Hither is an Old English word meaning "towards here". Yon is a contraction of yonder, also an Old English word meaning "over there". The phrase denotes movement to nowhere in particular.
2. high
Answer: dry
The saying "high and dry" is often employed when the speaker is deprived of something that was promised to them and they have no other means of attaining it. The origin of the phrase is nautical - picture a ship stranded by an ebbing tide.
3. shuck
Answer: jive
"Shuck and jive" is saying that was originally coined by African Americans being held in bondage. It means to act evasively or deceptively, often using clever talk, to avoid trouble or to deceive.
4. tar
Answer: feather
"Tar and feathering" was often used in Boston to designate and ridicule those who remained loyal to the crown during and before the American Revolution. However, its use as a form of punishment goes back to 12 century England and continues. In 2007 an accused drug dealer in Ireland was tarred and feathered.
5. ball
Answer: chain
Ball 'n Chain. The phrase's literal meaning was as a form of punishment. A heavy metal ball was manacled to a prisoner's leg by means of a chain, requiring the person to drag the ball with him wherever he went. Time (and prison reform) has softened its use. Now it is used metaphorically to refer to someone or something that is burdensome or confining.
6. fish
Answer: chips
Nothing quite says London like "fish and chips". The first known use of battered fish and potatoes was by a Jewish immigrant in London's East End around 1860. The meal became immensely popular in the UK. During WWII Winston Churchill referred to "fish and chips" as "good companions".
7. cut
Answer: run
To "cut and run" means to make a quick exit. The phrase originated in the 18th century and had a nautical origin. To a ship at anchor, it meant to cut the anchor line, leave the anchor and beat a hasty retreat.
8. spit
Answer: polish
The term "spit and polish" means attention to extreme cleanliness and appearance. It likely has military origins when shoes were spat upon to enhance brightness.
9. spick
Answer: span
Spick 'n Span. The phrase is descriptive of something or someone that is clean and very neat. The etymology of the phrase suggests that "spick" come from spike or nail. "Span" has derived from words that mean wholly or entirely. The words together mean something that is newly made.
This phrase is unusual in that neither word can stand on its own. Each depends on the other to give it meaning. The phrase can also mean something that is cleaned in such a way for it to appear to be new.
10. part
Answer: parcel
The term "part and parcel" first appeared in English legal books in the 16th century. The term means something that is a part of the greater whole. For example, "Stress is part and parcel of a Funtrivia editor's job." The phrase is also used in real estate to describe an area of land. Originally the two words were separated by "of a". It has morphed into its current meaning.
11. movers
Answer: shakers
The term "movers and shakers" normally applies to an individual who literally or figuratively moves something in such a way as to significantly impact its surroundings. This term often is used to describe innovators.
12. nip
Answer: tuck
The phrase "nip and tuck" means a contest of some sort whose outcome was very close. The phrase probably originated in horseracing. A horse would "nip" at another horse's heels and "tuck" their tail in. The phrase can also be applied to someone who has come close to missing a deadline.
It has also been used metaphorically to describe cosmetic surgery such as "tummy tucks" and other kinds of skin tightening.
13. flora
Answer: fauna
"Flora and fauna" represent the plant (flora) and animal (fauna) life of a particular region. Flora was the Roman goddess of flowers. Fauna is derived from the Greek and Roman horned woodland god Faunus.
14. kiss
Answer: tell
The phrase "kiss and tell" goes back to the 17th century. Its meaning then was to talk of one's own romantic relationships. Its meaning has evolved to mean to betray a confidence.
15. touch
Answer: go
The term "touch and go" describes a risky or precarious venture where the outcome is uncertain. It originated in the 17th century and meant doing something quickly. It was also the name of a children's game of tag in the 17th century.
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
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