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- Volume XXXVIII
Volume XXXVIII
Three expressions and their surprising origins
I. Take It with a Grain of Salt 🧂
Back in 77 AD Rome, Pliny the Elder noted that a dash of salt was part of an antidote for poison. Over time, that “grain of salt” turned into a metaphor — meaning a little skepticism helps you stomach what you’re told.
Today, it’s what we say when someone’s story sounds a bit too good to be true.
So next time your buddy says he “found the one,” remember to take it with a grain (or pinch) of salt.
II. Die on That Hill ⛰️
In 20th-century warfare, holding the high ground — think Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith — was strategically important but often came at a steep cost. Commanders would ask whether a position was “worth dying on,” meaning if the objective justified the lives it might take to defend it.
Some say the phrase was popularized during the Vietnam War — with a 1969 battle so brutal it prompted one article to ask, “Why die on Hamburger Hill?”
By the late 1970s, the phrase had stuck as shorthand for fighting hard over something that might not actually be worth it.
These days, “and I’ll die on that hill!” has morphed into how we add a little emphasis when defending an opinion — no matter how small the stakes.
III. Dumb Bunny 🐰
The phrase “dumb bunny” popped up in mid-20th-century American slang, used to describe someone who’s naïve, gullible, or just not the sharpest tool in the shed.
It’s meant more as a gentle tease than an insult — picture a cartoonish rabbit blinking in confusion rather than genuine cruelty.
These days, calling someone a “dumb bunny” feels more playful than personal.
It’s the friend who forgets their keys for the third time, or the coworker who hits “reply all” on a company-wide email. You’re not calling them stupid — just human.