Courtesy of the Word Detective: "Dead to rights" is indeed an odd expression, dating at least to the mid-19th century, when it was first collected in a glossary of underworld slang ("Vocabulum, or The Rogue's Lexicon," by George Matsell, 1859). The first part of the phrase, "dead," is a slang use of the word to mean "absolutely, without doubt." This use is more commonly heard in the UK, where it dates back to the 16th century, than in the US. "Dead" meaning "certainly" is based on the earlier use of "dead" to mean, quite logically, "with stillness suggestive of death, absolutely motionless," a sense we still use when we say someone is "dead asleep." The "absolutely, without doubt" sense is also found in "dead broke" and "dead certain." The "to rights" part of the phrase is a bit more complicated. "To rights" has been used since the 14th century to mean "in a proper manner," or, later, "in proper condition or order," a sense we also use in phrases such as "to set to rights," meaning "to make a situation correct and orderly" ("Employed all the afternoon in my chamber, setting things and papers to rights," Samuel Pepys, 1662). In the phrase "caught dead to rights," the connotation is that every formality required by the law has been satisfied, and that the apprehension is what crooks in the UK used to call a "fair cop," a clean and justifiable arrest. ("Cop," from the Latin "capere," to seize, has long been used as slang for "to grab" as well as slang for a police officer.) Of course, there's many a slip 'twixt the cop and the lips of the jury, so we shall see. Wake me when it's over. Share this article!
A 'dead man walking' is a person freely walking and moving (i.e. alive) but certainly very soon-to-be killed.
There is no such phrase. There is a word rampage. It is of Scottish origin, perhaps from RAMP, to rear up.
The Spanish for "I have put" is he puesto, could this be the origin?
Origin: This phrase is from the mid-1800's and originally referred to Native Americans who were often at war with settlers about land rights. The expression meant 'going to war.'
It's not a phrase, and it's one word "armpit". Origin is from Old English earm "arm" and pytt "hole in the ground".
The origin of the phrase 'dead easy comes from the English language. The term dead actually meant 'simple' or 'completely' and dates back to the 14th century with this usage.
Checkmate comes from the Persian phrase "shah mat," which means "the king is dead."
Cowboys loved a colorful phrase! This meant by rights, by strict justice. "By good rights, you ought to be dead," said the cowboy.
A 'dead man walking' is a person freely walking and moving (i.e. alive) but certainly very soon-to-be killed.
There is no such phrase as "eat you".
During a speech in the spring of 1966, Ho Chi Minh said the phrase "Di bo chet" (The Walking Dead) to describe the Marines in the valley.
There is no such phrase. There is a word rampage. It is of Scottish origin, perhaps from RAMP, to rear up.
The possessive noun phrase is the fathers' rights.
The possessive noun phrase is the fathers' rights.
The phrase "alpha male" originates from studies of animal behavior, particularly in wolf packs, where the alpha male holds a dominant position in the social hierarchy. It has since been extended to describe dominant or assertive human males in various contexts.
Dead to Rights happened in 2002.
"on the rocks"