To Get One’s Goat
You like to write, after all, you write a blog
Did you ever wonder how people come up with the phrases they do?
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He’s getting their goat!
How about this one: How did the phrase, “He’s getting their goat” become an expression? Was it as simple as your real goat went missing? Here’s how the Word and Phrase Origins reads. Never heard of that? It’s actually titled, “The Henry Holt Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins”:
“To get one’s goat”
“High-strung racehorses often have goats as stablemates, on the theory that the goats have a calming effect on the thoroughbreds. But the horses grow attached to their companions and become upset if they are removed, throwing off their performance on the track.
It is said that 19th-century gamblers capitalized on that fact by stealing on the preceding day the goat of a horse they wanted to lose a race and that this practice gave us the phrase to get one’s goat...they got the horse’s goat and the horse became upset or angry.” taken from “The Henry Holt Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins.”
And when was the last time ‘someone got your goat’?
I’ve actually heard that before. I wonder if they still put goats with the horses? I love that the horses miss their goat buddies 🙂
Do you find that when you hear sayings like this explained, it’s hard to use them again?
I do! I’ll always have visions of upset horses when I use this phrase from now on!
HAHAHAHA! It’s really good to laugh…thanks, Audra!!
How funny! Maybe I ought to invest in a goat or two for their calming properties! 🙂
I wonder if the horse was taken, would it even affect the goat?
Yes, I do wonder. All the time. Thanks for that.
I also wonder about certain phrases that preserve words one never hears anymore. Like: warming the cockles of one’s heart. Hoisted on own petard.
See what I mean.
Yes! I’ve heard about the cockles of one’s heart. No, I’ve never heard of Hoisted on own petard. I’ll even have to look up petard. It makes me wonder what words the future humans will need to look up that we used.
PV,
I’ve found the phrase, hoisted on one’s own petard. “The petard of medieval times was a kind of rude hand grenade or mine that invaders would fasten to castle walls or gates. It took its name from the French, peter, which means “to break wind.”
Metal and bell-shaped, it contained an explosive charge that was fired by a slow-burning fuse, but it was often poorly constructed and went off prematurely, blowing up the man who lit it as well as the castle wall. Such a man was said to be hoisted (lifted or heaved) by his own petard.”
I never knew! Now I do! 🙂
It looks like the transfer to WordPress finally happened! The site looks great!
I like WordPress, but miss the ability to use blogger quickly. It happened during the time I was supposed to have a giveaway…it didn’t happen!
Hello Donna: It is interesting to learn where these phrases come from. The phrase ‘Knock on wood’ has an interesting origin. When the Cross of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ was found it was kept, I think, in the Church of the Holy Sepulchure in Jerusalem. When people would get sick or have some sort of misfortune they would go to the church and pray and touch the cross. From this practice it is said that the saying, ‘Knock on wood’ came. Fragments of the Holy Precious and Life giving Cross are still held in this church (I think it’s still that church). My priest told me once that he held them in his own hands and reverenced them. A happy Thanksgiving to you. Lance Okones
Lance,
I’ll have to check out the ‘knock on wood’ phrase. Thank you for your Thanksgiving blessing!
Well, isn’t that interesting!? Thanks for the little ‘nugget’ Donna. 🙂
As for reviewing one of your books on my blog, I’d LOVE to! Both my children are HUGE book lovers and I’m planning to do a post soon on our gift giving traditions (we give: something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read) and was planning on suggesting a few items to go along with it. I’d be happy to highlight one of YOUR books for the ‘something to read’…
Heidi,
Then all I need is to have you tell me which book you would like to review. I like the rhyming in your gift giving!
Would you be willing to also post the book review you wrote on Amazon too? If so, then how about reviewing 2 books;
One to share because they care and
One to read as a seed…
To make a good start,
With the Word in their heart.
One of my father’s favorite expressions is “I’m happier than a dead pig in the sunshine.”
I admit I have never fully understood this expression…but it is fun to say.
P.S. – it is encouraging to see a successful website dedicated to spreading the word of God to children and their parents.
You have me stumped too! It sounds like something Mark Twain would have written. Thanks for your compliments on my blog’s mission!