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The Things We Say

“Sleep tight”?
The saying “sleep tight” dates back to when a bed was made of a wooden frame with a rope lattice strung across it. The mattress was placed on top of the rope. When the rope started to sag, it would be tightened. Thus, sleep tight came to mean to sleep comfortably on a tight or firm bed.

“Strike while the iron is hot?”
This phrase is easily traced back to the blacksmithing trades. In order for a blacksmith to shape his metal, the metal had to be heated and he had to shape it while it was hot. Thus the saying “strike while the iron is hot” means that the greatest chance of success goes to those who act while things are hot, in demand, or popular.

Why do we call it a “flea market?”
There area few theories as to why the phrase “flea market” descries an open-air market, where already-used items are sold. However, the consensus seems to be that the term comes from a literal translation of the French Le Marché aux Puces – the market of the fleas. That market was a popular place to shop in Paris during the 1920s.