Traditional old sayings and phrases are falling out of use

Pearls before swine

Meaning you are wasting your time by offering something to someone unappreciative, the term comes from the New Testament (Matthew 7:6), as translated by William Tyndale in 1526. The phrase went on to be repeated by some of the most renowned British writers including Shakespeare and Dickens.

Nailing your colours to the mast 

Meaning to declare one's beliefs openly, this phrase dates back to the 17th century. when nautical battle colours - or flags - were lowered as a mark of submission. It was also the custom in naval warfare to direct one's cannon fire at the opponent's ship's mast, thus disabling it. If all of a ship's masts were broken the captain usually had no alternative but to surrender. If the captain decided to fight on this was marked by hoisting the colours on the remnants of the ship's rigging, that is, by 'nailing his colours to the mast'. 

Pip Pip

Used to say goodbye in a cheery fashion, this phrase's first known use was in 1907 and is thought to have originated by imitating the sound of a horn.

Know your onions

Meaning to be experienced in or knowledgeable about a subject, some suggest it originates from British lexicographer and grammarian C T Onions, who worked on the Oxford English Dictionary in the 1960s. But it is also claimed that its birth came four decades earlier, being published for the first time in Harper's Bazaar magazine in the United States in 1922. It was one of a set of such phrases, all with the sense of knowing one's stuff, or being highly knowledgeable in a particular field, that circulated in the 1920s.

A nod is as good as a wink

Meaning that you don't need to be blatant with a signal if someone is willing to carry out a task, this phrase dates back to the 16th century. The longer version of the phrase is 'a nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse'.

Spend a penny 

Meaning to need to use the lavatory, which refers to the use of coin operated locks on public toilets in the 19th century.

Mad as a hatter

Though popularised through the Mad Hatter character in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, the origin of the phrase pre-dates it. Mercury was historically used in the making of hats and was known to have affected the nervous systems of hatters, causing them to tremble and appear insane. The use of mercury compounds in 19th century hat making and the resulting effects are well-established, with mercury poisoning is still known today as 'Mad Hatter's disease'.

Knackers yard

This dates back to the 19th century and referred to places where old and injured animals, usually horses, were killed.

Curtain twitcher

While its exact origin isn't known, this phrase refers to a nosy person who watches his or her neighbours, typically from a curtained window.