What is the origin of the phrase neck of the woods?
The phrase comes from the sense of neck as a strip of land. In Britain, this refers to land with water on both sides, but early Americans used it to mean “a settlement in the woods.”
What does the phrase in the woods mean?
In critical condition; near death’s door.
Where does the expression not out of the woods come from?
DON’T SHOUT UNTIL YOU’RE OUT OF THE WOODS – “Don’t feel safe until you are out of danger. The proverb originated in the United States and has been traced back to ‘Papers of Benjamin Franklin’ . It was used by Abigail Adams (1744-1818) in a letter dated November 13, 1800.
What is the origin of wood?
Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic material – a natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin that resists compression.
What is the meaning of babe in the woods?
Definition of babe in the woods US. : a person who is innocent or who lacks experience When I began my political career, I was a mere babe in the woods.
What is the idiom out of the woods?
Out of difficulties, danger or trouble, as in We’re through the worst of the recession—we’re out of the woods now, or That pneumonia was serious, but Charles is finally out of the woods. This expression, alluding to having been lost in a forest, dates from Roman times; it was first recorded in English in 1792.
Is Woods a Scottish name?
Woods is a common surname of English, Scottish and Irish origin.
What is a root word of Wooden?
Old English wudu, earlier widu “tree, trees collectively, forest, grove; the substance of which trees are made,” from Proto-Germanic *widu- (source also of Old Norse viðr, Danish and Swedish ved “tree, wood,” Old High German witu “wood”), from PIE *widhu- “tree, wood” (source also of Welsh gwydd “trees,” Gaelic fiodh- …
What is a pat on the back?
informal. : a show of praise or approval You all deserve a pat on the back for making this possible. You did a great job, so give yourself a pat on the back.
Who are the Hoovers in a place in the woods?
Helen Hoover and her husband, Adrian, were trailblazers in the American back-to-the-land movement. Well ensconced in their professional lives in Chicago, they made the decision to follow their dream of a simple existence, pulling up their stakes and plunging into the wilds of northern Minnesota.
What makes a place in the woods a good book?
A Place in the Woods is enlivened by warm, humorous anecdotes showing both the struggle and reward involved in joining this small community of rabbits, deer, and distant neighbors. This volume, now available in paperback for the first time, conveys the special joy of each small victory in the wilderness.
When was a place in the woods by Helen Hoover published?
A Place in the Woods, first published in 1969, describes how the Hoovers gradually adapted to the rigors of wilderness survival, relating events that occurred prior to those Helen Hoover described in her bestselling The Girl of the Deer.
Where was the Enchanted Forest in Roman mythology?
Mythology. Romans referred to the Hercynian Forest, in Germania, as an enchanted place; though most references in their works are to geography, Julius Caesar mentioned unicorns said to live there, and Pliny the Elder, birds with feathers that glowed.