Friday, April 1, 2011

Whats the origin of the term "washed up"?


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Why: It's Friday, Friday TGIF "Step by Step" J.T. Lambert Brandon Call this blog about Washed Up Celebrities
So what... like washed up on the shore?

Answer: No! Like washed up after a long dusty day on the assembly line!
At the end of a day's work a factory worker usually washes his hands. From the motion of washing hands after finishing a job came the expression 'all washed up,' finished with anything, which led to its later meaning of a business failure, finished with everything, or anything that has become obsolete and unfashionable. The expression dates back to the early 1920s.
Source: Phrases.uk.org, Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins

The More You Know: Wondering what happened to Tori from "Saved by the Bell"? Yeah, me neither - she was the worst - but you can read about her here.