This is a list of phrases we are all familiar with and most likely use from time to time. The origins of these phrases are often unexpected and strange. As you will see on this list, some of them originate in places you simply wouldn’t believe. If you know of any others be sure to share them in the comments. The source for this list was The Book of Beginnings (out of print).
以下列出的是一些我们熟悉的并且经常使用的短句。然而其中一些短句的出处却是出乎人们意料之外的。从这个列表中你们可以看到,一些短语的出处是你们不敢相信的。如果你们知道其他短语和出处,请不要忘了在评论中与我们分享。这张列表的来源是The Book of Beginnings。
10 Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride 总是伴娘,永远不是新娘。
This phrase, surprisingly, was used to sell Listerine mouthwash! To promote their product, the manufacturers of Listerine employed the personal experience of girls at the time, who desperately wanted to settle down but seemed always to be left on the shelf. First used in the 1920’s, it portrays a situation and a possible explanation for the lack of success these girls had. Here is the transcript of the ad:
令人吃惊的是,这个短句是李斯德林漱口水的广告语!为了促进他们的产品,李斯德林的生产商在当时雇用了一些想要安定下来却一直被挂起的有个人经验的女孩。1920年,广告第一次放映,它描述了一个场景解释了这些女孩为什么没有成功的可能的原因。以下是广告的全部:
Poor Edna was getting on for thirty and most of her girlfriends were either already married, or about to tie the knot. How she wished that, instead of being their bridesmaid, she could be the bride! However, any romance of hers invariably ended quickly. There was a reason. Unbeknownst to her, she suffered from bad breath and no one would tell her, not ever her closest friends. The advertisement sold millions of bottles of mouthwash and also gave the English language a new saying!
可怜的艾德娜快要30岁了,她的很多女朋友要么已经结婚了要么快要喜结良缘了。她也是多么希望步入婚姻的殿堂做新娘而不是伴娘啊!~ 然而,所有的浪漫与她总是迅速终结。有一个原因。大家都瞒着她,她有口臭,没有人会告诉她,即使是她最亲密的朋友也没有告诉她。 这个广告帮助工厂销售了百万瓶漱口水,并且这个新兴的英语也流传了下来。