Directors of early radio programs found that they often had to communicate with people in front of live microphones. In order to give directions without making sounds, a special sign language was developed. When a program was running precisely on schedule, the person watching the time put a finger alongside his or her nose.
This expression dates back over two hundred years. It's derived from a literal nautical sense of the condition of a vessel that's been shipwrecked on a rocky coast.
Originates from the Greek word ozo, which means "I smell." Ozone is the most reactive form of oxygen, and is an unstable, pale bluish gas with a penetrating odor. Christian Friedrich Sch�nbein, a German chemist, coined the word in 1840.
Example: Wearing that bikini is one thing, but a bikini with a mink coat puts you over the top.
Origin: During the first world war a charge over the protective battery which ran alongside a trench was called "going over the top." Such a charge usually resulted in many casualties, as did most operations during that most tragic conflict.
Since the casualty rate was very high, it took remarkable bravery to go "over the top". Some considered it excessively brave and the phrase has come to be associated with excess.
Specifically the phrase means that disclosing a military secret to the enemy could result in large loses, such as the sinking of an entire ship.
Meaning: To be paying attention, to respond promptly, to be doing one's job.
Example: If you were a bit more on the ball, we might have averted the reactor melt down.
Origin: From the early days of baseball. A pitcher who "had nothing on the ball" was one who was having a bad outing. The term implies that the pitcher has no control or speed on the ball.
