We’ve all heard of these wild sayings before, and probably say them every now and again too, but have you ever wondered where they come from?
“A little birdie told me”
We often use this phrase when we don’t want people to know where we got our information from. It’s origins also follow a similar trail in that it has many believed beginnings. One of them comes from the Norse legend of Sigurd, who was able to understand what birds were saying. After all, they did warn Sigurd that he was in danger!
“Ants in your pants”
Know someone that can’t sit still for very long? They’ve got ants in their pants, obviously! Despite the fact that this probably has never happened to anyone before, you can only imagine how uncomfortable and wriggly you’d be if you did have these bugs in your underwear.
“Eager beaver”
Most traditionally used to describe someone who works harder than expected and is super enthusiastic about something. It’s thought that this saying stems from these mammals most famous behaviour of being busy building dams.
“Puppy love”
Who’s been in a relationship that’s been given this label? Well, as frustrating as it may seem at first, it may actually be quite lovely. Traditionally used to describe two young people in love, it’s believed that it comes from the way in which puppy’s look adoringly at their owners.
“The bee’s knees”
When someone is really good at something, perhaps the best, you’ll most likely say that they’re the bee’s knees. After all, bee’s and knees rhyme! However, these striped insects don’t technically have knees. The closest joint they have that is the most similar can be found between the bee’s femur and tibia.
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Freelance wildlife writer, editor, and proofreader. 