Last week I was reading an article for class and it had a short section on where the phrase "going postal" originated. I was shocked when I learned the meaning behind this saying and it got me wondering, where did the other sayings we use originate?
1. "Going postal."
"Going postal" is a phrase used when someone is extremely and uncontrollably angry. This anger quickly turns to violence or create chaos.
The term originated from the rampage of murders in which U.S. Postal Service workers where shot and killed. From the years of 1986-1997, 40 people were shot in incidents involving postal workers. In these instances, a Postal Service worker attempted, and in many cases, succeeded in killing their co-workers, managers, and supervisors. This anger and drive to kill, stemmed from a decrease in wages and benefits for Postal Service workers, and in many cases led workers to kill those who made more than them, or who signed off on their pay/benefit cuts. Out of these acts of violence against postal workers, we now have the phrase "going postal."
2. "Bite the bullet."
To "bite the bullet" is to accept that you must endure pain or an unpleasant situation because it is unavoidable.
This saying derived from the battlefield. During war there are many instances in which surgery and amputation are unavoidable. Therefore these soldiers must endure the pain to save their lives. However, in many cases, there was no availability of anesthesia or pain killers. Due to this, many men would physically bite a bullet to try to withstand and distract them from the pain.
3. "Caught red handed."
This term is used when someone has been caught doing something wrong, typically committing a crime.
This saying derived from Medieval times when if someone had stolen another's livestock, they would have to be found with the animals blood on their hands to be convicted of a crime. Therefore they were quite literally "caught red handed."
4. "Run amok."
To "Run Amok" is to go crazy, or cause chaos.
This term originated from the Milesian word Amoq, which was used to describe the behavior of tribesmen while under the influence of opium. These men would become wild, violent and in many cases created mobs attacking anyone in their path.
