So here are the last of the idioms in the order they would have been revealed if the game had continued:
30 - White elephant - a possession which its owner cannot dispose of and whose cost, particularly that of maintenance, is out of proportion to its usefulness. (Wikipedia)
White (albino) elephants were regarded as holy in ancient times in Thailand and other Asian countries. Keeping a white elephant was a very expensive undertaking, since the owner had to provide the elephant with special food and provide access for people who wanted to worship it. If a Thai King became dissatisfied with a subordinate, he would give him a white elephant. The gift would, in most cases, ruin the recipient.
References to Indian and Thai veneration of white elephants dates back to at least the early 17th century. The first reference in English to the idiomatic meaning of the term 'white elephant' comes in 1851 G. E. Jewbury's Letters, 1892: "His services are like so many white elephants, of which nobody can make use, and yet that drain one's gratitude, if indeed one does not feel bankrupt."
4 - All tarred with the same brush - To characterize using the same undesirable attribute, especially unjustly. (Wiktionary)
The reference is probably to the tarring of sheep. Owners of a flock of sheep, which can't be branded, used to mark their wool all in the same place with a brush dipped in tar to distinguish them from sheep of another flock. It is said that the red ochre was used to make the mark and that brushing sheep with tar served to protect them against ticks."
5 - Bite off more than you can chew - to indicate that you’ve taken on too much (
http://www.gingersoftware.com/content/p ... JnEUlMrK00" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank)
There are two possible origins of this idiom; however, we know that it started being used in America in the late 1800s. Some people believe that it originated at the time when many people chewed tobacco. When they were offered tobacco, some people would take a big “bite†of the tobacco – much bigger than they could chew! Others believe that the phrase was created by people watching children stuffing their mouths full of food and not being able to swallow!
29 - Wear your heart on your sleeve - To show your emotions openly; not to try to hide your feelings (especially regarding love) (
https://www.bloomsbury-international.co ... leeve.html" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank)
This phrase originates from a tradition of the King’s Court during the medieval period, when knights would fight on horseback, jousting with a type of long sword called a lance. If a knight chose to joust in order to defend the honour of the woman he loved, then he would show his loyalty to her by tying a handkerchief in her “colours†around his arm on the sleeve of his shirt or tunic. This explains the meaning of the phrase today – the idea of metaphorically showing the “heart†or emotions in a place as visible as a sleeve means that this person displays their emotions truthfully.
The phrase was used by Shakespeare in 1604 in the play Othello. The Character Iago says “I will wear my heart upon my sleeve…†Unfortunately in the play Iago is not a trustworthy character: he is only pretending to show Othello his true emotions. However, usually we can trust a person who wears their heart on their sleeve as they show their true feelings and react honestly in any given situation.
Two very comprehensive sites for idioms and their origins are:
https://www.bloomsbury-international.co ... tioms.html" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank (unfortunately came across it late; would have referenced it more often if found earlier)
http://www.phrases.org.uk/" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank
As mentioned from the beginning some of the origins are disputed across different web sites and books. I was only hoping for fun, which I hope you all had.