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Topic Options #6596 - 09/15/00 03:31 PM sweating bullets apples + oranges newbie Registered: 08/30/00 Posts: 46 Loc: Canada I was wondering, does anybody know the origin of the phrase "sweating bullets"? I heard others use it and I've used it myself, but I've always wondered: WHY BULLETS? "A sobering thought: what if, at this very moment, I am living up to my full potential?" JANE WAGNER Top #6597 - 09/15/00 03:44 PM Re: sweating bullets Brandon enthusiast Registered: 03/16/00 Posts: 218 Loc: Mountain West, USA the origin of the phrase "sweating bullets" A couple of idiom dictionaries listed "sweating bullets/sweating blood." If "sweating blood" is indeed a related idiom, then we can look to (an interpretation of) the biblical account of Christ suffering in the garden for a hint of the etymology. Brandon Top #6598 - 09/18/00 12:20 PM Re: sweating bullets maverick Carpal Tunnel Registered: 09/15/00 Posts: 4757 Hi a&o (is that the opposite of ciao?) This is suggested in blissfully partial ignorance: sweating = operation of easing a solder or other lead-work joint bullets = lead pellets sweating bullets = armourers' delicate task of removing bullet from charge of heat-sensitive gunpowder. But someone correct this... Top Previous Topic Index Next Topic Preview Hop to: General Topics ------   Information and announcements   Q&A about words   Wordplay and fun   Words and languages in schools   Miscellany   Weekly Themes   Looking for (writers, speakers, ...) (Old) Weekly themes. (have been consolidated into a single forum above) ------   Words from medicine   Beheading words   Meta-words   Words from classical mythology   Animal Safari   Words with unusual etymologies   Eponyms or words derived from people's names.   Loanwords from German   English as a global language Moderator:  Jackie  Print Topic Switch to Threaded Mode View profile Send a PM Add to your Watched Users View posts View profile Send a PM Add to your Watched Users View posts View profile Send a PM Add to your Watched Users View posts Forum Stats 8429 Members 16 Forums 13688 Topics 209805 Posts Max Online: 3341 @ 12/09/11 02:15 PM Newest Members sce, Eva, sylviasuper, continent2, a2teacher 8428 Registered Users Who's Online 0 registered (), 43 Guests and 1 Spider online. Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod Top Posters (30 Days) LukeJavan8 85 jenny jenny 58 wofahulicodoc 57 endymion6 50 Rhubarb Commando 37 BranShea 33 Faldage 14 Buffalo Shrdlu 14 zmjezhd 13 tsuwm 11 May Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

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