ORIGIN OF THE TERM "FAR-FETCHED"

It all comes from the age of exploration, after America was discovered. Sailors and explorers would bring back amazings creatures and products from their travels: Strange birds, tobacco from the Indies, spices that were never seen in Europe before, and so on. All these precious items were known as "far fetched goods", fetched from far away.
Often, with these imports came the stories surrounding them, tall tales about other people, strange creatures and places that the explorers had seen on their travels. These far fetched tales were heavily exagerated and tended to be treated with ecepticism, which is why the phrase has come to mean an improbable tale or story.

ORIGIN OF THE WORD "GOSSIP"

In the old times, early politicians required feedback from the people to determined what was important and relevant to the public in general. And because there were not telephones, televisions or radio, the politicians used to send their assistants and servants to the taverns and pubs. They were supposed to go sip some ale, and at the same time listen to people's conversations and political concerns.
So, the assistants were told, "You go sip here", "You go sip there". The two words "go and sip" were eventually put together as "gossip" when referring to the local opinion, until nowadays.

TO HAVE A CHIP ON YOUR SHOULDER

The origin of this expression goes back to the 19th century, one way to chalenge someone to a fight was to place a wood chip on your shoulder and invite someone to knock it off at their own risk. It was a challenge as it was a knight throwing his gauntlet, if the opponent picked up the glove, or knocked the chip off your shoulder, the challenge was accepted and the fight was on.
Since then, someone who goes looking for a fight, and maintains a snotty and belligerent attitude, has a chip on his shoulder.

ORIGIN OF "FEATHER IN YOUR CAP"

There are various theories about where this expression comes from. But the most prevalent one takes back to the medieval Hungary. At the time, any young man who had killed an enemy in battle was permited to display his achievement by wearing a feather in his cap.
A similar, but less bloody theory says the phrase is British and derives from the practice of huntsmen plucking a feather from the first kill of the season to wear in their hats. During the Dark Ages, knights advanced the tradition by adorning their jousting helmets with large plumes of ostritch feathers.
So, nowadays, a success or achievement thay may help you in the future is a feather in your cap.

ORIGIN OF DOGSBODY

In the English language there are hundreds of slang words with nautical origins, like in this case, dogsbody.
During the Napoleonic wars, the Eglish crown provided a very poor diet for the sailors. It was something like a type of boiled pease pudding. The sailors called this grub "dogsbody", because it was thought that even rotten dog meat wouldn't taste so awfull. With the time, the name was transferred from the dish to the people who had to eat it, usually the lowest class of the crew, who were also given the worst jobs aboard the ship. With the years the word became comon in informal language, meaning someone who is given the dirtiest jobs to do.

ORIGIN OF: DOUBLE DUTCH, DUTCH COURAGE AND GOING DUTCH

More word origins and meaning of the English language, today we'll talk about phrases with the word "Dutch".

Despite centuries of good relations with the Dutch people, the English language still keeps some references to the rivalry that existed once between England and The Netherlands.
Around the XV century, three Anglo-Dutch wars were fought over shipping rights and colonial territory, and at that time the English began to use the word "Dutch" in a pejorative way. Anything nonsensical or needlessly complicated was "Double Dutch". When we hear an incomprehensible talk we say: "It sounds Doule dutch to me".

Courage spurred on by alcohol was "Dutch Courage", and anyone who preferred to split a bill equally rather than treat their friends was considered "Going Dutch".

ORIGIN OF THE WORD "CORNY"

At the beginning of the 20th century, seeds companies in America started sending out catalogues to the farmers to advertise their goods. To spice up the catalogues, they would sprinkle jokes and cartoons throughout the pages. The jokes on the pages were of low quality, and the catalogues started to be known as "corn catalogue jokes", wich was then shortened to "corny", and eventually applied to all humour considered embarrassingly unsophisticated.

PECULIARITY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Via: 9gag

ORIGIN OF THE EXPRESSIONS "CRACK A SMILE" AND "LOSING FACE"

In the old days, personal hygiene was very poor. As a result, many people had developed acne scars by adulthood. The women used to spread bee's wax  over their faces to smooth out their complexion.
When they were speaking to each another, if one woman stared at another woman's face, she was told: "Mind your own bee's wax.
If the woman smiled, the wax woul crack, hence the term "crack a smile". And sometimes in winter when they sat close to the fire, the wax would melt, hence the expression "loosing face".

BOB'S YOUR UNCLE

British politics played a part in shaping the English language. In the sentence "Bob's your uncle", Bob was actually Lord Salisbury, British prime minister, on and off, from 1885 to 1902. In 1885 Salisbury appointed his nephew, Arthur Balfour, to the position of secretary for Scotland, a post his nephew was not at all qualified for. A lot of people cristisized this action: Balfourd only got the job becouse job was his uncle.
Since then, when something is easy or effortless to achieve, we always say "Bob's your uncle".

AT THE DROP OF A HAT

Origin of the expresion "at the drop of a hat".

Everything started with politics. Two hundred years ago it was common for political wrangles to get out of the debating chambres onto the duelling fields. In 1804, the vice president Aaron Burr, killed the former secretary of the treasury Alexander Hamilton in a duel in New Jersey.
Duelling was illegal but quite common, and obeyed a strict code of conduct. Two men faced off at a distance and exchanged shots when a third person droped a handkerchief or a hat. And since then we use the phrase "at the drop of a hat" to imply an eager and rapid response to something.

APPLE OF YOUR EYE

Origin of the expression "Apple of your eye"

The apple of your eye is in reality the pupil. In the 9th century, because of its spherical shape, was called "the apple of the eye" presumably because apples were the most common globular object around. In medieval times they knew little about the anatomy of the eye, but they knew the pupil allowed us to see, and was therefore one of the most precious parts of the body.
With time the phrase became an affective term for those appreciated, implying someone was as precious as sight. And becoming one of the most used cliches nowadays.