10 Common Sayings With Shockingly Weird Backstories

3. The Curious Case of "Saved by the Bell"

"saved by the bell" is often used to describe a situation where someone narrowly escapes trouble or disaster. Its origins, however, are steeped in the macabre practices of 18th and 19th-century burial customs. During this time, the fear of being buried alive was pervasive, and various methods were devised to prevent such a fate. One such method involved attaching a string to the wrist of the deceased, which was connected to a bell above ground. If the person was mistakenly buried alive, they could ring the bell to alert those above. This practice gave rise to the term "saved by the bell," as the ringing would ostensibly save the person from being prematurely interred. While there is some debate about the prevalence of this practice, the phrase itself has endured, evolving into a metaphorical expression for narrowly avoiding disaster. The transition from a literal life-saving mechanism to a common idiom highlights the ways in which language can transform and adapt over time. The story behind "saved by the bell" is a fascinating glimpse into the fears and superstitions of the past. It reminds us of the lengths people have gone to protect themselves from the unknown and how these efforts have been immortalized in language. As we use this phrase today, we are unknowingly connecting with a time when the boundaries between life and death were not as clearly defined, and the fear of premature burial loomed large in the public consciousness.