Where do English idioms come from?

English idioms and proverbial phrases emerge from various cultural touchstones, ranging from ancient mythologies to sports like baseball and late-night linguistic fads. Proverbial phrases differ from strict proverbs because they permit grammatical alterations to fit their context. Meanwhile, specific sources like Greek myth or American pastimes continuously enrich the lexicon with vivid metaphorical expressions.

What we know

• American English has been heavily enriched by expressions and idioms derived from the game of baseball. [2]
• A proverbial phrase is a type of conventional saying transmitted by oral tradition that permits alterations to fit the grammar of its context. [3]
• Greek mythology stories, such as the tale of Pandora in Hesiod's Works and Days, have generated modern idioms carrying specific warnings. [5]

Still open

• The exact origin of certain ubiquitous English words and initialisms, such as OK, remains disputed among modern reference works and linguists.

Where to go next

• a case in pointWhat are common baseball idioms in English?
• compared withHow do proverbial phrases differ from proverbs?
• how we knowWhat is the origin of the word OK?
• what caused itHow did Pandora's box become a modern idiom?
• the bigger pictureWhat is the history of English idiom dictionaries?
• an unexpected connectionHow do sport terminology lists and ancient Greek myths intersect in English?Both structured team sports like baseball and ancient texts like Hesiod's poetry serve as primary generative engines for everyday English idiomatic expressions.

Sources

• [1]glossary of English-language idioms derived from baseball (Wikidata Q5571672) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Glossary of English-language idioms derived from baseball · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]List of proverbial phrases · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]OK · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Pandora's box · CC BY-SA 4.0

Your path

1. How does the public utility model work for emergency medical services?
2. /Where do English idioms come from?