2007-06-22 02:08:41 · 5 answers · asked by hello world 7 in Education & Reference ➔ Quotations
Ah, clichés. Figuring out who starts them isn't easy. In fact, we're often tempted just to say, "Yogi Berra!" and be done with it. But even though we avoid using clichés like, well, the plague, we love learning about their origins. So, without further ado, let's get the ball rolling.
Not surprisingly, details on who coined the phrase, "coin a phrase" are sketchy. Our first stop was with the brainiacs at Bartleby. After poking around for any and all coin-related quotes, we found one intriguing possibility from the poet Alfred Tennyson:
"All the chosen coin of fancy flashing out from many a golden phrase."
Alas, while it mentions a "coin" and a "phrase," we didn't believe it was the answer.
Take Our Word For It states that an Elizabethan writer named George Puttenham first uttered (or wrote) the phrase in 1589 in his book, "The Arte of English Poesie." And he certainly didn't intend it to be taken as a compliment.
"Young schollers not halfe well studied...seeme to coigne fine wordes out of the Latin."
Can't you just picture ol' Putty rolling his eyes, fed up with ignorant slackers making up words? As an explanation, it holds water (to use a hackneyed phrase).
2007-06-22 02:11:49 · answer #1 · answered by DanE 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The first U.S. money, a one-cent coin, was minted in 1787. One side of the coin was decorated with a chain of 13 links and the motto "We are one." The other side had a sundial and below the dial was the saying "Mind your business," which meant you should work hard, not keep your nose out of other people's affairs. People thought the sayings sounded like those of Benjamin Franklin and this coin was known as the Franklin Cent, but there doesn't seem to be any evidence to suggest that Franklin was involved with the coin's design, but that's where the saying came from.
2007-06-22 09:15:18 · answer #2 · answered by Honey W 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A guy that had enough money to buy his own phrase. I think I'll buy..... "What's for dinner?" Can you imagine? Everyt ime anyone says it they'll have to pay me. Ok I'm bloody brilliant.
*sits and waits*
Ok..... so uhm.... no one's paying. This sucks.
2007-06-22 10:11:16 · answer #3 · answered by Marianne not Ginger™ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
idk.But how many questions can one person ask in 2 or 3 days?My e-mail has 45 new messages and they are all from Answers.It's ur q's!Geeese.
2007-06-22 10:09:14 · answer #4 · answered by Ms.Answers 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
some slug....
2007-06-22 10:07:08 · answer #5 · answered by Lefty 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋