Everyday Expressions Trivia Quiz

Answer: Drop bucket

This phrase has origins in the the Book of Isaiah--"Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing." Isaiah 40:15 (King James Version)

Answer: fish water

The origin of this phrase is not known definitively, but Chaucer used something similar in the prologue to "The Canterbury Tales":

"...a monk, when he is cloisterless;
Is like to a fish that is waterless"

Answer: shining armor

This is a straightforward reference to a hero of days of yore. It has overtones of a male-female relationship, but could apply to anyone who steps up to save another from an unpleasant fate.

Answer: arm leg

There are many hypotheses about the origin of this idiom, but its meaning is clear no matter whence it came: if something costs an arm and a leg, it costs perhaps more than anyone would be willing to pay.

Answer: Break a leg

There are multiple theories about how this phrase, which is on its face completely opposite to its meaning, came about. No one can definitively pinpoint its origin, but in the present day it is assumed that actors believe it's bad luck to wish someone good luck before a performance, so they instead wish them misfortune in the belief that it will bring them good fortune...very confusing.

Answer: Dark horse

This term comes from the racing world. A dark horse is one about which little is known by those who are familiar with the field, making it difficult to bet with confidence. The phrase is now used in politics to denote a candidate who has been largely unknown but rises to prominence unexpectedly during a political race.

Answer: shot arm

This expression arose from the procedure in the photo - the inception of administering vaccines and medications via shots in the arm, which of course (usually) boosts the health of the recipient.

Answer: Glass ceiling

This phrase appears to have its origins in the 1980s, although there is disagreement about who used it first. It refers to the invisible, yet very real, barrier in the world of work that keeps women from occupying the highest echelons of power and authority, perpetuated by the men who hold those positions.

Answer: Red tape

The exact origin of the phrase "red tape" isn't known. In the 16th century, Henry VIII sent numerous petitions for annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, to Pope Clement VII, bound in red tape. Red tape was used in those times to bind documents of special importance, to distinguish them from everyday run-of-the-mill records.

After the Civil War in the US, veterans who came to Washington, D.C. to claim their pensions were faced with frustrating delays, reportedly because their war service records were bound up with red tape.

Answer: Black sheep

It's not known when this phrase first was used with its current meaning, but in the 19th century it was in use. It came from the fact that the wool of a black sheep could not be dyed, which meant it was worth less than white wool, hence, a black sheep was less valuable than its white counterparts.