Smart as a whip?

What is the origin of the phrase Smart as a Whip?

SMART AS A WHIP - "Bright, clever, alert. A whip 'smarts' and operates with snap. In the days of horse-drawn vehicles one was often able to urge on the horse merely by flicking or cracking a whip near the animal, and if that failed, you could be sure of results by seeing that the flick or crack touched him lightly. The transfer must have arisen from that widespread exercise. An expression in use early in the 19th century was 'smart as a steel trap,' which does indeed operate smartly too, but by 1860 the 'Mountaineer' in Salt Lake City was printing: 'Mr. A___ was a prompt and successful businessman, 'smart as a whip,' as the Yankees say." From "Dictionary of Cliches" by James Rogers (Wings Books, Originally New York: Facts on File Publications, 1985).

Eat crow?

Where did the phrase Eat crow come from?

To suffer a humiliating experience: “The organizers had to eat crow when the fair they had sworn would attract thousands drew scarcely a hundred people.” The phrase probably refers to the fact that crow meat tastes terrible.

Heavens to Murgatroid!!!

Exactly what and where is murgatroid? I actually thought this was an old saying but it is from a cartoon character called Snagglepuss.

"The character of Snagglepuss originally appeared in 1959 as a minor character on episodes of Quick Draw McGraw, Augie Doggie, and Snooper & Blabber (this episode introduced Snagglepuss's nemesis the master hunter Major Minor). The character proved to have such appeal that he was given his own segment on The Yogi Bear Show when it premiered in 1961. Snagglepuss's favorite sayings were 'Exit stage left' and 'Heavens to Murgatroid.'

"heavens to Murgatroyd" means the same thing as "heavens to Betsy"-that is, very little. It's just an exclamation of surprise like "Goodness gracious!"

Raze to the ground?

Why does the word razed mean torn down?

A little info found here.

Hungry mungry

Why do our stomachs grumble when we are hungry as well as after we eat?

Gettin' pretty

Why do we open our mouths when applying mascara or eyeliner?

Opening your mouth steadies your eyes and helps you keep them open while making up.

Here kitty kitty?

Why do cats always answer to kitty-kitty and hogs to pig-pig-pig?