Familiar Proverbs
These are some proverbs I never understood. But hopefully I can help you understand what they mean.
Stump Someone
Meaning: Ask someone a question they can’t answer.
Origin: Pioneers who use to work at the lumbar regions started it.
Paint The Town Red
Meaning: Having a wild night out, or something involving drinking.
Origins: Because when people went to have fun they often roamed the redlight district, where all the brothels and strip clubs were.
Stave Off
Meaning: Keep something away
Origins: In the 17 century, people in some part of the world had a sport where dogs fought bulls. If the dogs could take the bull down then the bull’s owner would drive the dogs away from the bull with a stave. That’s how the term stave off came to be.
Wing It
Meaning: Do it with no preparation
Origins: It comes from the old British theater theme.