Tit for tat:
"The original was Tip for Tap, a very old expression that evolved into tit for tat in the mid-16th century. Tip meant a hit, a shove. Tap was a retaliatory hit. The meaning is a punishment meted out to pay back an offence, measured to be equal and proportionate. You hit me, I hit you, tit for tat. By the way, tit for tat turns out to be the optimal strategy in Game Theory to guarantee cooperation from an opponent. "
Beat around the bush:
"It was once the custom to hire beaters to beat bushes and arouse game birds for the hunter to shoot at. So the beater stirred up the action, but the hunter got to the point.â From the âMorris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Originsâ by William and Mary Morris (HarperCollins, New York, 1977, 1988)."
Cat got your tongue:
""HAS THE CAT GOT YOUR TONGUE? Why don't you speak? Your silence is suspicious. The saying originated in the mid-nineteenth century and was used when addressing a child who refused to answer a parent's questions after some mischief. Often shortened to `cat got your tongue?'â¦" From "Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings" by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996). : : : It's also used to address a shy child. I think its origin lies in the way of outdoor cats dragging little captives, chipmunks and such, into the house. "
Cheers, Moffo
