“Bedbugs or no bedbugs, what's sleep tight' mean?” |
| Bedbugs or no bedbugs, what's sleep tight' mean? Posted: 10 Oct 2010 12:11 AM PDT In recent history, the phrase, "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite" has probably never seemed more apt. But have you ever wondered where that phrase came from? Well, people all over the Internet certainly have, and various theories abound as to the origin of the phrase. One of the common theories is that it derives from the days where there were no spring mattresses. Those who wanted a good sleep had to stretch ropes across the bed, ropes that had to be pulled tight to get rid of any sag. The more sag, the less comfortable the bed – hence "sleep tight." But many, such as Micahel Quinion of www.worldwidewords.org and the folks at the British website www.phrases.org.uk, say there's no evidence to support such theories. Quinon, a former BBC radio and studio manager who also studied physical sciences at Cambridge University, provides advice for the Oxford English Dictionary, according to the bio on his website. The earliest use of "sleep tight" he's ever found is from 1866, when people had been using such beds for a long time. Thus, he wrote in a post on his website that the "late date of the first appearance of the word rather militates against this being the source." According to a post at www.phrases.org.uk, the addition of the "bedbugs" to the phrase has prompted others to believe the "sleep tight" came at a time when you had to pull your bedclothes tighter to keep the bugs out. But, at least to the Oxford English Dictionary, the explanation for the phrase is quite simple, and involves none of the theories floated about. "It seems that tight in this expression is the equivalent of the only surviving use of the adverb tightly, meaning soundly, properly, well, effectively," according to the dictionary's website at www.oxforddictionaries.com. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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