What Does That Mean?

Do you ever wonder where certain idioms come from? We use these on occasion, don’t we? I do. But I never wondered where they came from…until recently. There are several, but a few come to my mind...

“For Pete’s Sake”

Who is Pete, and why is it for his sake?

According to an article in the Reader's Digest, “The phrase essentially uses Pete as a mild substitute for God or Christ in this expression of annoyance or frustration.”

Basically, you can say “For Mike’s sake” or “For the love of Jim!” but it just doesn’t have the same effect, does it? Poor Pete.

“Heavens to Betsy”

Ahh, Betsy. We used to call one of the cows on my grandpa’s farm Betsy. Our large, green car (aka “the boat”) was also “Betsy” (“Come on, Betsy,” when trying to make it up a steep hill in the old clunker).

But why Betsy, and why “Heavens to” Betsy?

According to Reader's Digest, “The origins of this expression are unclear. It may have originated sometime between the years 1850 and 1914.

Heavens to Betsy is another variation of the phrase for Heaven’s sake, which began as a euphemism for what some considered the blasphemous for God’s sake and for Christ’s sake.”

“Let the Cat Out of the Bag”

I mean, I have four cats, and I like to joke when they come out of a paper bag after playing in it (weirdos) by saying, “Who let the cat out of the bag?” and then laughing.

But where did that originate from? Surely not someone playing with their cats and paper bags. The saying means something…right?

According to Reader's Digest, “The answer may lie in medieval markets, where people used to sell piglets tied in bags for farmers to carry home. A shady dealer might swap the piglet in the sack with a less expensive animal, such as a cat. So when you let the cat out of the bag, you were exposing the con to everyone.” Of course, Reader’s Digest says, “Who would even put a cat in a bag?” Um…I don’t, but my cats love going in bags, so THERE!

For more fun idiom meanings, visit the Reader’s Digest page on idioms. It’s amusing at best.

What are some of your favorite phrases? 

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