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Origin of Phrases - N

 

Nip In The Bud

At least as early as the 14th century, gardeners knew that many plants produce an excessive number of blossoms.  So it became customary to pinch off the majority in order that those which were left might produce large fruit.  This practice improved the quality of the garden produce, but it was devastating to individual buds.  It became proverbial that when a bud was nipped off, no fruit would be produced at that point.

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Origin of Phrases - N

 

No Spring Chicken

Man has been raising chickens since sometime around the dawn of civilization.  Until recent generations, there were no incubators and few warm hen houses.  That meant chicks couldn't be raised during winter.  Growers eventually found that chicks born in the spring brought a premium in the summer marketplaces.  Sometimes thy tried to deceive customers by offering old birds as though they belonged to the spring crop.  Wise buyers would protest that the older birds were "no spring chickens."

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Origin of Phrases - N

 

No Sweat

Chalk another one up to William Shakespeare, who wrote in 1610's The Tempest, "All things in common nature should produce without sweat or endeavour."  He was referring to the notion that some things don't require hard work.

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Origin of Phrases - N

 

Noon

From the Latin word "nonus," which means nine, it originally referred to the ninth hour of the day counting from sunrise, which, on the year-average, is 6:00 am.  This put nonus at 3:00 pm, or halfway between midday and sunset.