By the Seat of My Pants

Here at KHT we love solving your PIA (pain in the #%$) Jobs.  Most of the time we use a combination of science, testing and trial and error to come up with the perfect solution to those jobs of yours that keep you up at night. But every once in a while, we simply have an inkling about what to do based on nearly 50 years of solving some of our industry’s most “unique” problems. The saying (idiom) “by the seat of my pants” means to do something using intuition and experience rather than a plan or method, often in a situation where one is improvising or reacting spontaneously. My team is great at this – they get that feeling, pursue it and are delighted when it works. If you’ve ever watched professional football, and especially Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, you have a great visual of him “improvising”- based on ability, practice, patience, and outthinking the other guys, it’s absolutely amazing! I did some searching and found a bunch of history about some of my favorite idioms. Thanks to Google, hymnary.org, englishstackexchange.com, space.com, wikipedia.org and phrases.org for the info. Enjoy!

The phrase “by the seat of one’s pants” has its origins in early aviation. The expression dates back to the 1930s and was originally used to describe pilots who flew airplanes without the aid of instruments or detailed flight plans. These early aviators relied heavily on their instincts, senses, and gut feelings to navigate and control their aircraft.  Specifically, the term refers to the physical sensation pilots would feel in their seats as they maneuvered their planes. By feeling the vibrations and movements of the aircraft through the seat, they could get a sense of how it was performing and make necessary adjustments. This is not how we usually process parts!!

One of the earliest recorded uses of the phrase was in 1938 in a news article about Douglas Corrigan, a pilot who became famous for his unauthorized transatlantic flight from New York to Ireland. The article mentioned that Corrigan flew “by the seat of his pants,” highlighting his reliance on instinct rather than instruments. Since then, the idiom has transcended its aviation roots and is now commonly used in everyday language to describe any situation where someone is improvising or making decisions on the fly without a predetermined plan.

Here are some of my favorites:

A blessing in disguise – The phrase dates back to the 18th century. It first appeared in the hymn “Since All the Downward Tracts of Time” by James Hervey in 1746. It suggests that something initially perceived as negative might have a beneficial outcome.

Bite the bullet – This idiom originated in the 19th century when soldiers or sailors were often given a bullet to bite on during surgical procedures to help them endure pain. Before the development of effective anesthesia, biting a bullet was one way to cope with extreme pain.

Break the ice – The phrase comes from the practice of icebreaking ships that would break the ice to allow other ships to pass through. In social settings, it metaphorically refers to overcoming initial social awkwardness.

Hit the nail on the head – This idiom dates back to the 16th century and is related to carpentry, where hitting the nail directly on the head drives it in straight and true, meaning to do something exactly right or precisely.

Let the cat out of the bag – The origins of this phrase are uncertain, but one theory suggests it dates back to a market scam in the 18th century where farmers would sell a pig in a sack but substitute it with a less valuable cat. When the cat was let out of the bag, the deceit was revealed.

Piece of cake – This phrase originated in the United States in the 1930s. It refers to something that is as easy as eating a piece of cake. It was popularized by Ogden Nash, an American poet, in his book “Primrose Path.” Some controversy on this one – check it out here. The phrase may have been altered from the original – 1936 O. Nash – Primrose Path 172 “Her picture’s in the papers now, And life’s a piece of cake.”  You will need to ask my team about this one!!

Once in a blue moon – This phrase dates back to the 16th century. A “blue moon” refers to the rare occurrence of a second full moon in a single calendar month, which happens approximately every 2.7 years. 

Spill the beans – The idiom likely originates from an ancient Greek voting system where people used beans to vote. If the container holding the beans was accidentally or intentionally knocked over, the secret votes were revealed.

Take with a grain of salt – This idiom originates from Pliny the Elder’s “Natural History,” written in 77 AD, where he suggested taking a grain of salt with an antidote to poison to make it more effective. It has come to mean viewing something with skepticism.

The ball is in your court – This idiom comes from sports, specifically tennis, where once the ball is in your court, it is your responsibility to make the next move. It started being used metaphorically in the mid-20th century.

Under the weather – This idiom has nautical origins. When sailors were unwell, they would be sent below deck and away from the harsh weather, hence “under the weather.”

When pigs fly – This phrase originated in the 17th century and was used to denote something that is impossible. The imagery of pigs, animals firmly grounded, flying was meant to illustrate an absurdity.

Burn the midnight oil – Before the advent of electric lighting, people used oil lamps to provide light for reading or working late into the night. The phrase dates back to at least the 17th century and was used by poets like Francis Quarles. It’s part of our ethos here until we find a solution. 

Cost an arm and a leg – The origins are not well-documented, but one theory is that it may have come from the high cost of having portraits painted in the 18th century. The more limbs shown, the more expensive the portrait.

Hit the sack – This phrase comes from early 20th century America, where mattresses were often sacks filled with hay or straw. To “hit the sack” meant to go to bed.

No skin off my nose (back) – One theory suggests that the phrase might have originated in the context of boxing or wrestling, where competitors might get bruised or lose skin during the match. If a fight or result did not affect the speaker, they would say it was “no skin off my nose” or “back,” meaning it caused them no harm.

That’s Easy!

This is one that we (me) here at KHT use all the time, it means that we have successfully solved this PIA (Pain in the @%$) Job before.

Don’t forget to send me some of your favorite idioms!