Old idioms


I'm a fan of old 1960's comic books. In fact, I just re-read the first issue of Fantastic Four that came out in November of 1961. It was not just the origin story of the superheroes but a glimpse into the imagination of the 1960s through the eyes of Stan Lee and Jack Kirkby.

What struck me first was the language, specifically the old 60s slang words. Some of those words and idioms are not really in circulation in 2024. For instance, the term 'lily-livered'—have you ever heard this one?

I actually didn't really know what that meant until I consulted the good old faithful Mirriam-Webster experts:

The basis of the word lily-livered lies in an old belief. Years ago, people thought that health and temperament were the products of a balance or imbalance of four bodily fluids, or humors: blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile. It was believed that a deficiency of yellow bile, or choler, the humor that governed anger, spirit, and courage, would leave a person's liver colorless or white. Someone with this deficiency, and so white-livered, would be spiritless and a coward.

I will likely never use this particular 1960s idiom, but hey, it was fun to learn something new! 

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