Sayings and Phrases

Sayings and Phrases

For the 6th Grade

How to set up your notebook

• Write on the cover – your name on the top and Sayings and Phrases in the middle.

• On the first page – write the vocabulary terms

Example

VocabularyExpressions—words or phrases that are used to convey ideas or feelings

beyond their dictionary definitions (sayings and phrases); a group of words used as a unit

Proverbs—are sayings that have been used for many years that tell truths about life or human nature; a short wise saying used for a long time by many people

Literal language—words describing actual happeningsFigurative language—expressions stated in an non-literal sense to give

vividnessQuotes—to repeat the exact words ofPhrase—an expressionAphorisms—a terse sentence expressing a general thought, piece of practical

wisdom (maxim, proverb)Idiom—a phrase or group of words with a meaning different from the meaning

of the individual wordsCliché—an expression which has lost its significance through frequent

repetitions, a timeworn phrase

What is happening?

How to set up your notebook

• On the second page write – Burst my Bubble on the top line

• Skip ten lines and draw a line through the paper

• Write Literal Meaning• Skip 3 lines and write Figurative Meaning• Skip 3 lines and write Example• Skip 4 lines and write Origin

• As we go through each Saying and Phrase you will follow these steps. In the top portion of the paper you will draw a picture of the Saying or Phrase. What you think it means.

• You will then write the Literal Meaning (what you think it means

• Then you will write the Figurative Meaning (what it really means)

• Then you will give a short example of the meaning (an experience or a sentence)

• Last you will write the origin if available

EXAMPLE

Let’s see if we can fill the rest in

Burst my bubble

• This is a literal interpretation: you literally (actually) burst a bubble.

Another view“When you told me it was going to rain on the day we are supposed to go to the beach, you burst my bubble!”

What do you think this means?

“When you told me it was going to rain on the day we are supposed to go to the beach, you burst my bubble!”

This is a figurative interpretation• In this sentence a bubble has not

actually, or literally, been burst; it means that the rain prediction dampened the excitement about the day at the beach.• “Burst my bubble” is a phrase

used to describe disappointment.

Does anyone want to share an experience where bubbles were

burst?

Let’s take a look at some other sayings and phrases

All for one and one for all.

All for one and one for all.

As the Red Dragons headed onto the field, the soccer coach reminded them, “All for one and one for all!”

All for one and one for all.Meaning • All the members of a group support each of the individual members,

and the individual members pledge to support the group.• Basically it means All have ONE common GOAL, that all are working

for, so they will work together to reach that goal. It's a great motto for teamwork and the ability to get things done if all on a team work for it.

"Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno" is the Latin phrase that it originated from.

It is also known as being the motto of Alexandre Dumas's Three Musketeers and is also the traditional motto of Switzerland.

All’s well that ends well.

All’s well that ends well.At the school dance, Jake managed

to step on Alice’s toes, spill punch on her dress, and tear his pants. But when the evening ended and Alice said, “I hope you’ll ask me out again,” Jake sighed to himself, “All’s well that ends well.”

All’s well that ends well.Meaning• A risky enterprise is justified so long as it turns out

well in the end.Origin• This is, of course, best known from the

Shakespeare play, but it was a proverb before it was a play title.

• John Heywood included it in A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the Englishe tongue, 1546

Bee in your bonnet

Bee in your bonnet

“The school nurse really has a bee in her bonnet about healthy food. But I’ll be glad if she does get the cafeteria to offer a salad bar at last.”

Bee in your bonnet

Meaning• Preoccupied or obsessed with an idea.Origin• This phrase clearly alludes to the state of agitation

one would be in when finding a bee inside one's bonnet. It follows on from the earlier expression - 'to have bees in one's head', which had much the same meaning. This is recorded from the 16th century, for example, in Alexander Douglas's Aeneis, 1513:

• Quhat bern be thou in bed with heid full of beis?

What does All’s well that ends well mean?

A. Preoccupied or obsessed with an idea.B. A risky enterprise is justified so long as it

turns out well in the end.C. All the members of a group support each of

the individual members, and the individual members pledge to support the group.

[Default][MC Any][MC All]

The Saying “All for one and one for all” means all the members of a group

support each of the individual members, and the individual members

pledge to support the group.

A. TrueB. False

Fill in the Blank“The school nurse really has a

_____in her bonnet about healthy food. But I’ll be glad if she does get the cafeteria to offer a salad bar at

last.”

BEE

The best-laid plans of mice and men oft go awry.


Hundreds of men planned and built the Tower of Pisa, but it ended up leaning anyway. The best-laid plans of mice and men go oft awry.


Meaning• The most carefully prepared plans may go wrong.Origin• From Robert Burns' poem To a Mouse, 1786. It tells of how he, while

plowing a field, upturned a mouse's nest. The resulting poem is an apology to the mouse:

• But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane [you aren't alone] In proving foresight may be vain:The best laid schemes o' mice an' menGang aft a-gley, [often go awry] An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,For promised joy.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.


The excited contestant on the game show had just won a car. “And now,” said the host, “you can keep the car, or you can

give it back and spin the wheel again to try for an even better prize!” “Thanks,” replied the contestant, “I’ll keep the car. A bird in the hand is better that two in the bush.”


Meaning• It's better to have a small real advantage than

the possibility of a greater one.Origin• This proverb refers back to mediaeval falconry

where a bird in the hand (the falcon) was a valuable asset and certainly worth more than two in the bush (the prey).

Bite the dust

Bite the dust

“Despite a gallant effort, the Blue Demons bite the dust, and our own Bobcats have won again!” cheered the announcer.

Bite the dustMeaning• Fall to the ground, wounded or dead.Origin• Given the many B-feature cowboy movies in which the bad

guys, or occasionally the pesky redskins, would 'bite the dust', we might expect this to be of American origin. It isn't though. The same notion is expressed in the earlier phrase 'lick the dust', from the Bible, where there are several uses of it, including Psalms 72 (King James Version), 1611:

• "They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him and his enemies shall lick the dust."

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/bible-phrases-sayings.html

Catch-as-catch-can

Catch-as-catch-can“We don’t have as many musical

instruments as we do students,” said the music teacher, “so bring in your kazoos, your harmonicas, even empty coffee cans. It’s pretty much catch-as-catch-can, but we’ll still sound great.”

Catch-as-catch-can

Meaning• A phrase that describes a situation in which people

must improvise or do what they can with limited means: “We don’t have enough textbooks for all of the students, so it’ll be catch-as-catch-can.”

• Using or making do with whatever means are available

Origin• Unknown

Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.


Sam was angry. “I studied really hard for that math test and my grade was terrible. So you know what I’m going to do for the next test? I’m not going to study at all.” “Oh, come on, Sam,” said Dana. “Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.”


Meaning• Disadvantage yourself in order to do harm to an adversary. Origin• The precise wording 'cut off your nose to spite your face'

doesn't appear in print until the 18th century. Versions of proverbs that mean much the same thing date back to the Tudor era. John Heywood's A Dialogue Conteynyng Prouerbes and Epigrammes, 1562 list this entry under "Of Spite":

• If there be any, as I hope there be none, That would lese [lose] both his eyes to lese his foe one,Then fear I there be many, as the world go'th, That would lese one eye to lese their foes both.

Don’t lock the stable door after the horse is stolen

Don’t lock the stable door after the horse is stolen

Meaning• It's foolish to take precautions after the

damage they would have prevented has already been done. Another version of this saying is “Don't close the barn door after the horse runs away.”

Origin• Unknown

Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth

Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth

“Alec, I can’t believe you’re giving me your old bike! Thanks!” Stacie said as she jumped on and began to play with the gears. “Say, do all the gears work?” “Don’t you know better than to look a gift horse in the mouth, Stacie?” said Alec, disappointed. “The bike may be old, but it’ll get you where you want to go.”

Don’t look a gift horse in the mouthMeaning• Don't be ungrateful when you receive a gift.Origin • As horses age their teeth begin to project further forward each year

and so their age can be estimated by checking how prominent the teeth are. This incidentally is also the source of another teeth/age related phrase - long in the tooth.

• The advice given in the 'don't look...' proverb is: when given a present, be grateful for your good fortune and don't look for more by examining it to assess its value.

• We have some clues with this one however. The phrase was originally "don't look a given horse in the mouth" and first appears in print in 1546 in John Heywood's A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the Englishe tongue, where he gives it as:

• "No man ought to looke a geuen hors in the mouth."

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/long-in-the-tooth.html

Eat humble pie

Eat humble pie

Carlos bragged that he was the fastest runner in the school, but he had to eat humble pie when he came in last at the time trials..

Eat humble pie

Meaning• Act submissively and apologetically, especially in

admitting an error.Origin• In the USA, since the mid 19th century, anyone who

had occasion to 'eat his words' by humiliatingly recanting something would be said to 'eat crow' (previously 'eat boiled crow'). In the UK we 'eat humble pie'. The unpalatability of crow, boiled or otherwise, seems clear, but what about humble pie?

A fool and his money are soon parted


The first time Noah got paid for mowing a neighbor’s yard, he wanted to rush out and buy something—anything! But he remembered his big brother saying that a fool and his money are soon parted, and he decided to save his money for something worthwhile.


Meaning• Literal meaning. Origin• This is quite an early proverb in the English language and, as such,

might be thought to contain the wisdom of the ancients. The notion was known by the late 16th century, when it was expressed in rhyme by Thomas Tusser in Five Hundreth Pointes of Good Husbandrie, 1573:

• A foole & his money, be soone at debate: which after with sorow, repents him to late.

A friend in need is a friend indeed

A friend in need is a friend indeed

• Every day while Mr. Grainey was sick, his neighbor Charles went to the house to cook and read for him. Charles really proved that a friend in need is a friend indeed.

A friend in need is a friend indeedMeaning • This is one of the phrases in the language that is interesting because

there are various interpretations of the meaning. Firstly, is it 'a friend in need is a friend indeed' or 'a friend in need is a friend in deed'. Clearly, that would have a bearing on the meaning.

• The 'in need' is also open to interpretation - is it 'a friend (when you are) in need' or 'a friend (who is) in need'. If the former, then the phrase means: 'someone who helps you when you are in need is a true friend'. If the latter, it is 'someone who needs your help becomes especially friendly in order to obtain it'.

Origin• A version of this proverb was known by the 3rd century BC. Quintus

Ennius wrote: 'Amicu certus in re incerta cernitur'. This translates from the Latin as 'a sure friend is known when in difficulty'.

Give the devil his due


Everyone agrees that the new math teacher assigns a lot of homework. But you have to give the devil his due—all of us have learned a lot of math!


Meaning• Literally, pay the devil what you owe him. Used

figuratively to mean 'give back what you owe', either money or favours.

Origin• From Shakespeare's Henry IV Part 1, 1597:• Constable: I will cap that proverb with 'There is

flattery in friendship.' Orleans: And I will take up that with 'Give the devil his due.'

Good fences make good neighbors

Good fences make good neighbors

“Marcus borrows so many books from me that I can’t find my own books when I need them,” moaned Phillip. “You know,” said his father, “good fences make good neighbors. Why don’t you tell Marcus he can borrow one book at a time? Then you’ll know what he has, and you won’t feel so angry with him.”

Good fences make good neighborsMeaning• This means that it is better for people to mind their own

business and to respect the privacy of others. Origin• The proverb 'Good fences make good neighbours' is listed by

Oxford Dictionary of Quotations as a mid 17th century proverb. Robert Frost gave the proverb a boost in the American consciousness with his 1914 poem Mending Walls:

• ...He will not go behind his father's saying,And he likes having thought of it so wellHe says again, 'Good fences make good neighbors.'

He who hesitates is lost


Erika looked sadly at the falling snow outside and then said, “Grandma was right—she who hesitates is lost. I kept meaning to plant flower bulbs under my window and now the ground will be frozen all winter.”


Meaning• A person who spends too much time

deliberating about what to do loses the chance to act altogether.

Origin• The proverb goes back to 'Cato' (1713) by

English essayist and poet Joseph Addison.

He who laughs last laughs best


“My neighbors think that I’m silly for practicing my climbing on the garden wall,” Kyle said, “But the day I reach the summit of Mount Everest, I’ll have the last laugh.”


Meaning• Literal meaning.Origin• This proverb originated in Tudor England but, for

once, wasn't coined by Shakespeare. It is found in print in the play Christmas Prince, which was first performed, at Cambridge, around 1608:

• Laugh on laugh on my freindHee laugheth best that laugheth to the end

Hitch your wagon to a star

Hitch your wagon to a star

Robert practiced his jump shots and free throws every day, “Someday,” he said to his father, “I’m going to make the high school team.” “Why, stop there,” said his father with a laugh, “Hitch your wagon to a star, shoot for the NBA!”

Hitch your wagon to a starMeaning• Aim high; hope for great things.

Origin• I admire still more than the saw-mill the skill which, on the sea-shore, makes the

tides drive the wheels and grind corn, and which thus embraces the assistance of the moon, like a hired band, to grind, and wind, and pump, and saw, and split stone, and roll iron. Now that is the wisdom of a man, in every instance of his labor, to hitch his wagon to a star, and see his chore done by the gods themselves. That is the way we are strong, by borrowing the might of the elements. The forces of steam, gravity, galvanism, light, magnets, wind, fire, serve us day by day, and cost us nothing. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson from American Civilization (1862) The Atlantic Monthly; April 1862; American Civilization - 1862.04; Volume IX, No. 54; page 502-511

If wishes were horses, beggars would ride


“I wish I had a million dollars,” said Cal. “Sure,” said Alicia, “and if wishes were horses, beggars would all ride.”


Meaning• which is usually used to suggest that it is useless to wish

and that better results will be achieved through action.Origin• is an English language proverb and nursery rhyme,

originating in the 16th century.• Common modern versions include:• If wishes were horses Beggars would ride: If turnips were

watches I would wear one by my side.[1] And if ifs and ans were pots and pans, The tinker would never work

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proverb

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nursery_rhyme

The leopard doesn’t change his spots


“I wish Marcia would be on time for once,” said Kelly. “A leopard can’t change its spots,” said John. “I say that next time we tell her the meeting starts a half hour earlier than it does.”


Meaning• The notion that things cannot change their innate

nature.Origin• From the Bible, Jeremiah 13:23 (

King James Version):• "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the

leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil."


Little strokes fell great oaks


When the students volunteered for the housing program they couldn’t imagine what their work would do. But little strokes fell great oaks, and in the spring five new houses were ready for families to occupy.


Meaning• A task may seem overwhelming, but if you

break it into manageable smaller tasks and persevere, you can complete it.

Origin• Unknown

Money is the root of all evil

Money is the root of all evil“Mrs. Alvarado, it says here that some

factories dump poisonous waste into rivers. Don’t they care about the wildlife and the people who use the water?” Bill’s teacher explained, “It’s cheaper to dump the waste than to dispose of it safely. Some factories care more about their profits than they do about rivers.” “No wonder people say money is the root of all evil,” Bill mused.

Money is the root of all evil

Meaning• Literal meaning.Origin• Often misquoted as 'money is the root of all evil'.

Originates in the Bible, Timothy 6:10 (King James Version):

• For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows


Necessity is the mother of invention


“Rosie, you should see Ted’s new bed. It’s up on a platform,” said Raymond. “And he even built a desk underneath!” “What a good idea,” replied Rosie. “The last time I saw Ted he was complaining about how small his room is. I guess necessity is the mother of invention.”


Meaning• Difficult situations inspire ingenious solutions.Origin• The author of this proverbial saying isn't known. It is

sometimes ascribed to Plato, although no version of it can be found in his works. It was known in England, although at that point in Latin rather than English, by the 16th century. William Horman, the headmaster of Winchester and Eton, included the Latin form 'Mater artium necessitas' in Vulgaria, a book aphorisms for the boys of the schools to learn by heart, which he published in 1519.

It’s never over till it’s over


“I can’t take this movie,” Chase whispered to Juan. “The forces of evil are going to win. There’s no way the hero can survive in a cave full of poisonous gases.” “Wait and see. I bet he finds a way out,” said Juan. “It’s not over till it’s over.”


Meaning• This saying means that you can never be sure

what the outcome of something (a football game, a book, or even life) will be until the very end.

Origin• Unknown

Nose out of joint

Nose out of joint

Ian and Chang Ho were playing backgammon. “Hold on, you can’t take all of those pieces,” said Chung Ho irritably. “Don’t get your nose out of joint,” Ian said. “I’m just separating the red pieces from the black pieces.”

Nose out of joint

Meaning• Someone’s nose is out of joint (that is, not in

its normal position) if he or she is annoyed.Origin• Unknown

Nothing will come of nothing


“The band needs a new saxophone player, but I’ll never be chosen,” said Lauren. “I think you should try,” Katelyn replied. “Nothing comes of nothing. But if you audition you might get in.”


Meaning• The saying tells us that without effort, you

can’t accomplish anything.Origin• Unknown

Once bitten, twice shy


“Why didn’t Lee enter the science fair?” asked Jim. “The volcano she made last year was great.” “Once bitten, twice shy,” said Jenna. “She heard some kids making fun of her entry last year, so she wouldn’t enter this year.”


Meaning• If a dog bites you, you will probably be very

careful to stay clear of dogs after that. This saying means that people tend to protect themselves from being hurt, especially if they’ve been hurt before.

Origin• Unknown

On tenterhooks

On tenterhooks

Elizabeth waited for the cast list to be posted. As the minutes passed, she grew more and more anxious. At last Mrs. Marks came out of the office and taped it to the door. “Thank goodness, I got the part!” cried Elizabeth. “I was on tenterhooks all morning.”

On tenterhooksMeaning• People use this idiom to mean “nervously waiting for

something to happen.”Origin• Unknown - Tenterhooks were used as far back as the

fourteenth century in the process of making woollen cloth. After the cloth had been woven it still contained oil from the fleece and some dirt. It was cleaned in a fulling mill and then had to be dried carefully as wool shrinks. To prevent this shrinkage, the wet cloth would be placed on a large wooden frame, a "tenter", and left to dry outside.

Pot calling the kettle black

Pot calling the kettle black

Matt and Gina were eating potato salad at a family picnic. “You’re really wolfing it down!” said Matt. “Listen to the pot calling the kettle black!” said Gino. “You’ve eaten twice as much as I have.”

Pot calling the kettle blackMeaning• The notion of a criticism a person is making of another could equally

well apply to themself.Origin• This phrase originates in Cervantes' Don Quixote, or at least in

Thomas Shelton's 1620 translation - Cervantes Saavedra's History of Don Quixote:

• "You are like what is said that the frying-pan said to the kettle, 'Avant, black-browes'."

• The first person who is recorded as using the phrase in English was William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, in his Some fruits of solitude, 1693:

• "For a Covetous Man to inveigh against Prodigality... is for the Pot to call the Kettle black."

Procrastination is the thief of time


“I thought you came up here to study for your spelling test,” said Maria’s brother, “and here you are cleaning your room.” “I can’t study in a dirty room,” Maria protested. “If you keep cleaning you won’t have any time left for to study: procrastination is the thief of time, you know.”


Meaning• Procrastination means putting things off. If you

put off doing something, then you may not have enough time left to do it once you finally get started. Thus, procrastination “steals” you time.

Origin• Unknown

The proof of the pudding is in the eating


“Zack told me the new space adventure movie is great,” said Lydia. “Well, I usually don’t like the same movies he does,” Seth answered. “But the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Let’s go see it tonight.”


Meaning• To fully test something you need to experience it

yourself.Origin• 'The proof of the pudding is in the eating' is a very old

proverb. The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations dates it back to the early 14th century, albeit without offering any supporting evidence for that assertion. The phrase is widely attributed to Cervantes in The History of Don Quixote.

RIP

As she walked through the colonial cemetery, Nora saw many stones ornately carved with the letters R.I.P.

RIP

Meaning• This abbreviation for “Rest in Peace” is

commonly used on gravestones.Origin• Unknown

The road to hell is paved with good intentions

The road to hell is paved with good intentions

Meaning• The expression means that good intentions by

themselves are futile - it's good actions that count. Or, to put it another way, it's nowhere near enough just to mean well. Lots of people have ended up in deep doo-doo, despite having the best of intentions

Origin• Unknown

Rome wasn’t built in a day


Anna looked up from the rows of seeds she was planting. “Oh, the garden will never be finished!” “Cheer up,” her uncle said. “After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day. By August you’ll have the best beans, tomatoes, and squash you’ve ever tasted!”


Meaning• Do you remember the story of ancient Rome? It

took many people many decades to build that imperial city. People use this expression to mean that it takes a long time to achieve great things. They often use it to counsel patience.

Origin• Unknown

Rule of thumb

Rule of thumb

“I’m going to get some potato chips. Want some?” Dorothy asked her brother. “Nope, my rule of thumb while I’m training for the race is “Don’t eat anything you enjoy too much,” said Andrew.

Rule of thumb

Meaning• A means of estimation made according to a

rough and ready practical rule, not based on science or exact measurement.

Origin• The 'rule of thumb' has been said to derive from

the belief that English law allowed a man to beat his wife with a stick so long as it is was no thicker than his thumb.

A stitch in time save nine


Marie’s father was reading the yellow pages. “What are you looking for, Dad?” she asked. “I’m looking for a chimney sweep. We need to get the chimney cleaned before too much soot builds up inside. A chimney fire can ruin a chimney or worse. A stitch in time saves nine, I always say.”


Meaning• A timely effort will prevent more work later.Origin• The stitch in time is simply the sewing up of a

small hole in a piece of material and so saving the need for more stitching at a later date, when the hole has become larger, Clearly, the first users of this expression were referring to saving nine stitches.

Strike while the iron is hot

Strike while the iron is hot

“Maggie sure is in a good mood today,” thought Luke. “I think I will strike while the iron is hot and ask her if I can borrow her chess set.”

Strike while the iron is hotMeaning• Act decisively and take your opportunities when they arise.Origin• This old proverb clearly alludes to the imagery of the

blacksmith or farrier at his forge. If he delays in shaping the iron when it is hot a pliable the metal soon cools and hardens and the opportunity is lost.

• The expression is recorded in Richard Edwards', The excellent comedie of two the moste faithfullest freendes, Damon and Pithias, circa 1566

• I haue plied the Haruest, and stroke when the Yron was hotte.

Tempest in a teapot

Tempest in a teapot

“Being Rapunzel for Halloween was my idea. Mandy stole my idea, and I’m never going to speak to her again,” Janice shouted. “Don’t make a tempest in a teapot,” said Janice’s sister. “A costume isn’t worth losing your best friend over.”

Tempest in a teapotMeaning• A small or unimportant event that is over-reacted to, as if it were

of considerably more consequence.Origin• Readers from England might well be tut-tutting about the

mangling of their perfectly good phrase 'a storm in a teacup' and castigating the American 'tempest in a teapot' as a newcomer, having little more reason to exist than its neat alliteration.

• In fact, the teacup wasn't the first location of the said storm, nor was the teapot. The phrase probably derives from the writing of Cicero, in De Legibus, circa 52BC.

Tenderfoot

Tenderfoot

After Pete and Joe had pitched their tent, Pete began to hoist the food bag into a tree. “What are you doing that for?” asked Joe. “So the raccoons and bears don’t get your breakfast, tenderfoot,” replied Pete, laughing.

Tenderfoot

Meaning• A tenderfoot is a person who doesn’t have

very much experience at something.Origin• Unknown

There’s more than one way to skin a cat


“What am I going to do?” said Kristen with a sigh. “I need to learn these verbs for the Spanish test tomorrow, but I’ve been reading the list over and over and I still can’t remember them.” “There’s more that one way to skin a cat,” replied her sister. “Let’s make up sentences for each verb. Maybe that will help.”


Meaning• There is more than one way of achieving an aim. Origin• The earliest printed citation of this proverbial saying

that I can find is in a short story by the American humorist Seba Smith - The Money Diggers, 1840:

• "There are more ways than one to skin a cat," so are there more ways than one of digging for money.

Touché!

Touché!

Meaning• In fencing, touché (French: touched) is used as an

acknowledgement of a hit, called out by the fencer who is hit.

Origin• The phrase touché is often used in popular culture and

general conversation—for example, in an argument or debate. If one person presents an argument and another delivers a clever or apt response, the first person may respond with "touché" as a way of acknowledging a good response.

Truth is stranger than fiction

Truth is stranger than fiction

When I read that the same couple had been married three times, once in an airplane, once in a hot-air balloon, and once in an elevator, I decided that truth really is stranger than fiction!

Truth is stranger than fictionMeaning• Literal meaning. Origin• This proverbial saying is attributed to, and almost certainly coined

by, Lord Byron, in the satirical poem Don Juan, 1823:• ' Tis strange - but true; for truth is always strange;

Stranger than fiction; if it could be told,How much would novels gain by the exchange!How differently the world would men behold!How oft would vice and virtue places change!The new world would be nothing to the old,If some Columbus of the moral seasWould show mankind their souls' antipodes.

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