THE E-BOOK OF

IDIOMS
Group 6
Developmental Reading
Table of Contents:
It's raining cats and dogs ---------------- 1
Let the cat out of the bag --------------- 2
A wild goose chase ----------------------- 3
Bring home the bacon ------------------- 4
Piece of cake ------------------------------- 5
Better Late Than Never ------------------ 6
A Blessing in Disguise -------------------- 7
 1

What is the origin of the idiom:

“it’s raining cats and dogs”
The first recorded use of a phrase similar to “it rains
cats and dogs” is in the 1651 collection of poems Olor
Iscanus. British poet Henry Vaughan described a roof as
safe against "dogs and cats raining in the shower." A
year later, Richard Brome, an English playwright, wrote
in his comedy City Witt, "It shall rain dogs and
polecats." (Polecats were associated with the weasel and
were common in Great Britain until the end of the
nineteenth century.) In 1738, Jonathan Swift published
his "Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious
Conversation," a satire on the conversations of the
upper classes. One of his characters is afraid of "rain
cats and dogs." Whether Swift coined the phrase or
used a cliché, her sarcasm was probably the beginning
of the phrase’s popularity. Other British writers have
used less popular phrases, such as “it’s raining
pitchfork” or “it’s raining stairs,” to describe the rod-
like appearance of heavy rain. But Swift’s phrase may
be memorable enough to stay in the public mind.

Adante, Josef Marijn

 2

What is the origin of the idiom:

“let the cat out of the bag"
Have you ever wondered where the idiom: “let the cat out of the
bag” came from?
Meaning: Let the cat out of the bag means to reveal a secret
carelessly or by mistake.
The first recorded use of the phrase was found in a 1760 book
review in the London Magazine, in which the critic expressed his
displeasure stating "We could have wished that the author... had
not let the cat out of the bag."
Although there isn’t a precise origin of the idiom, there is one
explanation that is more commonly heard than others. Around
the 1530s, livestock vendors would swindle their buyers in order
to gain more money. When the buyer would purchase a pig,
vendors would usually place it in a sack or bag for easier
transport. Although when the buyer wasn’t looking, the vendors
would replace the pig with a cat. The buyers would only find out
about it when they got home and let the cat out of the bag.
Although it is unlikely that this did frequently happen in the
past, this situation is believed to be the origin of the idiom “let
the cat out of the bag”.

Leonardo, Leandrei Lars

 3

What is the origin of the idiom:

“A wild goose chase"
The idiom wild goose chase goes back at least to the 1500s. An
idiom is a figure of speech that is a word, group of words or phrase
that has a figurative meaning that is not easily deduced from its
literal definition. We will examine the definition of the expression
wild goose chase, where it came from and some examples of its use
in sentences.
A wild goose chase is a hopeless pursuit or foolish search after
something that is in fact, pointless or unattainable. A wild goose
chase is a frustrating enterprise that usually involves wasting a
large amount of time. The idiom wild goose chase was first written
down by William Shakespeare, in the play Romeo and Juliet in
1595: “Nay, if thy wits run the wild-goose chase, I have done, for
thou hast more of the wild-goose in one of thy wits than, I am
sure, I have in my whole five.” Interestingly, the term wild goose
chase was first used to mean a type of horse race. In a wild goose
chase horse race, the lead rider galloped across the open
countryside in an erratic pattern. Subsequent riders were to follow
at different intervals and had to follow the exact pattern of the lead
rider. The idea is of geese flying in formation, following one leader.
The exact rules of a wild goose chase are unclear, but it seems
reasonable to assume the object is to overtake the leader.

Nassief, Ameerah Elisha

 4
What is the origin of the idiom:
"bring home the bacon"

How will you bring home the bacon? The idiomatic

expression "bring home the bacon" means to earn
money. It also means to be successful or get an
accomplishment. But... where did this idiom came from?

The expression "bring home the bacon originated in

England way back in 10th century. A couple live in Great
Dunmow, Essex, were so faithful and loyal to each other.
The married couple swear to not having regretted their
marriage for a year. The Prior of Great Dunmow was so
impressed with them that he awarded them a flitch of
bacon. This begins a ceremony held every four years
where couples show their faithfulness and commitment
to each other and win the prize of a flitch of bacon. So if
you won, you got to bring home the bacon. That's why
this idiomatic expression is very popular and usually used
when someone is joining a competition. We always hear
our teachers say, "Students, bring home the bacon!"
whenever someone is joining a contest.

Trinidad, Sofia Veniz

 5

What is the origin of the idiom:

"piece of cake"

The idea of cake being “easy” originated in

the 1870’s when cakes were given out as
prizes for winning competitions. In
particular, there was a tradition in the US
slavery states where slaves would circle
around a cake at a gathering. From this the
term “cake walk” and “piece of cake” came
into being, both meaning that something
was easy to accomplish.

Rosas, Mark Laurence

 6

What is the origin of the idiom:

'better late than never"

The Idiom expression "Better late than never" means "To

arrive or do something later than expected isn't good,
but it is better than not at all."

Where did this Idiom Expression came from?

The Idiom Expression "Better Late Than Never" is often

expressed with a degree of sarcasm, apparently saying
something positive but in fact merely remarking on
someone's lateness. A teacher might say it to a child
arriving late for school.

Geoffrey Chaucer appears to have been the first person to

have put the proverb into print, in The Canterbury Tales
- The Yeoman's Prologue and Tale, circa 1386.

Completo, Jeric Zander R.

 7

What is the origin of the idiom:

" a blessing in disguise "

The Idiom expression "a blessing in disguise" pertains to

"the misfortune which turns out to have advantages or
good outcomes from an unfortunate event"

Where did this Idiom Expression came from?

This idiom was originally

found in James Hervey’s
hymn “Since All the
Downward Tracts of
Time” in 1746, first
printed in “Reflections
on a Flower-garden. In
a Letter to a Lady,” a
volume in his best-
known work.

Monsad, Jonathan Jr. I.

References:
it's raining cats and dogs: Science Reference Section,
Library of Congress
https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/meteorology-
climatology/item/what-is-the-origin-of-the-phrase-its-
raining-cats-and-
dogs/#:~:text=Witches%2C%20who%20supposedly%20rode%20th
eir,and%20heavy%20rain%20(cats).&text=So%2C%20to%20say%
20it's%20raining,to%20say%20it's%20raining%20waterfalls
.
let the cat out of the bag:
https://www.rd.com/article/let-the-cat-out-of-the-bag-
origin/

wild goose chase: https://grammarist.com/idiom/wild-

goose-
chase/#:~:text=The%20idiom%20wild%20goose%20chase%20was
%20first%20written%20down%20by,wild%20goose%20chase%20w
as%20first

bring home the bacon: https://www.theidioms.com/bring-

home-the-bacon/

piece of cake:
http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~zk32/clicheorigin.html

better late than never:

https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/better-late-then-
never.html

a blessing in disguise:
https://www.theidioms.com/a-blessing-in-disguise/