INTESTING ORIGINS OF COMMON ENGLISH IDIOMS

                                 


                                           "ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID, NEVER A BRIDE"


DEFINITION:Literally, always being a bridesmaid and never a bride. More figuratively its a forlorn saying for women when they can't find love.

ORIGIN: This gem of an idiom was first recorded in Victorian hall tune."Why i am always a bridesmaid?", by W.Leigh.However, the phrase garnered the popularity after retrospectively hilarious ad for Listerine mouthwash 1924. The slogan ,"always a bridesmaid, never a bride" accompanied by a picture of Edna, who cause of her hilatosis(bad breath) was never able to find love. The solution :buying listerine mouthwash.

                                                   

                                                           

                                                             "CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR"
    
  DEFINITION: Being near success but just missing out.

  ORIGIN: Once upon a time , fairgound stalls favored gifting cigars to winners rather than overstuffed plush toys. Needless to say, winning was impossible at the rigged carnival games and thus the idiom was born.


                                                             "MEETING A DEADLINE"  


DEFINITION:To finish something by a predetermined  time.


ORIGIN: This saying apparently stems from the prison camps during civil war, where a line was drawn to demarcate the boundaries for the prisoners. The line became to be known as a deadline  because any prisoner who would attempt to cross it was shot.