Where did the term grasping at straws come from?
From where does the phrase ‘grasping at straws’ come? It comes from a proverb in Thomas More’s “Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation” (1534) which says, “A drowning man will clutch at straws.” It is said that the “straw” in this case refers to the sort of thin reeds that grow by the side of a river.
How do you spell grasping at straws?
Grasping at straws means to be so desperate as to try even the most unlikely means to save oneself.
Where did the saying in a nutshell come from?
This hyperbolic expression alludes to the Roman writer Pliny’s description of Homer’s Iliad being copied in so tiny a hand that it could fit in a nutshell. For a time it referred to anything compressed, but from the 1500s on it referred mainly to written or spoken words.
Is it clutching at straws or grasping at straws?
If you are clutching at straws or grasping at straws, you are trying unusual or extreme ideas or methods because other ideas or methods have failed. a badly thought-out scheme from a Government clutching at straws.
What dire straits meaning?
in a very bad or difficult situation
Definition of in dire straits : in a very bad or difficult situation With its best player out of the game, the team found itself in dire straits.
Where does the saying for the love of Mike come from?
“For the love of Mike” comes around in the early 1880s, likely in reference to St. Michael, and appears to be a euphemism for “for the love of God.” According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “for Pete’s sake” and “for the love of Pete” come along about 25 years later.
Why do we say for the love of Pete?
From where did the phrase “for Pete’s sake” come? “For Pete’s sake” originated as a substitute for “for Christ’s (or God’s) sake,” and other similar expressions—as using a shortened form of the disciple St. Peter’s name instead was considered less offensive.
What does it mean to clutch pearls?
noun. outrage or dramatic protest, especially from a woman, caused by something the person perceives as vulgar, in bad taste, or morally wrong but that does not elicit a similarly strong reaction from most other people: pearl-clutching over sexual jokes; so much fake pearl-clutching by the candidates. adjective.
Why do we say for Pete’s sake?
“For Pete’s sake” originated as a substitute for “for Christ’s (or God’s) sake,” and other similar expressions—as using a shortened form of the disciple St. Peter’s name instead was considered less offensive.
Where did the term for Pete’s sake come from?
“For Pete’s sake” originated as a substitute for “for Christ’s sake,” and other similar expressions. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “for Pete’s sake” came into use more than a century ago and prompted similar sayings such as “for the love of Pete” in 1906 and “in the name of Pete” in 1942.
Where does the phrase for crying out loud come from?
An exclamation of anger or frustration. This euphemism for “for Christ’s sake” is of American origin and dates back to about 1900. One writer suggests it was coined by the cartoonist Thomas Aloysius Dorgan (1877–1929), who signed his work as TAD and is credited with inventing the name “hot dog.”
What is Pete’s sake?
What does it mean when someone calls you a pearl?
6 excellent thing/person [countable usually singular] old-fashioned someone or something that is especially good or valuablepearl among She’s a pearl among women.
When pearls are being clutched?
to behave as if you are very shocked, especially when you show more shock than you really feel in order to show that you think something is morally bad: They clutch their pearls at the rest of the nation’s obesity. Only hypocrites clutch their pearls and faint when the truth is spoken.
What is the origin of the idiom’grasping at Straws’?
Origin. The idiom ‘grasping at straws’ comes from an old proverb “A drowning man will clutch at straws,” meaning that a drowning man will grab at anything around to try to save himself, even a floating straw. It was first used in 1534 by Thomas More in Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation and has been used figuratively, in different forms,…
What is the meaning of the idiom grab a straw?
This idiom refers to a drowning man grabbing any floating object, even a straw, to save himself. It was first used by Thomas More in A Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation (1534). ( idiomatic) To guess randomly or pursue any apparent option, due to a lack of clear choices or information .
How do you use grasping at Straws in a sentence?
Make a desperate attempt at saving oneself. For example, He had lost the argument, but he kept grasping at straws, naming numerous previous cases that had little to do with this one . This metaphoric expression alludes to a drowning person trying to save himself by grabbing at flimsy reeds.
What is the origin of the idiom clutch at Straws?
The term comes from the ancient image of a drowning man clutching at insubstantial reeds in an attempt to save himself, and it often was put as to catch or clutch at straws. It appeared in print as early as the sixteenth century and soon was regarded as a proverb.