Another little collection of familiar sayings that are pretty much self-explanatory and which don’t have any interesting history, either ancient or modern:
Paddle your own canoe — be independent and decide your own fate
Cut from the same cloth — people or items closely resembling one another
Make waves — cause trouble
Talk is cheap — easier to talk about doing something than to actually do it.
Hell to pay — somebody is going to be very angry about an event
Come again — what did you say?
A shot in the dark — a hopeful attempt to hit an enemy you can’t see
Come full circle — what goes around comes around
Fits the bill — right for a particular purpose
That will do the trick — that will achieve the desired result (1800s)
Happy camper — a very contented person (1980s)
Put a lid on it — shut up
Keep the lid on — control information
On the same page — looking at exactly the same thing, common ground (1965)
Since I started reading your posts about common phrases and their meanings, I’ve become aware of just how many there are. A person can’t open their mouth without uttering one or more!
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