Where does the saying above board come from?
“Above board” first appeared in print, as far as is known, in the late 16th century, and the phrase originated in the world of gambling, in particular card games. To play “above board” was to keep your cards above the level of the playing table (as opposed to down in your lap) so as to avoid any suspicion of cheating.
What is the idiom of above board?
If something is aboveboard, it’s done in a completely honest, straightforward way. When a company’s business dealings are aboveboard, they act in an honorable, open manner.
What does above board means in law?
phrase. An arrangement or deal that is above board is legal and is being carried out honestly and openly.
What is the meaning of the idiom above all?
: before every other consideration : especially.
What does the idiom Achilles heel mean?
fatal weakness
A fatal weakness, a vulnerable area, as in This division, which is rarely profitable, is the company’s Achilles’ heel. The term alludes to the Greek legend about the heroic warrior Achilles whose mother tried to make him immortal by holding the infant by his heel and dipping him into the River Styx.
What is the sentence of above board?
Everything may have been perfectly honourable and above board. It would have been better if they had been honest and above board about it. That was all clear, open and above board, and no amendment was necessary. The system must be seen to be fair and above board.
What does the idiom fit as a fiddle mean?
Definition of fit as a fiddle : in good physical condition : very healthy and strong I feel (as) fit as a fiddle this morning.
Are by no means?
By-no-means meaning The definition of by no means is absolutely or definitely not. An example of by no means is how you might answer the question of whether you were late or not, if you were definitely on time. adverb.
What is the meaning of idiom a red letter day?
red-letter day. A special occasion, as in When Jack comes home from his tour of duty, that’ll be a red-letter day. This term alludes to the practice of marking feast days and other holy days in red on church calendars, dating from the 1400s. [ c. 1700]
Where does the phrase above board come from?
meaning and origin of the phrase ‘above board’. The adverb above board originally meant with one’s cards visible above the level of the board (that is, the playing table), so as to avoid suspicion of cheating. In A Dictionary of the English Language (1755), Samuel Johnson wrote: Above-board. In open sight; without artifice or trick.
What does the above board mean in gambling?
Above board was originally a gambling term, indicating fair play by players who kept their hands above the board (i.e. the table).
Why are the Gardai called’above board’?
Apparently it’s all above board because they were called in by the gardai but the bottom line is armed soldiers were, by proxy, assisting the banks to recover money owed to them. Idioms browser? Full browser?