Ever wonder...

...where expressions or sayings come from? A while ago while watching a cricket match and listening to commentary heard the expression "safe as houses" and me and Cartman discussed what it meant and how it could have originated. I don't think we got anywhere with that.

But anyway today I was talking to Aparna about how when I was working, I wanted not to work and now that my postdoc term is over I am bored to death doing nothing. Well she said "The Grass is always greener on the other side." And that got me thinking of who came up with the expression and why? What if whoever started that expression had a neighbour who did not water his/her lawn and hence the neighbour's lawn was dry and brown? Would the expression be 180 deg opposite and be grass is greener on our side and be used for things like "I told u so". With the urban landscape changing and grass being rarer to see, wonder if the expression is changed to "The potholes are always wider on our side of the road" or "pavement looks more inviting on the other side of the road".