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Posted by Bob on December 21, 2007

In Reply to: Phrases posted by ESC on December 21, 2007

: : First off, your site is informative and incredible interesting and has helped me a great deal in understanding colloquialisms used on a daily basis by individuals with no gasp as to their meaning.
: :
: : However, I was looking for the origin/meaning of two phrases which I did not see on your site:
: :
: : - wax ecstatic
: : - Jesus wept
: :
: : Please considered adding them, as I would be most interesting in reading about their origins.

: "Jesus wept." is from the Bible, John 11. He cried because his friend died.
:

: : First off, your site is informative and incredible interesting and has helped me a great deal in understanding colloquialisms used on a daily basis by individuals with no gasp as to their meaning.
: :
: : However, I was looking for the origin/meaning of two phrases which I did not see on your site:
: :
: : - wax ecstatic
: : - Jesus wept
: :
: : Please considered adding them, as I would be most interesting in reading about their origins.

: "Jesus wept." is from the Bible, John 11. He cried because his friend died.
:
That's the shortest verse in the Bible, by the way.

To wax ecstatic (or for that matter, to wax lyrical or wax poetic or....) is not a phrase with a traceable origin, as it is ordinary speech. Thousands of people have said such things, without "quoting" anyone. To wax means to increase, or grow. The moon waxes and wanes.

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