Origin of Phrases

Dear Victorious,

I've heard sayings like, "The devil is in the details." Some of them sound as if they could have Biblical origins. Do you know the origins of some of these phrases? And how can we tell if they really have any meaning?

Joe T. - Morrison, CO

Dear Joe,

Well, I've heard phrases like that too. There are way too many of them to say if I know their origins. I am aware though that some do have Biblical origins. Whether or not they have any relevant meaning in modern context is probably debatable. You might want to check out a web site I like to look up phrases on. It's http://www.phrases.org.uk/. Or you can put the phrases in quotations and then Google it to get a variety of opinions as to its origin, meaning and relevance.