The Meaning Behind “Red Flags” and Other Common Phrases

The “wink” part of the phrase refers to the act of shutting one’s eyes. Thus, “40 winks” might not be a full night of sleep, but it’s enough to feel rested.

2) As easy as pie

A lot of people mistakenly think that this phrase refers to making pie, but instead refers to the eating of pie, which is considerably easier than making one. A similar phrase is “nice as pie” from the 1850s or “piece of cake” from the early 1900s.

1)Tongue in cheek

While this is a commonly-used phrase even today, few people understand that once upon a time it was considered a sign of skepticism and disrespect to hold one’s tongue in their cheek. The expression was used to bring shame or disapproval upon someone who did not meet your standards.

While the origins of the phrase in the 1820s were pretty harsh, by the middle of the 19th century the term had come to mean something that was funny or to be taken with a grain of salt.