“Bite the bullet” means face something painful bravely, but the popular surgery explanation is not well supported by evidence.
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Why alcohol comes from Arabic
Alcohol entered English through Arabic. It first referred to a very fine powder, then widened to mean a purified substance.
What “jam tomorrow” means, and where it comes from
“Jam tomorrow” means a reward kept in the future and never given now. The phrase comes from a memorable scene in Lewis Carroll.
Why we say “pull out all the stops”
The phrase began with pipe organs. Pulling out more stops made the sound fuller, which led to today’s meaning, make every effort.
Where “red herring” comes from, and what it means
“Red herring” began as a name for a strongly cured fish, then became a metaphor for a distraction that pulls attention away.