Have you ever wondered where some of our figures of speech come from? Do you know what it means to really call someone a sight for sore eyes?
This website, The Phrase Finder has many of the answers you might be looking for! The site is a searchable collection of proverbs, American phrases, phrases coined by Shakespeare, nautical phrases, and phrases from the Bible. Search or browse for any idiom or expression and find the historical origins of the common saying.
FYI, the term sight for sore eyes, means a welcome visitor or someone you are happy to see. It's origin Jonathan Swift, in A complete collection of genteel and ingenious conversation, 1738. The actual quote was "A Sight of you, is good for sore eyes".
