In this blog post, one of our Scientific Team Leads, Paul Wilson CMPP™, explores the changes in meaning that have occurred to well known phrases that we all know and use daily. Do you think ‘blood is thicker than water’? Think again! And some of you may be pleased to know that money itself may not be the ‘toot of all evil’…
Language is living. It’s breathing. It morphs, it transforms, and, sometimes, even the meaning completely changes. It’s like that game of ‘Telephone’ we all played when we were younger…what starts as “Do you want to come over on Thursday” ends up as “Let’s go out for a drink, I’m thirsty.” Well, the same thing has happened with a lot of well-known quotes and proverbs that we’ve all used in our day to day lives. They’ve transformed over time, and in some cases, they now mean the exact opposite of what was originally intended. Recently, this topic came up in one of our team calls and so we decided to delve in to a few examples of phrases that have experienced fascinating flips in their meaning!
1. “Blood is thicker than water”
It’s a classic! Most people use it to suggest that family comes before all else, that the bonds of family are stronger and more important than any other relationships. What we’re essentially saying here is that you should prioritise family over friends or other commitments.
But there’s a twist. The full, original version of this saying is actually “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.” This older version means the exact opposite of how we understand it today. It was meant to convey that bonds formed by choice, such as friendships or alliances (think knights swearing loyalty to each other), are stronger than those simply given by birth, or, without choice. In other words, your chosen family or your comrades can be closer than your biological family.
Over time, the shorter version took over, and the phrase completely flipped in it’s meaning.
2. “Great minds think alike”
We often use this one, I certainly do(!), when we’re with friends and we suddenly come up with the same idea. We use it as if to say, “we’re both geniuses!” But originally, the full phrase was “Great minds think alike, but fools seldom differ.”
So, as it turns out, the saying was actually meant to be a somewhat cheeky reminder that just because you and someone else have the same idea, it doesn’t mean it’s necessarily brilliant. It could just be that you’re both coincidentally thinking along the same, not-so-great lines.
Again, over time, we shortened this by dropping the second half. Now it’s used as a compliment rather than an insult.
3. “Curiosity killed the cat”
This one’s usually used as a warning to keep your nose out of other people’s business. But originally, the full saying was: “Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.”
The original message was a little more forgiving, suggesting that while curiosity can lead you into tricky situations, the rewards of discovery or learning can make it worthwhile. It’s like an encouragement to be curious but with a reminder to balance it with caution. This one resonates with us at RubyDuke given our culture and values! We this curiosity is a good thing and always endeavour to be curious and daring (but not too daring!). Indeed, over time, the cautionary bit of this well-known phrase took centre stage, and the saying lost its original nuance.
4. “Jack of all trades, master of none”
If someone called you a “jack of all trades” today, you might take it as a bit of a backhanded compliment or maybe you think of it more as a dig? It’s usually reserved for someone who’s good at many things but not necessarily great at one thing.
However, the original phrase was “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one”? This full version actually celebrates versatility, suggesting that being skilled in multiple areas can be more valuable than excelling in just one. Over time, the positive spin on being a “jack of all trades” got dropped, and it become a bit of a put-down.
5. “Money is the root of all evil”
We often hear people use this phrase as a cautionary tale against the pursuit of wealth, implying that money itself is inherently bad. But the slightly longer, original version is actually a bit different: “The love of money is the root of all evil.”
It’s not about money itself but rather about the obsession or greed for it. The distinction is subtle but important. Money can be neutral—it’s how you use it or how much you prioritise it that can lead to problems. Somewhere along the way, the “love of” part was lost, and it became a sweeping statement against money in and of itself.
Language—ever changing and always surprising
Whatever linguistical u-turns might happen to our favourite sayings in future, we’ll always be passionate about words. These sayings are proof that language isn’t set in stone. It’s fluid, it changes with time, and sometimes, it even does a complete U-turn. So, next time you use one of these famous quotes, give a little nod to its original meaning—you might even want to use it the old-fashioned way and surprise your friends with a bit of trivia.
As I mentioned earlier, at RubyDuke, we like to stay curious, we love to explore and to be daring! Why not check out some of our other blog posts or next-level lightning sessions to see what’s been piquing the interest of the team lately?
