“Fly off the handle” began as a literal image of an axe head coming loose. It later became a vivid way to describe sudden anger.

“Cry wolf” comes from Aesop’s fable and now means giving false alarms so often that people stop believing the real warning.

This phrase began with old gun mechanisms. Today it means acting too soon, before you are ready or have all the facts.

Breakfast originally meant ending the period without food that happens while you sleep. That is why the first meal got its name.