How phrases originated
There are many well-known expressions in English language. One of them, son of a gun , means a rogue or scamp and it is used mostly in America: "You are really naughty, you old son of a gun." Do you know how the expression ‘son of a gun' originated? Well, it is commonly an expression of surprise, based in maritime folklore in the 19th century. This is because at this time of war, when wives accompanied their husbands to sea, births often took place on one of the tables between the two guns on the lower deck, with only some canvas draped across to provide some privacy. Research ascribes the first appearance of the expression in 1708. William Henry Smyth's Sailor's Word Book (1865) coins the term, defining it as an epithet applied to boys born afloat, when women were permitted to accompany their husbands to sea. One admiral declared that he was thus cradled under the breast of a gun carriage. Another expression ‘ Red Herring ' means any diversion intended ...