‘Get off your high horse’

How amusing to find the origin of words and phrases. So many that are in use have their origin in the horses and dogs that we have lived with through the centuries.  Previously we wrote about the word Hound,  www.horseflynet.com/blog,  ‘You aint nothin’ but a Hound Dog’. Here are a few more words and phrases which refer to our favorite animals.

High Horse

Get off your high horse comes from ages past, when the steed you rode indicated your rank in society.  From the donkey, used by the peasant and serf, to the Andalusian stallion of an emperor or jousting tournament competitor.  So if you are pretentious and appearing better than you are, it may require pulling you off your “high horse”, even today.

Horse Power

James Watt invented the steam engine in the early 19th century.  The problem was in rating its power.  The only comparison in hauling power was what a pair of big draft horses could pull.  If one of the horses could pull 33,000 lbs one foot in one minute than that was a unit of work which Watt called horsepower.  However, a typical horse could barely raise 20,00o  pounds in one minute.  There lies the debate that lasted for a century as to the measurement of steam power.  But, in time all engines, whether powered by electricity or gasoline stayed with the original Watt unit of pulling power, 33,000 pounds, one foot, one minute, rather than that of the ordinary nag.

Ride Herd

In the days of large cattle ranching in the US, when there were no fences or interstate highways, cattle were driven to market by cowboys.  That journey could be 300 miles or more and required cooks and wagon drivers who worked  early morning to dusk at their jobs.   However, those on horse back had a twenty-four hour day to head off stampedes and to keep the herd together.  Their job was described as,  Ride Herd.

Whoa

Whoa is a word used to stop or slowdown horses. The dialectal variant of 1615-25 was ho. More recently about the 1980s there has been yet another variant in use, for an indication of surprise or delight.  However, horseman across America today still regularly use the command whoa to halt their mount.

Pony Up 

A Pony is of course a small horse and the term has been in use since the mid-1600. Pony up is very much an American phrase and means paying money that is past due or coughing up the money.  It is rarely used in the UK.  But, the Brits and Americans do have some good slang meanings for the word pony:

a small measure of alcohol,                                                                                                              a short crib sheet or study aid,                                                                                               British slang for twenty five pounds,                                                                                             an abridged news report

We can turn back to Psalms 119, for a mention of ‘ legem  pone’ , to pay money or settle debts.  This is traditionally recognized on March 25  and has been recorded as early as 1570 when debts should be paid.

Horseplay

Since the 16th Century the rough play of stallions and gentle romping of  mares has been compared with boisterous behavior of humans.  In centuries past not all beasts of burden such as the donkey or nag felt the need to be frisky, roll on their backs or nuzzle each other.  So the rarely seen  qualities of health and spirit in some horses  have always been noted. The high spirits of people, especially children, even today are labelled horseplay.

Sources:                                                                                                                                            Why You Say It by Garrison                                                                      www.thephrasefinder.com

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