Spotlight on Students: The History of American Phrases

This post highlights the work required of my SA 202: Introduction to Anthropology students.  Students were given the opportunity to explore an American phrase of their choice, researching its history and meanings over time. Several students were given the opportunity to have their exemplary work featured on the blog, and the students who provided permission have their work featured here in this and the following blog posts.   Please show your appreciation for their work through the comments.

 

Graphic of the game, "Nine Dots," which inspired the phrase "Think Outside the Box" since one had to move outside of the box to solve the puzzle.

By: Ahshantie Miller

There are many different metaphors that we use today in everyday conversations. I have never stopped to think about the many different American and non-American phrases I used on a day to day basis. The phrase that I will be discussing today is “Thinking outside the box.” I chose this phrase because it is still very relevant today. Many people in America still use this metaphor. To me, the phrase means to do something original or something no one has done before.

“Thinking outside the box” originated in the United States in the late 1960s/early 1970s from a puzzle called Nine Dots. The objective of the puzzle was to connect the dots by drawing four straight, continuous lines and never lifting the pencil from the paper. The puzzle is solved only if you draw the four lines outside of the confines of the square, which are made up by the nine dots. This is
where the phrase “Thinking outside the box” was born.

In today’s society, the phrase “Thinking outside the box” means to explore ideas that are creative and that are not limited or controlled by rules or traditions. Thinking outside the box still has the original meaning in a way. Both the puzzle and the current definition mean to do something creative and stepping out of your own comfort zone. The only major difference is that instead of using the definition in a game, you are using it in real life.

Tjoebigham, and Smokeylicious. “How and When Did the Phrase ‘Thinking Outside the Box’ Originate?” Fun Trivia Quizzes - World's Largest Trivia and Quiz Site, 11 Dec. 2007, https://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question89686.html

Think Outside The Box.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster,
https://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/think%20outside%20the%20box

 

Graphic of the phrase "Snitches Get Stitches", referring to how people who speak to the authorities get hurt.

 

By: Taylor Miller

The American phrase I chose was "snitches get stitches". When I was younger my siblings and I said this phrase, so I want to understand the true meaning of it and where it started. As a little girl my siblings and I said "snitches get stitches" a lot when we did not want to end up getting into trouble. If we snitched on them then they would beat us up or talk about us to our face after our mom walked away. It was their way of punishing us for getting them in trouble. The meaning of "snitches get stitches" to me is if you tell on someone something bad will happen to you in return. 

According to Slanglang.net, "“Snitches get stitches” was originally mainly used by criminals to avert witnesses from testifying in court, because if they did, they would literally end up with stitches, or worse." We still used this phrase a lot today, but mostly just to scare someone or to help someone out of trouble. Stated from Quora.com, "The most recent incarnation of the saying is from hiphop culture, but it originally comes from the gangland or mafia code of “omertá” which dictates silence regarding crimes committed by one’s gang. 'Snitches get stitches' is a slang phrase used by convicts to intimidate people and frighten them into silence." The way we use it now is still similar in ways from when it first came about. This meaning is used to silence people from speaking up when some people are in need. Although when I was younger we used the phrase to keep ourselves out of trouble, it is still used to intimidate people to keep anything that is happening to them to or they may put their self in danger. 

“ᐅ Snitches Get Stitches – Meaning & Origin of the Term.” SlangLang, November 4, 2020. https://www.slanglang.net/snitches-get-stitches.

 

Graphic of the phrase "Knock on Wood", which is typically accompanied by actually knocking on something wooden.

By: Grace Weiberg

An American phrase I chose to research is “knock on wood”. I chose this phrase because I have heard this saying many times and have used it myself. Since hearing this phrase quite often I think it means doing something to not jinx yourself after saying something you do not want to happen. For example, I once said, “I have never broken a bone before”, and then said “knock on wood” afterwards and physically knocked wood because I think I might jinx myself if I do not. After researching the phrase, I have found that there are many different theories behind its meaning. One theory is ancient pagan cultures believed spirits lived in trees and that if you knocked on a tree you would wake up the spirits and they would give you protection. Another theory is people would knock on wood to scare the evil spirits away if they were listening to people about their luck.

The phrase originally meant scaring away evil spirits or waking up good spirits to give you protection. Today it means after you talk about something good in your life you knock on wood to keep your good luck from going bad. The meaning behind “knock on wood” has somewhat of the same meaning as when it was first being used: keeping our good luck. Now we do not believe that spirits are behind the meaning and we do not want to wake them up or chase them away. We “knock on wood” because we think it helps keep our good luck. This phrase says that our culture likes to keep our good luck.

Andrews, E. (2016, August 29). Why do people knock on wood for luck? Retrieved February 24, 2021, from https://www.history.com/news/why-do-people-knock-on-wood-for-luck (Links to an external site.)

Why do we knock on wood? (2013, April 16). Retrieved February 24, 2021, from https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/50079/why-do-we-knock-wood