Where did the saying food for thought come from?

Where does food for thought come from? The first records of the phrase food for thought come from the 1800s, but the word food had been used in the sense of something to think about since at least the 1600s. Food for thought always involves something that can or should be mulled over or pondered.

Who first said food for thought?

The modern cliché was used by Mark Twain (A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, 1889): “There was food for thought there.”

What does the phrase food for thought mean?

Definition of food for thought

: something that should be thought about or considered carefully The unexpected test results have given us food for thought.

What's another way to say food for thought?

In this page you can discover 10 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for food-for-thought, like: point to ponder, something to think about, something to chew on, subject for thought, intellectual nourishment, reflections, meditations, stimulation, food and stimulus.

Why does the girl say she now has food for thought?

The girl says she now has food for thought because she keeps thinking about food and has something to speak about when the teacher questions her.

Food for thought: How your belly controls your brain | Ruairi Robertson | TEDxFulbrightSantaMonica

Is it fruit for thought or food for thought?

A complete search of the internet has found these results: food for thought is the most popular phrase on the web. More popular!

What does chew on mean?

DEFINITIONS1. (chew on something) to think about something carefully for a long time, before making a decision about it. The investors have several economic reports to chew on. Synonyms and related words. To think carefully or a lot about things.

How do you use food for thought in a sentence?

What does like chalk and cheese mean?

When you say that two people are like 'chalk and cheese', you are suggesting that the two are very different from each other; they have nothing in common. The expression, which has the same meaning as 'apples and oranges', can be used with things as well. No one is really sure about the origin of this idiom.

What is the meaning of don't put the cart before the horse?

Definition of put the cart before the horse

: to do things in the wrong order People are putting the cart before the horse by making plans on how to spend the money before we are even certain that the money will be available.

How do you say food for thought in French?

It's food for thought. Ça donne à réfléchir.

What is the meaning of at a drop of a hat?

Immediately, without delay, as in We were ready to pack our bags and go on vacation at the drop of a hat. This phrase probably alludes to signaling the start of a race or other contest by dropping a hat. [ Late 1800s]

What is the meaning of put a cork in it?

Definition of put a cork in it

chiefly US, informal. —used as a rude way to tell someone to stop talking and especially to stop complaining Why don't you put a cork in it! I'm sick of your whining!

What is the meaning of give the cold shoulder?

Definition of the cold shoulder

: cold and unfriendly treatment from a person known to one He got the cold shoulder from his former boss when he saw him at a restaurant.

What does being at sixes and sevens mean?

phrase [usually verb-link PHRASE] If you say that someone or something is at sixes and sevens, you mean that they are confused or disorganized. [informal]

What does the term give up the ghost mean?

phrase [VERB inflects] If someone gives up the ghost, they stop trying to do something because they no longer believe they can do it successfully. If a machine gives up the ghost, it stops working. [informal] Some firms give up the ghost before they find what they are looking for.

What does the phrase through thick and thin mean?

Definition of through thick and thin

: through many difficult times over a long period She stood by me through thick and thin.

What are the 2 examples under food for thought?

My daughter has given me some food for thought about how she organizes her toys and now I'm wondering if this can become an innovative business idea. My uncle reads the newspaper to get some food for thought about the current on-goings in the world. To listen to her speak at such conferences is a real food for thought.

How do you use couch potato in a sentence?

They are a very active breed but, like greyhounds, as indoor dogs they are couch potatoes and need little real exercise. He stated that his goal was to move couch potatoes from the television screen to the computer screen. Pointers are habitual couch potatoes who enjoy relaxing on the family's chairs or sofas.

What does polished off his plate mean?

finish eating all the food on one's plate or on the table. “She polished off the remaining potatoes” synonyms: eat up, finish.

What does mince your words mean?

If you say that someone does not mince their words, you mean that they speak in a forceful and direct way, especially when saying something unpleasant to someone. The doctors didn't mince their words, and predicted the worst.

What does chew your ear off mean?

Dating from the first half of the 1900's, this idiom alludes to a person talking so much that they abuse the other person's ear to the point that it falls off. The variation 'chew someone's ear off' is similar, but with the connotation of the ear being 'worn away' from overuse.

Is on the back burner meaning?

Definition of on the back burner

: in the position of something that will not receive immediate attention and action She put her singing career on the back burner to pursue her dream of being a movie star.

What does drop in the bucket mean?

A very small quantity, especially one that is too small. For example, These contributions are just a drop in the bucket; the new church wing will cost thousands more.