No Strings Attached
No string attached. The origin of the idiom dates back to the 18th-century and was often associated with one’s integrity…
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Love’s Form
The muse for this column was an article I wrote 11 years ago, inspired by a question posed by a friend: “What is love? Seriously.”
Blue
Christmas appears at first, or so it seems, in row upon row of greeting cards. I glance at them, then look away…
The Sound That Summons Us
In her latest column, Josephine talks about her love of bells, bagpipes and her thoughts on the idiom of being there with bells on
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A Penny For Your Thoughts
Gramma Josephine shares the idiom of ‘A Penny For Your Thoughts’ and reminisces about when pennies were treasures to be collected
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In The Same Boat
We are pilgrims on a journey and, from time to time, the lives of complete strangers may intersect with ours in surprising ways.
Hold The Line!
This is an idiom that sparks thoughts of strength, that inspires strength — and even courage with determination and discipline
Here’s To Leaves …
What do you see when you turn over a new leaf? My first thought is Veins! … the source of life for any living being.
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A Clean Slate
A new year brings fresh opportunities. Josephine Holmes reflects on the idiom “a clean slate” and its hopeful meaning.
It’s been a coon’s age (maybe longer)
Growing up on the Prairies hardly seems to qualify me as somewhat of a redneck, but I admit there has been this part of me,
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Let The Games Begin!
I opened the dryer door a week and a half ago and smiled to myself, then chuckled as I said out loud: “Let the games begin!”
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It Takes Guts!
As I began searching for idioms with a digestive theme, in honour of this year’s “Poop” edition of What’s Up Yukon, I discovered…
Cry ‘Wolf!’
Once upon a time there was a shepherd boy who was diligently doing his duties, according to Aesop, but perhaps got a little bored…
C’est la vie!
It’s a good life … or, from the movie Oliver!, “It’s A Fine Life” (a very fine life!). Yes, I’ve taken to incorporating song titles…
The Real Deal
Remember ironing? Some of you, like me, may still secretly love to iron. And we have the “real McCoy” to thank for that…
Who Doesn’t Like Ducks?
The world should have more ducks, really, and according to a well-known idiom, they should be in a row. That’s right…
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Don’t throw Out The Baby …
For some odd reason, this idiom has popped into my head several times in the past weeks: “Don’t throw out the ‘baby’ with the bathwater.”
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Rat-a-tat-tat … I Smell A Rat
What does a rat even smell like? Well, I have no idea … even though I’ve seen a rat or two in my lifetime…
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Christmas Comes But Once A Year
So, remember that Christmas comes but once a year … and embrace that thought and whatever meaning this humble idiom holds for you.
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On Thin Ice
I have fond memories of strapping on skates to glide over the deep-blue, almost-black pond ice on our Saskatchewan farm.
Bite The Bullet
The first mention of “bite the bullet” was, according to Wikipedia, in Rudyard Kipling’s late-1800s novel The Light That Failed.
In A Moment … ‘In The Twinkling of An Eye’
In the blink of an eye. That is how quickly this idiom of biblical origin (from 1 Cor. 15: 51–52) has been changed, as it describes a mysterious and wonderful moment, at the trumpet sound, when everything will change.
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Fly Straight Like a Honeybee
The idiom make a beeline for is a bit of a mystery as we watch the erratic dance of bees – So, what’s with bees and beelines?
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A ‘fish’ called (insert your name here)
Living in your comfort zone feels better than feeling like “a fish out of water.” Do you know the idiomatic origins of the phrase?
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Idiomatic Origins: Bye-bye, birdie!
Never would a canary be seen in a coal mine, unless under duress. Find out what canaries under duress have to do with “bye-bye, birdie”
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Idioms that irk me (and I’m not easily irked)
There are two idioms that have been bothering me for weeks, months even. But let’s talk about something more pleasant—cookies.
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It’s raining, it’s pouring (but it’s still all right)
If it’s right as rain, it’s as it should be; it’s normal and expected; it’s right on track, exactly as anticipated. It also refers to a congenial frame of mind, or even a state of physical comfort.
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