dudette2001uk
I will be a Princess!
I'm not sure whether this will catch on or not, but I've always been interested in the origins of words and common phrases, so I wondered whether anyone knows the story behind some interesting words/phrases?
The one that's always stuck with me is the origin of 'beyond the pale'...the pale was an area of Ireland that was under English government, and was therefore deemed to be a civilised area. Other 'uncivilized' areas beyond that were literally beyond the pale...hence the modern idea that if something is beyond the pale it's unruly or uncivilized.
The one that's always stuck with me is the origin of 'beyond the pale'...the pale was an area of Ireland that was under English government, and was therefore deemed to be a civilised area. Other 'uncivilized' areas beyond that were literally beyond the pale...hence the modern idea that if something is beyond the pale it's unruly or uncivilized.