Old Sayings Explained: From Spilled Milk to Flying Pigs Part 2 | The Strange History Podcast

0:00 Speaker 1: Welcome back, my wyse and weary listeners to the Strange History Podcast, where we dig through history's attic and find out why your grandma says weird things like a watched pot never boils. Last time, we stitch time bit bullets and discovered that cats and bags are never a good thing. Tonight, we're finishing our collection thirteen more sayings that shaped the way we speak, think, and occasionally argue on the Internet. Let's dust off the Dictionary of Destiny and see what advice our ancestors left us.

0:33 Speaker 2: A rolling stone gathers no moss.

0:37 Speaker 1: This one rolls right out of the Latin world. It was recorded by the Roman writer Pablilius Cyrus in the first century BCE. It meant that people who keep moving, traveling or changing jobs don't accumulate moss, meaning responsibilities, possessions, or, let's be honest, emotional baggage. In the fifteen hundreds, Erasmus the philosopher, not the form or an exchange program, translated it into English and it stuck. Ironically, later centuries flipped the meaning. In the workaholic Victorian era, no moss meant no roots.

1:12 Speaker 1: So now, depending on your vibe, it's either a compliment or a warning. Basically, you're either a cool, minimalist or unemployed.

1:22 Speaker 3: This segment is sponsored by Moss Boss, the official home to core line for commitment fobes. Because you may not settle down, but your ferns can.

1:31 Speaker 2: There's no use crying over spilled milk.

1:35 Speaker 1: If you've ever watched a toddler weep dramatically after knocking over a glass, you've seen this proverb in action. It dates back to the sixteen hundreds and first appeared in James Howell's Proverbs in English, Italian, French and Spanish sixteen fifty nine. The idea was simple, what's done is done. Tears won't refill the glass. But in earlier folklore milk was sacred. Spilling it was seen as bad luck or an offence to household spirits, so the saying evolved from superstition into stoicism. In modern terms, close the app move on.

2:11 Speaker 3: This emotional cleanup is brought to you by Spillstop, life's first insurance for clumsy optimists. Wipe, laugh, repeat.

2:20 Speaker 2: One bad apple spoils the bunch.

2:23 Speaker 1: Ah Yes, the saying that launched one thousand hr memos. It comes from the fourteenth century, when people stored apples in barrels. One rotten apple released ethylene gas, accelerating decay, and the rest. The phrase became a metaphor for corrupting influences, whether in fruit baskets or political movements. These days, it's most often used in press conferences, right before someone says, we take this very seriously.

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2:58 Speaker 2: Let sleeping dogs lie.

3:01 Speaker 1: This one's a medieval warning. It appears as early as the thirteen hundreds in Chaucer's Troilis and Creceide, and means exactly what it says. Don't stir up old trouble. That's finally quiet. Back then, watchdogs were the medieval security system, Big loud and easily provoked. Wake them, and chaos ensued. So the next time someone says it, remember it's not about dogs. It's about that group chat argument. From twenty nineteen.

3:31 Speaker 3: This peaceful pause is brought to you by Sleepy Pup, the calming treat that keeps both dogs and drama sedated.

3:39 Speaker 2: Take it with a grain of salt.

3:41 Speaker 1: This oldie dates back to ancient Rome. Pliny the Elder wrote that salt could neutralize poison. He literally said to take it with a grain of salt. Over time, the phrase evolved into view something skeptically. In the Middle Ages, salt was rare and precious, used as metaice and as a ward against evil, So the phrase suggests balance a little skepticism, but not total cynicism. In modern form, trust but verify, preferably with snacks.

4:15 Speaker 3: This skeptical seasoning is brought to you by Salty Wisdom, the only salt brand that pairs perfectly with rumors and fries.

4:23 Speaker 2: Cry Wolf.

4:24 Speaker 1: This one howls straight out of Esop's fables. A shepherd boy repeatedly cries wolf to trick villagers until a real wolf shows up and no one believes him. Classic Boy who Cried Wolf situation. The phrase warns against lying or exaggerating, because credibility is hard to earn and easy to shred. It's the sixth century b c. Version of stop doom posting.

4:48 Speaker 3: This tale of truth is sponsored by fact snack bite sized news you can trust no wolve's attached.

4:55 Speaker 2: Put a sock in it.

4:57 Speaker 1: If you've ever been told this, you are either talked, looking too loud or podcasting too long. The saying dates to the late eighteen hundreds, when gramophones had no volume control, people literally shoved socks into the horn to muffle the sound. Over time, put a sock in it became slang for be quiet. So next time you say it, remember you're quoting Victorian audio engineering.

5:22 Speaker 3: This polite hush is brought to you by Sockbox, the first subscription service that silences unwanted noise and in laws alike.

5:30 Speaker 2: Rome wasn't built in a day.

5:33 Speaker 1: This ancient encouragement dates back to a twelfth century French proverb romna sippa fete on anjoure. It was popularized in English by playwright John Haywood in fifteen thirty eight. The moral great things take time. Rome's empire, after all, was centuries in the making, roads, aqueducts and all that marble. So whether you're building a city, a career, or a podcast empire, relax histories on your side.

6:02 Speaker 3: This slow burned success is sponsored by Brick by Brick, the productivity app that reminds you even Caesar needed a planner.

6:10 Speaker 2: Every cloud has a silver lining.

6:13 Speaker 1: Poetic right. This one first appeared in John Milton's Comus sixteen thirty four. Was I deceived? Or did a sable cloud turn forth her silver lining on the night. It's a reminder that even dark times have bright edges optimism dressed in poetic flare. Though if you've ever been through a thunderstorm, you know some clouds are just clouds.

6:38 Speaker 3: This moment of forced positivity is brought to you by Cloud nine, the meditation app that helps you find your lining before you lose your mind.

6:47 Speaker 2: People who live in glasshouses shouldn't throw stones.

6:52 Speaker 1: The earliest written version comes from Chaucer, who said, who that hath no sin cast the first stone? But the lass house version appeared in the sixteen hundreds, reminding people not to criticize others for faults they share. In an era when glass was expensive and fragile, the metaphor hit hard literally, so before you judge, maybe check that you're not sitting in a conservatory.

7:17 Speaker 3: This fragile truth is brought to you by stone Stopper, the world's first gilt resistant glove for throwing shade safely.

7:25 Speaker 2: Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

7:28 Speaker 1: Another farming favorite. This one came from Don Quixote sixteen oh five and later English proverbs farmers knew if you carried all your eggs in one basket and tripped disaster. It became financial advice centuries before stockbrokers existed. Diversify your risks, whether in investments or in life. Also applicable to dating apps.

7:51 Speaker 3: By the way, sponsored by nest Vest portfolio planning for people who drop things emotionally or financially.

7:59 Speaker 1: When pigs fly, this delightful bit of sarcasm goes back to the sixteen hundred's Scottish proverb pigs may fly, but it's not likely. It was the Renaissance way of saying yeah right. Early versions included other impossible animals, when frogs grow hair or when hens wear breeches, but pigs flying stuck maybe because it's funny and disgusting, and now, thanks to the Internet, we actually have pictures of flying pigs, proof that sarcasm eventually manifests.

8:33 Speaker 3: This airborne optimism is sponsored by Bacon wings because the impossible tastes better fried, better late than never.

8:42 Speaker 1: This saying goes all the way back to ancient Greece. The historian Dionysius of Halikarnassis used a version of it in twenty BC, and Jeffrey Chaucer revived it in the Canterbury Tales. It's timeless advice. Doing something eventually is still better than not doing it at all. It's a celebration of imperfection, of trying, failing and showing up anyway. It's also my personal motto for sending thank you notes and taxes.

9:12 Speaker 3: This tardy triumph is brought to you by Procrastinate, the productivity drink that forgives lateness but not laziness.

9:20 Speaker 1: And that dear listeners, wraps up old sayings and where they came from. Part two. From mossy stones to flying pigs, These little phrases carry centuries of wit, warning and wisdom. They've survived wars, plagues, and the invention of the Internet, which is honestly a miracle. The next time someone drops one of these phrases in conversation, you'll know exactly where it came from, and probably ruin the moment by saying, so, I'm Amy. And this has been the Strange History Podcast until next time. Take it with a grain of salt, roll with the stones, and remember Rome wasn't built in a day, but this episode nearly was.

9:58 Speaker 1: Good night and good History