History of words and phrases

Getting up on the wrong side of the bed: Centuries-old superstition; if your left foot hit the floor first, it's bad luck and you could be grumpy all day.

Room and board: A term from the Middle Ages. The dining table was a board perched on the renters' knees when food was served. Board came to mean the meal itself.

Ask something point blank: The term comes from 16th-century France. In French archery, the center of the target is white (white in French is blanc), you tried to hit the "Point Blanc." It has evolved to mean asking a question directly and to the point.