origins of words and phrases

[Fernstruth]

the origin please of the following; painstaking, bye and large, and hum drum

[burnhal]

bye and large is the same as full and bye. A sailing ship term. Basically a ship sailing too close to the wind moves slower- if it moves off the wind a bit the sails will fill and she will move quicker- she is bye and large

[burnhal]

humdrum reduplication- hum sounds dull and boring and humdrum is simply a rhyming repition of this

[burnhal]

should say humdrum is a form of reduplication!

[Quizmonster]

You asked this exact same question yesterday morning and I provided three responses as requested. I felt it odd that you'd posted it in Myths & Legends, I have to say...but what the hey, I thought! Did you see my replies? They're still there.

[Count_Emmup]

I've seen burnhal's definition elsewere and it's almost certanly right - except it's spelt 'by', (i.e. no 'e').

[curlyperm]

hum-drum...............is a million miles from Chicago Town Pizzas apparently?? : )