Poll of the Day > What is the history behind the phrase, 'common sense'?

(+) Yeah! (+)

It is such an American thing. They say he got sense but it doesn't seem so common.

Doesn't surprise me that non-Americans are unfamiliar with common sense

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"common sense" is probably a corruption of "horse sense".

In the era of horsepower, at least drunk driving was A-OK. You could pass the fuck out in the saddle, your horse knew it's way home, and it wasn't going to run into a tree or off a cliff just because.

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It's a polite way of calling a person a moron.

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I found this for you.

https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/common-sense.html

In the original 14th century meaning of the term, 'common sense' was a sense like our other senses. It was an internal feeling that was regarded as the common bond that united all the other human senses, the 'five wits' as they were known, and was something akin to what we now call 'heart'.

By the 16th century, the meaning had changed to be more like our present day meaning, that is, 'the plain wisdom that everyone possesses'.

The actually meaning, I think, is similar to "it goes without saying" or "it stands to reason". You are just supposae to agree without it being explained to you.

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SKARDAVNELNATE posted...

I found this for you.

https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/common-sense.html

The actually meaning, I think, is similar to "it goes without saying" or "it stands to reason". You are just supposae to agree without it being explained to you.

To be fair, 14th century might be as far back as a modern english speaker could go back and have any chance at all of being understood or understanding what was said any more than you'd understand Swahili.

And even then, despite being a primary "English speaker", you'd be speaking/reading/hearing it at the level of a toddler. That far back, English would be a foreign language, but you'd understand it in the same way that a native Spanish speaker now could follow Latin.

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The ability to critically think at a basic level before performing an action

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Far-Queue posted...

Doesn't surprise me that non-Americans are unfamiliar with common sense

I'm surprised you're claiming Americans have it though. I find common sense isn't actually that common with most people.

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wwinterj25 posted...

find common sense isn't actually that common with most people.

Any other cliches up ur sleeve?

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FatalAccident posted...

Any other cliches up ur sleeve?

Only time will tell.


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