With Halloween around the corner, it’s only appropriate to discuss one of the popular spooky idioms we hear. An idiom is a phrase that uses figurative language to communicate, they have a different meaning than the actual words used in the phrase.
In the 19th century, the idiom “Skeletons in your closet” became popular by journalist William Hendry Stowell. This colloquial phrase refers to when someone has an embarrassing fact or undisclosed fact that they want to keep secret. This phrase become more widely adopted when the Victorian author William Thackery used the phrase “they have a skeleton or two in their closet” in his writings.
Another spooky popular idiom that we still use today is “Drop dead gorgeous”. It means very good-looking and is used to compliment a friend. This phrase was first used in 1972, printed in the Shreveport Times, “Cher, drop dead gorgeous”.
You’ve definitely also heard “night owl” - another spooky idiom used to refer to people who stay up late and are more productive then. This was used as a synonym for owl since owls are nocturnal. The term itself however was first used by William Shakespeare in one of his poems.
Are there other popular spooky idioms that you know of? There’s quite a lot more in use today and they continue to grow in popularity.
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