Finding Joy in the Little Things INCORPORATING HUMOR INTO DAILY LIFE
Unraveling the History of 4 Phrases
Tracing the Roots of Everyday Sayings
April kicks off with April Fools’ Day, and the entire month gives us a reason to smile and chuckle a little louder — it’s National Humor Month! Laughter can improve our health, longevity, and overall well-being. So, why not take a moment to appreciate the importance of laughing and making light of situations from time to time? Research has shown that laughter has numerous physiological and psychological benefits. When we laugh, our bodies release endorphins, the feel-good hormones that reduce stress and promote relaxation. This natural
Many different vernaculars are used in daily conversations — English is constantly changing! Some phrases we hear often might make sense if we think about them, but we probably could never guess the backstory of others. So, let’s “dive in” and explore four commonly used phrases and their origins. Raining Cats and Dogs When you hear someone say, “It’s raining cats and dogs,” this comes from when houses had straw roofs with no wood underneath. Animals would burrow into the
straw roof to stay warm. The roof became slippery when it rained, and the animals would fall off. It would “rain cats and dogs.” This phrase is now used to describe heavy and abrupt rainfall and sometimes bad weather in general. Dirt Poor The phrase “dirt poor” is just an extreme way to call someone poor. As simple as this sounds, though, it comes
response boosts our mood and enhances our immune system, making us more resilient to illness and disease. Furthermore, laughing has been linked to improved cardiovascular health, as it increases blood flow and enhances the function of blood vessels. Regular laughter can contribute to a healthier heart and a longer lifespan by reducing inflammation and lowering blood pressure.
Puzzle Time!
from a time when many poor people had only dirt floors and were thus considered “dirt poor.” Bite the Bullet
To “bite the bullet” means to accept something difficult or unpleasant. In the olden days, when doctors were short on anesthesia or time during a battle, they would ask the patient to bite down on a bullet to distract them from the pain. The first recorded use of the phrase was in 1891 in a Rudyard Kipling novel, “The Light That Failed.” Break the Ice When you “break the ice,” you remove tension from a first or uncomfortable meeting.
Before road transportation was common, ships were the only means of transportation and trade. At times, the ships would get stuck during the winter because of ice formation. The receiving country would send small ships to “break the ice” to clear a way for the trade ships. This gesture showed affiliation and understanding between two territories — similar to how the phrase is used today.
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