TRUTH BEHIND FAVE PHRASES

PSYCHO scumbag Al chatbots have been coming up with nonsense meanings for fake phrases, as the Daily Star revealed yesterday.

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Boffins found Google's Al assistant Gemini can “hallucinate” when asked about made-up sayings.

But rest assured, we’ll now give you the real-life facts behind some of your favourite sayings. Here, TOM STICHBURY plots the origins of popular idioms...

Bite the bullet

Derives from battlefield surgeries, when doctors would carry out procedures without anaesthetic before ether came into use in 1846. Patients were also given sticks or leather to bite down on, but lead bullets were more readily available on the frontline.

Break the ice

Before air travel, ships were the main mode of international transport. In the winter months, vessels would often get stuck because of ice formations, prompting the receiving country to send small ships to, yup, break the ice, and clear the way for smooth sailing.

Butter someone up