Uncommon Origins of Familiar Phrases

Uncommon Origins of Familiar Phrases

Graphic Design IV Senior Class

By :

When words are juxtaposed against the dialogue of a visual image, a fascinating blend of ideas often unravels. The challenge then is to understand the relationship between the image and the words. Should the image speak for itself? Or should the words define the character, intent, and meaning of the image? Or does the image give new depth to the meaning of the words written? It is an intriguing tension, a tension that brings a harmony in its own way. For through this whole experience, no solid answer can always be conveyed. It is up to the audience to draw from these images and words and see what their own imaginations conclude.The voice of an image carries influence. See what your imagination uncovers from its language and you’ll find that oftentimes, images can speak all on their own. Take the time to dig deeper and listen clearly. Just let them speak.

There is a language of great influence and meaning that has long been an anchor of effectual communication – the art of visual imagery. The power behind a picture goes far beyond a mere façade of photographs, paintings, graphics, or whatever form these images find themselves to exist in. This power is a transcending ability to speak more than words ever could. Though images may seem to be simple flat objects of beauty and intrigue, it is the power behind the story that speaks volumes. For each image has its roots and each image has its own beginnings spurring from wild adventures, tickled fancies, imaginative thoughts, and life experiences. Every image speaks on its own and an experience always awaits those who choose to quiet their minds and listen in on the conversation.

Foreword

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Elephants Never ForgetThe burst of lights drew in everyone’s attention to the dazzling show of the century. The extravagant colors and ambiance kept our anxious excitement on edge as everyone walked in through the striped tent entrance. It had been years since I had been to a circus and my heart soared with exhilaration. The music roared with liveliness. The crowds cheered and praised with applause. The parades of colorful characters and animated animals swarmed through and I was immediately immersed in the radiant spectacle. There was such a rich vibe of energy, amusement, and childish pleasure. It was a sight to behold. I left the circus amazed, bewildered, and entranced. What a day!

As I left the entrance, my eye caught a glimmer of light and I saw an opening to a backstage entrance. And for a moment I was a curious 8-year-old boy all over again and the memories take me back. This incident had happened quite a few years ago, but today it felt just like yesterday… I remember seeing an opening to the circus cast quarters and slipping quietly away from my dad as I took a peek to see where all the magic happened. My sly grin slowly softened with curiosity as I saw a dim spotlight upon a baby elephant and his mother, both tied up. My eyes wandered to the ropes around their ankles and saw that whereas the mother’s ankle had only a thin rope holding her to the pole, the baby was secured with a heavy chain and big metal ring around its foot. I wondered why they were tied so differently and out of complete curiosity and bewilderment, I decided to write a letter to the circus manager.

About a week later, a letter arrived back and I rushed to open it. It wasn’t every day that a young boy received an official letter from the circus master himself. He explained to me that the older elephants learned long ago as babies that they could not break free so they no longer try, even though the flimsy rope would be simple to break now. The baby elephant, on the other hand, is still to find this out and thus needs to be chained securely. Over time, the baby gradually gives up and eventually stops trying altogether as well. Now, looking back, I realize that perhaps this is why it is said that, “elephants never forget.” Who knew that such a phrase could spring forth from the customs of the circus training life? Who knew that the curious wanderings of a young boy could lead him to such interesting discoveries? And to think that the language and idioms we come up with start from little findings like this… There is always a story waiting to be told if we just look for it. Whether it be in the spectacular moments of life or in the simplicity of the life around us, they are waiting to be uncovered. And sometimes, curiosity and an imaginative mind are the perfect keys to unlocking such mysteries.

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Air Tweet Telecom

S t a n d b y

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gold tweetaward

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Sharon Tan’s work is always breath-taking. Her de-signs are so light and feminine, beautiful hardly begins to cover her work. Always the professional, Sharon has shared her design talents with jewelry companies, musicians, and soon to be wed couples. Sharon’s work is so ethereal, that it often leaves its audience in awe and wonder.

A Little Bird Told Me A hint of enchantment lies in the thought of messages being carried through the twitter and flutter of the little birds. There is a delightful secrecy in this exchange of information, as if their curious little minds know a little bit more than everyone else. It has been said that these intelligent messengers became the source of communication between the great King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. When the king called forth the birds of the air, one particular bird arrived later, bearing the news that the Queen had interest in meeting with him. Upon hearing this news, the King swiftly made preparations for her visit as the little bird returned to the Queen with the King’s favorable reply. What better way of communication than through the tweet of witty little birds, trusted by none other than the Royals themselves?

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Raylene Lopez has always favored the bold and the colorful in her designs, and is never one to shy away from an eye-catching illustration. Something about Raylene’s work seems to bring back a childhood nostalgia, but with a modern twist. Regardless of her penchant for the vibrant, she is an extremely versatile designer with the ability to work on a wide array of projects.

“That costs An Arm and a Leg” is an idiom referencing to a large, possibly enormous amount of money. There are no specific origins of this phrase, but in this case it is believed that portrait painters used to charge more for larger paintings that included the arms and legs of an individual. In comparison, portraits that only contained the head and shoulders was cheaper. Extremely wealthy families were usually the subjects of these portraits. If Individuals of lower class wanted a full portrait they would definitely be giving up more than high class families, hence the possibility of limbs.

An Arm and a Leg

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Rachel Stevens seems to always have her head in her notebook, sketching away. She lives somewhere in between reality and fantasy, creating whole other worlds in her notebooks. Her illustrations are whimsical and fanciful, and she always manages to tell a story through her design work.

Heads in the CloudsThis phrase holds its roots in the mountain air. People would climb to a higher elevation and, in their oxygen deprived states; they would forget to be careful of important things (such as predators which also lived on the mountain). In today’s society having your “head in the clouds” is usually used to refer to dreamers – to people who aren’t quite grounded in the present and unintentionally make mistakes or cause accidents. But dreamers will be dreamers and they love to be among the clouds, even if we all wish there were a little more grounded in reality.

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Michelle Mifflin is a refreshing designer amidst a generation that believes in the right here, right now mentality. Michelle’s work is so honest and simple, she has no need to rely on flashy gimmicks to get her point across. Her work is elegant, and her use of typography is classic and resolute.

Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover The phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” is often used but has anybody ever stopped to think about from where the phrase originated? This phrase serves as a reminder to not form opinions about something by just looking at it’s appearance. Surprisingly this phrase has been around since 1860 when it was published in a book critique. Just like books today, books over 100 years ago could have different covers for the same content. People would go to book binders to have their books bound for them. Depending on the person’s social class, the cover would vary in thickness and design. The wealthier people would have decorative and more durable covers for their books whereas people with less money would not. The content in the books were exactly the same even if their covers differed. Appearances can be deceiving so that is why people should never judge a book by its cover.

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Megan Roth has an incredible eye for design. She is highly talented and seems to always know what is right for the client at hand. While she has her own unique style, she is able to form to whatever is required of her, and does so with great skill. Her designs are bold yet simple and her aesthetic is pleasing to the eye.

In the Middle Ages, the market was an epicenter of different livestock being sold by various merchants. Generally, the customer would pick the livestock they wanted and have it be bagged in a sack… but not every customer got quite what they had bargained for. Greedy merchants began to be known to replace the piglets with a quiet or similarly squealing cat. It was not until the customer brought home the sack did they realize the trickery that had been played on them. However, that plot relied heavily on the customer waiting until they got home to open up their purchase. So if the sack was opened in the marketplace, the secret would be made evident and the customer would demand compensation. The secret was let out before it was supposed to be revealed.

Let the Cat Out of the Bag

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Maya Miller has a very clean, straight-to-the-point aesthetic. Her personal style is so subtle it can often be easily overlooked. However, when her work is lined up in succession, it becomes easy to spot Maya there all along. Her subtlety is what makes her such a brilliant designer, since most design is not intended for the designer’s own personal pleasure, but rather to be easily read by the masses.

More commonly known as “The last straw” it is believed that this idiom came around in the mid 17th century as an Arabic proverb. The phrase refers to a small difficulty that makes all of ones problems suddenly unbearable. A burden. There is no history of any camels actually having their backs broken from carrying straw, but because camels are often used for transporting large amounts of goods it is possible that it has happen. The earliest evidence of the phrase being recorded was in ‘The Edinburgh Advertiser, May 1816: “MR. BROUGHAM remarked, that if it [a tax on soap] were only 3d. a head, or 4d. and 5d. upon the lower orders, yet straw upon straw was laid till the last straw broke the camel’s back.”

The Straw that Broke the Camel’s Back

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Kelsey Adams is an incredibly gifted corporate designer. No matter who the client is, she goes above and beyond what is expected of her. Her designs are clean, attention grabbing, and authoritative. On the other hand, her illustrations often show a witty and darkly sarcastic side not seen in her corporate branding.

We have all heard the expression “That elephant in the room”, but what does this truly mean and where does it come from? The first widely known use of the idiom was a headline from The New York Times in 1959 stating “Financing schools has become a problem about equal to having an elephant in the living room. It’s so big you just can’t ignore it.” The phrase was used before in Mark Twain’s 1882 story called “The Stolen White Elephant” which told a story of two detectives trying to find an elusive elephant that was right in front of them the whole time. The term refers to a question, problem, solution, or controversial issue which is obvious to everyone who knows about the situation, but which is deliberately ignored because to do otherwise would cause great embarrassment, or trigger arguments or is simply taboo. The term has been widely used to refer to the taboo subject of drunkenness and alcoholism, especially in the reluctance of friends and family of an addicted person to discuss the person’s problem, thus aiding the person’s denial.

The Elephant in the Room

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Jonathan Chong is a wonderfully talented illustrator and designer. His work is streamlined, but at the same time is influenced heavily by skate culture. His designs are forthright yet subtle, and is palatable to a wide range of audiences. Chong is a transparent designer; his intents are always clearly stated within the work.

Someone who is uncomfortable in a situation they are unsuited to. This metaphor comes from Chaucer used a version of it in The Canterbury Tales: Prologue: ....a monk, when he is cloisterless; is like to a fish that is waterless. The earliest reference that I can find to the present day wording of the phrase is in Samuel Purchas’s Pilgrimage, 1613: “The Arabians out of the desert are as Fishes out of the Water.”

Fish Out of Water

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Jana Rapport is a Seattle native who excels at the various aspects of graphic design. Her illustrations are detailed and she is highly meticulous when it comes to the tiniest details. Jana has a vivacious personality, and it portrays itself in her designs. She has experience working for an assortment of businesses and non-profits, and is always more than capable of meeting whatever graphic need they have.

I’ll be a Monkey’ s Uncle

The phrase was first used circa 1925 as a sarcastic remark made by skeptics of evolution, as introduced by Charles Darwin in his book The Origin of Species. To some, the idea that man was descendent from apes was the most ludicrous of Darwin’s claims and essentially nothing less than a joke. Today it’s still commonly used as a sarcastic phrase or a way to express extreme disbelief, for example: “What? You threw your poop at a stranger and stole an entire bunch of bananas? Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle!”

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Ethan Bailey is hugely inspired by old-fashioned westerns. You might not guess it at the first glance of his work, but he frequently subtly brings this influence to his designs. Ethan has an exceptional sense of texture, which is highlighted in almost all of his art. Having worked for a print studio for years, Ethan is highly adept at creating professional quality results.

C o l d Tu r keyGoose bumps, pale skin, and feeling pathetic: all symptoms of going cold turkey on an addiction. If you cut that bad habit out of your life, chances are you’ll find yourself in a similar situation as goose bumps travel across your pale white skin, you’ll look just like a raw turkey in a a back alley way, desiring to be reunited with its cigarettes. Don’t you fret though; after you work through the awkwardness and temptation, you’ll find your flesh back to its smooth and tan complexion, looking back at that struggle, making you proud of your accomplishment.

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Chris Thomas pulls strongly from his love of skate and pop culture for his design work. A true 90s kid, he carries that love of bright colors and a pleasant nostalgia throughout his work. While his designs maintain a classic feel, Chris always brings a contemporary and updated flourish to whatever project he is working on.

Off the Hook The meaning of saying “Off The Hook” came from the humble beginnings of being relieved of responsibility or liability. The phrase originated from fisherman lingo that implied that their catch of the day had broken fee from their line. The earliest usage of the phrases has been debated with no real conclusion besides that the expression made it debut sometime in the early 1940’s. Nevertheless, the saying originated with the idea of being relieved of punishment or obligation in mind. Re-emerging in the mid 60’s with local and world wide skate culture the phrase took on the new context of being amazing radical or magnificent. Through the original definition might have been lost somewhere over the years you can still hear the evolved saying at local skate parks and parties.

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Alyson Worker’s design is incredibly intentional. Every element is carefully thought out and customized for her client. She is committed to excellence and willing to work until her client is satisfied. Her talents are wide spread; photography, t-shirt design, CD covers, web design, and product design to name a few. When her passions of art and music fuse together, there is no stopping Alyson from creating eye-catching design.

“That dog won’t hunt” is a Southern colloquialism that simply means, “your plan won’t work” or “I predict failure.” While this particular phrase has Texan origins, it goes back even further to a similar 17th century phrase “that cock won’t fight,” reffering to roosters that would not participate in cock-fighting. The Texas spin on the phrase comes from dogs that are either too old, too stupid, or too untrained and are absolutely worthless to a hunter.

That Dog Won’t Hunt

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