Isn’t there a nicer way?
How often do you toss out a familiar but sinister-sounding saying without thinking about how crazy it would sound if you were being literal? Where did these phrases come from?
If you want to know why we talk about “skinning a cat” or cutting off body parts as easily as we say hello, you’re in the right place. Let’s walk through the histories of a few rather macabre (or just unsettling) idioms that even your grandmother might be saying.