Have you ever tried learning another language? From 2019-2021, I was dedicated to becoming fluent in Spanish (and from 2022 to now, I have been an expert of losing all that hard work... but that's besides the point). I enjoyed the language for many reasons, including the phonetic pronunciation, rolled "R's", and great music. However, like many language learners, I came across some rules and expressions that made little sense to me. Idioms, for example. One Spanish idiom that's particularly funny is "No hay burro calvo, ni calabaza con pelo". The literal translation? There's no bald donkey, nor pumpkin with hair.... Huh. Interesting. The meaning is to say what you really know and do what you can really do. "Stay in your own lane", you could say.
English is no different when it comes to its illogical idioms. "Walk in the park". "Break a leg". "Bite the bullet". "By the skin of your teeth". Keeping to the topic of finance — since this is a blog for a financial professional — let's look at five idioms relating to money, their meanings, and where they came from.
1) Bring home the bacon. Meaning: to earn a living, especially when supporting a family. This expression is possibly from the 12th century in Dunmow, Essex, England. The town's church would give a "flitch", or side, of bacon to any couple that could prove they hadn't regretted their marriage in the past year (year and one day, specifically). If the couple could, then they would "bring home the bacon". Even now, this tradition continues every four years, and it's officially called the Dunmow Flitch Trials.
Later, in 20th century America, the phrase become more popular. At that time, there was a boxer named Joe Gans who was coming up on a match. His mother wrote to him, “Joe, the eyes of the world are on you. Everybody says you ought to win. Peter Jackson will tell me the news and you bring home the bacon.” His response: He “had not only the bacon, but the gravy”. Later, he sent her a check for $6,000 (Phrases, 2024). The New York Times published this correspondence, and from then on the idiom's usage in boxing, sports, and daily language took off.
2) A penny saved is a penny earned. Meaning: saving money is important. This idiom is usually attributed to Benjamin Franklin in an advice column of his, but it originated before his time. Versions of this expression can be found in literature all the way back to 17th century. For example, in 1640 poet George Herbert wrote in Outlandish Proverbs, "A penny spar'd is twice got." His idea was that money saved was as good as doubled.
3) Born with a silver spoon in your mouth. Meaning: to be born into wealth or privilege. This one dates all the way back to 1500s. Wealthy families would have silverware — including spoons made of silver — and it was a custom at christening to gift the infant a silver spoon. William Shakespeare made reference to this practice in The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight (1613), where King Henry VIII told the Archbishop of Canterbury: "That is, a faire young Maid that yet wants Baptisme, You must be Godfather, and answere for her... Come, come my Lord, you’d spare your spoones."
Other idioms have branched off of this one, such as: "one man is born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and another with a wooden ladle" (spoken by a homeless man, and recorded by a Chinese philosopher living in London); and "I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth", the lyrics to the song Substitute by Pete Townshend.
4) Highway Robbery. Meaning: An exorbitant price for something. In the past, there used to be robbers that would prey on travelers, especially during the 17th and 18th century. At gunpoint, they would demand their valuables. This brought about the common catchphrase associated with highwaymen, "Stand and deliver." For example, the Irish band Celtic Thunder has a song with those words as the title. Part of the chorus says, "Look out, there's a highwayman about...Stand and deliver! I'll take your money or your life."
5) Ride the gravy train. Meaning:To havea high-paying job with minimal effort. This expression dates back to the early 1900s in America. It was originally a railroad term referring to a short haul that paid well and was easy. Around the same time, the word gravy was slang for easy money. Soon the expression became part of the language of everyday speakers.
There you have it: five finance idioms and their origins. They may not make sense at face value, but that's the beauty of language: it keeps evolving, changing, and growing. Next time you hear an expression, I encourage you to take a moment and ask, "Where did that come from?" It's likely to be an interesting story.
Sources:
Grammarly, 2023
Phrases, 2024
Greenlight, 2024
Your Dictionary, 2020
Word Histories, 2024
Grammarist, 2024
Wikipedia, 2024
Grammarist 2, 2024