• E PLURIBUS UNUM---Out of many, one; from many, one.---Poem Moretum
• new!  EAGER BEAVER---Ambitious; hard working.---"The new salesman is an eager beaver."---Beavers are known for their industriousness.
• EARLY TO BED, EARLY TO RISE, MAKES A MAN HEALTHY, WEALTHY AND WISE---Early risers get a jump on everyone else.---Fitzherbert (1523)  Husbanddrie  "Erly rysyng maketh a man hole in body, loler in soule, and rycher in goodes."
• EARMARKED---A thing set aside for a definite use.---"That material has been earmarked for the new project."---English farmers used to notch the ears of their cattle to identify them.  Hogs are earmarked to this day.
• EASIER SAID THAN DONE---Easier to talk about than to do.---"Most things are easier said than done."---Also used as "No sooner said than done." It will be done right away; easy.  Heywood (1546) l Proverbs  "That is, sooner said then doone."
• new!  EASTER EGGS---(story) Saint Simon of Cyrene, an eggler by trade, was a bystander as Jesus carried the cross bound for Calvary. A theory promoted by a medieval Gnostic sect suggested that Simon not only carried the cross but, by somehow exchanging bodies, endured the crucifixion. When he later "returned" to his own body, he found that his eggs had been fantastically decorated, a story that led to the coloring of eggs tradition.
• EASY AS DUCK SOUP---Requiring no effort---"This is duck soup."---The old analogy is that a pond or puddle is called "duck soup."  A puddle caused by rainfall will materialize without human effort.
• EASY AS FALLING OFF A LOG---Very easy.---Bridge (1917)  Cheshire Proverbs  "They'd find it as easy as falling off a log, you see!"
• EASY AS PIE---A pleasantly uncomplicated task.---"This is going to be easy as pie."---The eating of the pie is pleasant and easy.  (1895)  (magazine) Outing  "Green dogs are pie for him (the raccoon).
• EASY COME, EASY GO---That which comes to one easily is easily spent.---Heywood (1546)  Proverbs  "Light come, light go."
• EASY PICKINGS---A person or thing easily mastered.---"That was easy pickings."---Picking fruit is a good example.  Easy pickings are those you can reach without climbing.
• EAT CROW---Admit wrong doing; submit to humiliation.---"I guess I am going to have to eat some crow."---Crow is not a popular fare, one would have to lower oneself to eat crow.  (1888)  Atlanta Constitution  An American soldier in the war of 1812 bagged a crow while hunting; a British officer who saw the deed complimented the soldier on the shot (an armistice was in force) and asked to see the gun.  The soldier handed it to him, whereupon the British officer trained it on the soldier, upbraided him for trespassing and forced him to take a bit of the crow.  The officer gave back the gun, and then the soldier turned the gun on the officer and forced him to eat the rest of the crow.
• EAT HUMBLE PIE---Acknowledge an error; be apologetic; submit to humiliation---"He messed up and had to eat humble pie."---The original word was "umble" an umble pie was made from the umbles of the deer, the heart,liver and entrails. The huntsman dined on umble pie while the lord and lady dined on venison. (16th century)
• EAT ONE'S OWN WORDS---Make a bad statement.---"I spoke to fast, now I am going to have to eat my words."---E. Ward (1710)  Nuptial Dialogues  "I'll make you eat your own words before I've done."
• EAT YOU OUT OF HOUSE AND HOME---Heavy eaters.---"Those two kids would eat you out of house and home."---(1400)  Towneley Plays  "But were I not more gracyus and rychere berfar, I were eten outt of howse and of harbar."  Shakespeare Henry IV  "He hath eaten me out of house and home; he hath put all my substance into that fat belly of his."
• EAT YOUR HAT---Expression used when one is sure of his position or prediction.---"If it doesn't rain today I will eat my hat."---Charles Dickens  Pickwick Papers  "Well, if I knew as little of life as that, I'd eat my hat and swallow the buckle."
• EAT YOUR HEART OUT---Concern; worry.---"I won this time, eat your heart out."---Taverner (1539)  Proverbs  "Eate not thy harte, consume not thy selfe wyth cares."
• EATING HIGH ON THE HOG---Able to afford the more expensive cuts of meat; living lavishly."He is living high on the hog since he got his raise.
• EGG IN YOUR BEER---Not satisfied with what you have.---"So what do you want, egg in your beer."---Joseph Bishop (1946)  American Speech  "An answer to any and all complaints."  John L. Riordan American Speech.  "According to the superstition prevailing in certain strata, the eating of eggs lends on sexual power.  The idea is strikingly demonstrated by the bartender's lingo for an order of beer with an egg in it: 'One sexy!'"
• EGG ON---Encourage someone to do something they are unsure of or undecided about.---"He just keeps egging him on and he is going to get upset."
• EIGHTY SIX THAT IDEA---Throw it out; don't use it.---During prohibition Chumleys Bar and Restaurant located at 86 Bedford St. in Greenwich Village, New York City, was a popular Speakeasy. When agents were seen by lookouts they would give the signal "Eighty Six" and the patrons would exit and the booze would be hidden. So to eighty six something was to get rid of it.
• ELBOW GREASE---The physical effort applied when rubbing, polishing, etc.---"Come on, use a little elbow grease, let's get this done."---When someone is working at polishing or scrubbing it looks as though the elbow may need some lubrication.
• ELEVENTH HOUR---Last possible time to make a decision; close to the end.---"They always wait till the eleventh hour to decide."---Babylonians, Greeks and Hebrews adopted the use of sundials whose faces were divided into twelve segments. Hours were counted from daylight to dusk, with darkness coming at the twelfth hour.---Bible: Matthew 20:1Parable of the labourers in the vineyard, mentions the eleventh hour.
• END OF ONE'S ROPE---Exhausted all resources; the end.---"I am not going to fight this anymore, i've reached the end of my rope."---With his horse tied to a post with a length of rope, a rider could rest while his horse grazed. A horse would graze all the grass in his reach and could be found straining to eat grass barely within his reach. This picture alludes to a human who has exhausted all his resources and is at the end of his rope.
• END OF YOUR STRING---To have exhausted all options.---"I don't know what I am going to do, I am at the end of my string."---John Fitzherbert (1523)  A Newe Tracte or Treatyse Moost Profytable for All Husbande Men  "As long as thou eatest within thytedure, that thou nedest not to begge nor borowe of noo man."  Benjamin Malkin (1809)  Adventures of Gil Blas  "At length she got to the end of her tether...."
• ENOUGH IS ENOUGH---The limit has been reached.---"I have had it with this income tax, enough is enough."---Heywood (1546)  Proverbs  "As for money, enough is enough; no man can enjoy more."
• EUREKA!---(Greek) I have found it.---Archimedes (287-212 B.C.)  Archimedes was taking a bath, some of the water ran over, and he exclaimed "Eureka!" he concluded that a body must displace its own bulk in water. This method is used to test the purity of gold.
• ET TU, BRUTE?---You also, Brutus?---Allegedly, exclaimed Julius Caesar when he recognized his close friend Marcus Brutus among the conspirators who in 44 B.C. stabbed him to death.---Often used today to express dismay that a friend or associate has turned against you. Often used in jest.
• EVEN A BLIND SQUIRREL (PIG) FINDS AN ACORN ONCE IN A WHILE---Even the most inept have success once in a while.
• EVEN A BROKEN CLOCK IS CORRECT TWICE A DAY---Everyone is right once in a while.
• EVEN STEVEN---Fair; even; equitable.---"Here is the money I borrowed, now we are even steven."---Alliteration.
• EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING---Some good may come out of any gloomy situation.---John Milton (1634) Comus
• EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY---A good day comes to everyone once in a while.---Heywood (1546)  Proverbs  "A dog hath a daie."
• EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS---O'Keeffe (1791) Wild Oats "Here, it's not much!, but every little helps."
• EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF---You are on your own; don't expect help.---"It looks like it is every man for himself."---(Chaucer (1386)  Knight's Tale  "At the Kynges court, my brother, ech man for hymself, ther is noon oother."
• EVERY MOTHER'S SON---Almost everyone; everyone.---"Every mother's son must have been at the meeting."---T. Wilson (1560)  Rhetorique  "Die we must euery mothers sonne of us."  (Also Every Man Jack)
• EVERY TOM, DICK AND HARRY---Anyone who comes along; no specific person; everyone in general.---"I put an ad in the paper and every Tom, Dick and Harry called me."---In some form this can be traced back as far as the 16th century.  Mark Twain (1885)  Letters  "His simple pleasure in the flowers and general ruck sent to him by Tom, Dick and Harry from everywhere."
• EVERYBODY AND HIS BROTHER---Most everybody; everybody.---"It sure was crowded, everybody and his brother must have been there."---(See Every mother's son.)
• EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT THE WEATHER, BUT NOBODY DOES ANYTHING ABOUT IT---Everybody complains about things, but nothing is done about it.---Mark Twain
• EVERYTHING'S HUNKY-DORY---Everything is fine.---(1868) Hunkidori was the name of a breath freshener introduced in 1868.---Honkidori was the name of a street in Yokohama, japan, waterfront district where a sailor on shore leave could find about anything his heart desired.
• new!  EVIL EYE---Evil look; glare.---"I said something funny about my mother in law and my wife gave me the evil eye."---Originally from the Scottish yelder ee'd which meant one who had unusual ocular characteristics and were considered to be possessed by demons. They were able to cast a spell by looking at someone.
• EYES ARE THE WINDOW TO THE SOULA persons thoughts can be ascertained by looking in his or her eyes.---Cicero (106-43 B.C.)  "Ut imago est animi voltus sic indices oculi."  (The face is a picture of the mind as the eyes are its interpreter.)
• EYE FOR AN EYE---An equal exchange; the punishment should match the crime.---"I believe in an eye for an eye."---Bible: Exodus 21:23-25  "And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand,foot for foot..........."
• EYE OF A NEEDLE---Bible:  Matthew 19:24  "And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."  The needles eye was a small pedestrian opening in the walls of Jerusalem.  A small camel could by kneeling down struggle through the opening.  A rich man is less likely to humble himself before his maker.
• EXPERIENCE IS THE BEST TEACHER---One learns more from experience than from books.---Roger Ascham (1568) The Schoolmaster
• EXPERIENCE KEEPS A DEAR SCHOOL BUT FOOLS WILL LEARN IN NO OTHER---Fools learn the hard way.---Franklin (1736)  Way of Wealth in Works  My father used this saying quite often, do you suppose he was trying to tell me something?

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edited by Linda Clark