Commons has two red lines on it, which party-members are fobidden to cross. The space between the lines is meant to be further than the blade-length of a pair of swords. This precautionary measure was carried out when one MP was killed on the floor of the House of Commons during a heated political debate. If a party-member crossed the line, the cry to “toe the line” (that is, to not let one toe step out or over the line) would be heard, ordering the impassioned MP to restrain himself from harming another politician.

The two red lines (in front of the benches) that run the length of the House of Commons

Put the Screws On

To ‘put the screws on’ means to place someone under pressure. Generally believed to have come from the medieval torture-device called thumb-screws. Thumb-screws were metal clamps placed over the thumbs (or other fingers) and then gradually screwed closer and closer together, until a confession was extracted. Failure to give a confession resulted in crushed fingers, hence the pressure to think fast and say something to prevent one’s digits turning into something resembling cooked pasta.

Fog of War

The ‘fog of war’ is the high level of confusion which occurs during large and frenzied events where mistakes might be made and where things can go wrong. This originated back in the 17th and 18th centuries when warfare was conducted with blackpowder firearms such as muskets and muzzleloading rifles. Black gunpowder produces incredible amounts of smoke and the constant firing of muskets en-masse soon created thick white ‘fog’ which was almost impossible to see through. Under circumstances like this, the unwary soldier or officer might well produce, or come under the attack of, friendly fire from their own troops or from allies who were unable to tell which side they were firing at, in the spur of the moment.

Going Berserk

If someone is said to be going ‘berserk’ it means that they’re working themselves up into a fit of uncontrollable rage. This comes from the Viking ‘Berserkers’; Viking warriors who worked themselves up into an insane rage before charging off into battle against their enemies.

Once in a Blue Moon

Once in a blue moon means ‘rarely’. But do blue moons actually exist? And how rare are they? Yes they do exist, but they show up only once every few years. The most recent blue moon was actually on the 31st of December, 2009! If the fireworks didn’t blind your sight, you might’ve seen it up in the sky.

Mad as a Hatter

To be insane or crazy, stupid or foolish. Comes from 18th and 19th century hatters (hat-makers), who produced hats by hand. Animal furs were commonly used in making top hats, the predominent headwear of the 19th century. Highly poisonous mercury was used in the felting-process, to make the animal furs nice and soft and comfortable and most importantly: Suitable for hat-making. The fumes from the mercury were breathed in by early hatters, who didn’t know about mercury-poisoning. The fumes caused irreversable brain-damage, coining the term ‘mad as a hatter’.