From Middle English pyke, pyk, pik, pike (“pike; sharp point, iron tip of a staff or spear, pointed toe of an item of footwear; sharp tool; mountain, peak”), from Old English pīc (“pointed object, pick axe”), and Middle French pique (“long thrusting weapon”), from Old French pic (“sharp point, spike”); both ultimately
Where did the term down the pike come from?
Origin of Down the Pike
As the chief roads that connected cities and towns before highways, turnpikes brought untold and unforeseen things: visitors, freight, opportunity. So the use of down the pike to describe the arrival of the unknown makes sense.
What does the phrase coming down the pike mean?
it’s going to happen sometime soon
If you say something is coming down the pike, that means it’s going to happen sometime soon.
Why do people come down the pike?
Coming down the pike means going to happen or appear soon. It can be applied to events and occurrences or to things. It’s especially used in cases in which such things are confidently expected or scheduled.
What is the word pike used for?
Pike is defined as to pierce or kill with a spear. An example of pike is to stab a fish with a spear. A turnpike.
What’s coming down the pipe or pike?
The sentence implies that you are standing beneath the pipe looking up–not a good idea. The original expression is “coming down the pike.” It refers to coming down the turnpike, with the image of something getting bigger as it moves toward us.
What does it mean to have your head on a pike?
A head on a spike (also described as a head on a pike, a head on a stake, or a head on a spear) is a severed head that has been vertically impaled for display.
What does the phrase in the pipeline mean?
1. In process, under way, as in The blueprints for the new machine are in the pipeline, but it will take months to get approval. [Colloquial; 1940s] Also see in the works. 2. Budgeted for something but not yet spent, as in There’s $5 million more in the pipeline for the city schools. [
What’s coming down the pipeline meaning?
US. to appear or be noticed for the first time: Every movie coming down the pike was touted to be more “spectacular” or “hilarious” than anything seen before. Occurring and happening.
What does the name pike mean?
The name Pike is boy’s name of English origin meaning “pike, a fish“. The field of nature names is constantly expanding to include all species of flowers and trees and animals and birds and even fish.
When did Pike’s stop being used?
1699
The Army of the Holy Roman Empire officially stopped using pikemen in 1699. It had been progressively phasing out both pikes and lances since the Thirty Years War.
Where did the saying pipe down come from?
The origin of the expression ‘pipe down’ is nautical. Whistled signals are given to crews via a boatswain’s pipe, with one of those signals meaning “time to go below decks and retire for the evening,” or “be quiet as it’s time for bed.” This has been used since the late 16th century.
What is the meaning of came down?
came down; come down; coming down; comes down. Definition of come down (Entry 2 of 2) intransitive verb. 1 : to lose or fall in estate or condition has come down in the world. 2a : to pass by tradition a story that has come down from medieval times.
Why did people put heads on sticks?
Just like the heads of criminals spiked on the walls of old London Bridge, the purpose of these head stakes must have been to not only mark the boundaries of an estate, but also to warn potential transgressors against the consequences of wrongdoings.
What is the difference between a spear and a pike?
A pike is a longer version that usually require both hands to be used to hold it in position with a length of five plus meters (fifteen to twenty feet). A lance is a spear that is dedicated to cavalry warfare, they’re sometimes long (such as ten or so feet) but again are focused on being used on a horse.
What is the plural of northern pike?
noun (3) plural pike or pikes. Definition of pike (Entry 3 of 8) 1a : a large elongate long-snouted freshwater bony fish (Esox lucius) valued for food and sport and widely distributed in cooler parts of the northern hemisphere. — called also northern, northern pike.
What does the idiom a big fish mean?
: a person who is very well known or important in a small group of people but who is not known or important outside that group.
What does to clutch at straws mean?
Make a desperate attempt at saving oneself
Also, clutch at straws. Make a desperate attempt at saving oneself. For example, He had lost the argument, but he kept grasping at straws, naming numerous previous cases that had little to do with this one. This metaphoric expression alludes to a drowning person trying to save himself by grabbing at flimsy reeds.
What is the meaning of a can of worms?
Definition of open a can of worms
: to create a complicated situation in which doing something to correct a problem leads to many more problems Our boss is reluctant to change the policy now because she doesn’t want to open a can of worms.
What are baby pike called?
jack
Young pike are called ‘jack‘ and will eat small fish and invertebrates. Pike spawn between March and May, returning to the same place every year. A large female can produce up to 500,000 eggs.
Are pike native to Canada?
The northern pike (Esox lucius) is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox (the pikes). They are typical of brackish and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (i.e. holarctic in distribution). They are known simply as a pike in Britain, Ireland, and most of Eastern Europe, Canada and the United States.
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