There are hundreds and thousands expressions in the modern English language. Here is the original meaning and start of five famous ones.
“It's raining cats and dogs.”
Today this expression means that it is raining extremely hard. This well-known expression dates back to the Elizabethan times in England. Thatched, slanted roofs were popular during this time period. Since pets were considered dirty, they would be forced outside and would actually sleep on the roofs. When it would rain the roof became too slippery to stay on and these cats and dogs would slide off and fall. An observer looking out of their window might actually see cats and dogs raining down from the “sky”.
“Break a leg”
This expression today means “Good luck!” It dates back to John Wilkes Booth the renowned assassin of Abraham Lincoln. Booth, an actor, jumped from Lincoln's box down to the stage and broke his leg in the process. He was considered to be very lucky for escaping the theater initially, the root of this expression's meaning.
“Apple of My Eye”
In modern times this phrase is used to describe someone very important and central to the speaker such as “That student is the apple of my eye.” This phrase first appeared in the Bible when Moses referred to Jacob as “the apple of my eye.” The literal meaning came from long ago when it was believed that the pupil or center of the eye was a hard ball. People used the only common natural symbol they could think of, an apple, to refer to people at the “center” of their life.
“Excuse my French!”
This phrase today is a precursor for when someone is about to curse or use crude language. It originated when the word French meant dirty or crude in the English language. This was due to the bitter rivalry between the English and the French since the French and Indian War.
"Goody Two Shoes”
This is a name used to describe someone who behaves very well, almost to the point of being overachieving and smug. This expression is based on the story of Irish-born Oliver Goldsmith, whose main character is Miss Goody. This woman, in the story, goes from being extremely poor to comfortably wealthy. When poor she had one shoe, and at the start of her self-proclaimed success, she was given two shoes thus the expression.
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