WHAT THE DICKENS
This old saying does not come from the writer Charles Dickens (1812-1870). It is much older than him! It has been around since at least the 16th century, Originally 'Dickens' was another name for the Devil.
COPPER
The old word cop meant grab or capture so in the 19th century policemen were called coppers because they grabbed or caught criminals.
KICK THE BUCKET
When slaughtering a pig you tied its back legs to a wooden beam (in French buquet). As the animal died it kicked the buquet.
A LEOPARD CANNOT CHANGE HIS SPOTS
This is another old saying from the Bible. This one comes from Jeremiah 13:23 "Can an Ethiopian change his skin or a leopard his spots?"
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