The New Murrey and Blue blog

It is surprising how many phrases that we probably attribute to the Bible or Shakespeare, actually date to the medieval period. While looking for a list of medieval “Italian” phrases, I stumbled upon this link https://www.medievalists.net/2024/12/medieval-phrases-today/. Only ten phrases, but goodness, I’d never have thought of their actual origins. No Man’s Land? Tom, Dick and Harry? More Irish than the Irish themselves? All that glitters is not gold? Stark raving mad? Blood is thicker than water? Let sleeping dogs lie? Bed of roses? One bad apple spoils the whole barrel? In my mind’s eye?

I don’t know how accurate the research is that reaches the above conclusions, but it seems very precise indeed. It’s certainly very interesting.