I love rummaging around common sayings and idioms, trying to find their origins and how they've evolved over time or fallen into common usage. It's enrichment - like trying to tip a Kong toy just right so the treat falls out. What never fails to delight me is when you stumble on to another common word or saying, because there's usually a 20-35% chance its origins are either the British Navy or Army.
Today I discovered the root of the saying 'in the buff,' which dates back to the 17th Century (and a little earlier) when a buff coat was worn on the field doubling both as padding under one's main armour, and as a rather good defence against slashing weapons rather than stabbing. So to run around in the buff was essentially to be under dressed, or unprepared; it'd eventually become to run around naked as we know the saying today.
You might already have known that, but I just spotted it by accident today while looking up what an arquebusier would have been wearing for painting questions. If you've got any other favourite weird little words or sayings with entertaining origins, I'd love to hear them!
