English Edification Enrichment (29)

What is the meaning of the idiom "not let the grass grow under one's feet?

When you tell an individual "not to let the grass grow under his feet", what you want him to do is to stop wasting time, to stop delaying. You want the person to get on with the job on hand, instead of trying to put things off.

Here are a few examples,

* The Chairman let the grass grow under his feet. As a result, the project wasn't completed on time.
* You can't let the grass grow under your feet. You have millions invested in this project.

What is the origin of "Uncle Sam"?

It is quite common for people, both American and non-American, to refer to the American Government as "Uncle Sam". This is an expression that is generally used in informal contexts.

* Uncle Sam did not take kindly to the comments made by our Government.
* Uncle Sam will punish those who do not pay their taxes.

It is interesting to note that the "Sam" referred to is not the first name of some well-known President or some famous American General. "Sam Wilson" from whom we get "Uncle Sam" was in fact a meat inspector who lived in the United States in the early 19th century. According to one explanation Sam Wilson, an elderly gentleman, was hired by the U.S Army to inspect the meat bought by them. Most of his fellow workers always addressed him as "Uncle Sam". It was Sam's job to inspect the meat and okay it. When he found that the meat was satisfactory, then he put his initials on the container. Instead of "SW", he used to write "U.S". When people asked whether the initials "U.S" stood for the "United States", they were told that it stood for "Uncle Sam"! There is however little evidence to support this story.

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