honest

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable | 2006 | 594 words | Copyright

honest honest broker an impartial mediator in international, industrial, or other disputes. Recorded from the late 19th century, the term is a translation of German ehrlicher Makler as applied to himself by the German statesman Otto von Bismarck (1815–98).
make an honest woman of dated and humorous expression meaning, marry a woman, especially to avoid scandal if she is pregnant. Honest here originally meant ‘respectable’, but was probably associated with the archaic sense ‘chaste’.

See also when thieves fall out, honest men come by their own at thief.

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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "honest." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "honest." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-honest.html

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