ChatterBank0 min ago
Throw One's Weight About
1 Answers
Can anyone tell me where the phrase 'to throw one's weight about' come's from? Thanks!
Answers
Best Answer
No best answer has yet been selected by Weasel. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.
For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.The earliest-recorded use of the phrase in the variant "chuck your weight around" dates from 1917 and the time of the trenches during World War I. The idea expressed there was that you shouldn't do this until you had been "up the line" and knew what was truly going on. Clearly, it means pretending to be more knowledgeable/powerful than you actually are.