History of 10 common phrases

Nice explanations, I thought....

clipped from www.cracked.com The Bizarre History of 10 Common Sayings clipped from www.cracked.com #1. "Nitty-Gritty" Now Means: The heart of the matter. As in, "Let's get down to the nitty-gritty, home skillet." Most say it came from ... Nitty-Gritty has two popular origins, both of which may make you feel like a sack of shit for ever using the term. So is that true? #2. "Dead Ringer" Now Means: An exact duplicate. As in, "That stripper's crotch is a dead ringer for your mom's." Most say it came from ... This origin holds that a "Dead Ringer" was a person that was prematurely buried and is supplied with a rope attached to a bell with which to draw attention to the not-so-dead guy in the totally-for-dead-people box. #3. "As Pleased as Punch" #4. "Wrong End of the Stick" Now Means: #5. 'By the Short Hairs" clipped from www.cracked.com #6. "Raining Cats and Dogs" #7. "Bust Your Chops" #8. "Basket Case" Now Means: One that is in a completely hopeless or useless condition. #9. "Bite the Bullet" #10. "Rule of Thumb" As in, "The rule of thumb is one part tonic to four parts gin."