Dutch’s English Language Oddity Clearing House

Meaning

Be prepared and save your resources until they are needed.

Origin

The allusion is to gunpowder which soldiers had to keep dry in order to be ready to fight when required. This advice reputedly originated with Oliver Cromwell during his campaign in Ireland. In Ballads of Ireland (1856), Edward Hayes wrote:

“There is a well-authenticated anecdote of Cromwell. On a certain occasion, when his troops were about crossing a river to attack the enemy, he concluded an address, couched in the usual fanatic terms in use among them, with these words - ‘put your trust in God; but mind to keep your powder dry’.”

19th century citations of the phrase invariably give the full version - trust in God and keep your powder dry. This emphasizes that the keep your powder dry was seen only as an additional insurance. This is made clear in a piece from The Times Literary Supplement, 1908:

“In thus keeping his powder dry the bishop acted most wisely, though he himself ascribes the happy result entirely to observance of the other half of Cromwell’s maxim.”

- Sincere thanks to Gary Martin of The Phrase Finder

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Meaning

In an instant.

Origin

This is recorded by Robert Manning of Brunne, in Handlyng synne, 1303: “Yn twynkelyng of an ye”

It is also used in the Bible, Corinthians 15:56 (King James Version):

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

It was later used by Shakespeare in The Merchant Of Venice: “I’ll take my leave of the Jew in the twinkling of an eye.”

- Sincerest thanks to Gary Martin of The Phrase Finder

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Meaning

A person born during the temporary peak in the birth-rate that occurred several countries following WWII, notably the USA and the UK.

Origin

A ‘baby boom’ is any temporary increase in the birth-rate and that term was in use some time before WWII. A ‘baby boom’ was reported in various newspapers in England in the 1920s. For example, this piece, reprinted in The Coshocton Tribune, April 1920:

There is a ‘baby boom’ in London. Births during the first six months of this year have broken all records.

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Meaning

Hold on; be patient.

Origin

US origin - 19th century. In keeping with its American origin, it originally was written as ‘hold your hosses’ and it appears in print that way many times from 1844 onwards. In Picayune (New Orleans) September 1844, we have:

“Oh, hold your hosses, Squire. There’s no use gettin’ riled, no how.”

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