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[imran]

1. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water



Today it means to take care, especially when getting rid of outworn and unnecessary things, and not to jettison something important along with them.
 
However, in the past baths were taken in a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house would always be the first to use the nice clean water. The other sons and men would be next, then the women, and finally the children. By then the water was so dirty that you could actually lose a baby in it. Yuck!

[imran]

2. Barking up the wrong tree



Today it means to make a mistake or a false assumption in something that you are trying to achieve.
 
In the past, it goes back to at least the early 19th century, back when hunting was a big sport where dogs chased another animal up a tree. However, because they are not good climbers, they remained at the bottom and barked up the tree instead. The barking informed the human hunters of the fleeing animal's location, making his job a whole lot easier. Of course, sometimes, even dogs can make mistakes barking up the wrong tree.

[imran]

3. Tie The Knot



Today it means to get married.
 
In the past, when people got married they had a custom of actually tying the couple's hands together as part of the ceremony.
 
According to legend, they were not allowed to untie it until they had consummated the marriage. Wow! There is a pretty weird first time, huh?

[imran]

4. Dead Ringer



Today it means an exact duplicate.
 
In the past, a ringer was a horse substituted for another of similar appearance in order to defraud the bookies. This word was originated in the US horse-racing fraternity at the end of the 19th century. Since then, it has been adopted into the language to mean any very close duplicate. I bet you didn't know!

[imran]

5. Frog In Your Throat



Today it means a temporary hoarseness caused by phlegm in the back of the throat.
 
In the past, medieval physicians believed that the secretions of a frog could cure a cough if they were coated on the throat. The frog was placed in the mouth of the unfortunate person and remained there until the physician decided that the treatment was complete. Eww!

[imran]

6. Bite The Bullet



Today it means accepting the inevitable impending hardship and enduring the resulting pain with fortitude.
 
In the past, theory goes that patients undergoing surgery would be given a stick of wood or a pad of leather to bite on in order to concentrate their attention away from the pain, as well as protecting against the patient biting their own tongue. A bullet, being somewhat malleable and not likely to break the patient's teeth, is said to have been an impromptu battlefield alternative. Lead poisoning would probably have been a secondary concern in those circumstances.

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