Mental Floss: List Show

8 Widely Repeated Phrase Origins, Debunked (2023x5)

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Some sources say that being "saved the bell" was originally a reference to people prematurely declared dead. Or that "dead ringers" were once people prematurely declared dead. Or that wakes were designed to ... you know what? Let's just say there are a lot of erroneous stories related to people being prematurely declared dead. In this episode of The List Show, Erin debunks popular (but incorrect) origin stories for popular expressions, from "bring home the bacon" to "raining cats and dogs."