bury the hatchet
Meaning: to make peace; to settle a dispute.
Language: English
Literally: to bury the hatchet
Category: Animals
Origin: One of the rare idioms whose literal origin is exactly what it appears to be. Among the nations of the Haudenosaunee, the Iroquois Confederacy, the founding tradition of the league describes weapons being buried beneath a great tree of peace, and the physical burial of hatchets formed part of real treaty ceremonies — a ritual chosen because it made reconciliation tangible and, crucially, difficult to reverse in a moment of anger. English colonists in New England recorded the practice in accounts of treaty negotiations during the 1600s, and the phrase entered English directly from those descriptions rather than through any metaphorical invention. It is among the small number of expressions in everyday English borrowed wholesale from Native American diplomatic practice.
More idioms — Animals
- a nose for something — a talent for finding or recognizing something; keen instinct.
- Il y a anguille sous roche — Something suspicious is quietly going on beneath the surface.
- Ménager la chèvre et le chou — To try to please both sides of a conflict without committing to either.
- Prendere due piccioni con una fava — To achieve two goals with a single effort.
- 猫舌 (Nekojita) — Unable to handle hot food or drinks.
- Ни пуха ни пера (Ni pukha ni pera) — Good luck — to which the ritual reply is 'To the devil!'.
More English idioms
- a storm in a teacup — excessive fuss over something trivial; tempest in a teapot.
- get the ball rolling — to start something; to initiate a process.
- as tough as old boots — very strong; enduring; difficult to break.
- head honcho — the person in charge; the leader.
- up the creek without a paddle — in a difficult situation without means to escape.
- paint the town red — to celebrate wildly; to party extensively.
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