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Nag

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Nag

Origin of Phrases - N

 

Nag

Rats were a constant problem in the Middle Ages.  In addition to eating the food that people needed, their gnawing was a constant source of irritation.  Since there was little that could be done to get rid of the rats, the people had to endure all the noise.  An old Scandinavian term for the process of gnawing passed from German to English, and emerged as nag.  Eventually, it was applied to any persistent annoyance.

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The Naked Truth

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Nag

Origin of Phrases - N

 

The Naked Truth

This expression originated from the following old fable: "Truth and Falsehood went swimming.  Falsehood stole the clothes that Truth had left on the river bank, but Truth refused to wear Falsehood's clothes and went naked."

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Needless to Say

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Needless to Say

Origin of Phrases - N

 

Needless to Say

Actually, it started out as "Nedelesse to speake" in 1530.  The modern version comes from the journal Kaleidoscope in 1826: " The Squire was hard hit by this nonchalance, and it is needless to add, acted upon Sheridan's suggestion.

 

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Neither Here Nor There

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Needless to Say

Origin of Phrases - N

 

Neither Here Nor There

The Venetian scholar and printer Aldus Manutius detailed this phrase in his 1581 book Phrases Linguae Latinus: "It is neither here nor there, or I passe not what you thinke of me."  Incidentally, Manutius was the founder of famous Aldine Press.

 

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Nicotine

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Nicotine

Origin of Phrases - N

 

Nicotine

Jean Nicot was a French ambassador to Portugal.  Around 1560, while serving in Lisbon, he obtained tobacco seeds from sailors who had traveled to the New World.  When scientists began to realize that tobacco included a potent substance, they called it nicotine in honor of Jean Nicot, the man who first brought it to France.

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