Bated Breath

S. F., my 12 year old, is writing a metaphor paper, and she's not allowed to use any cliches. They've been focusing on cliches so much that I'm having a hard time not noticing them in my own day to day life.

I was starting to write a post about keeping an eye on my 7 1/2 month old to catch any signs of autism. Of course in the first paragraph, I wrote about waiting with bated breath hoping that he doesn't have autism. Then it hit me, what the heck is bated breath!? I know it means waiting when something is going to take a long time and is difficult, but why bated breath? Why is it still part of our lexicon?

So naturally I stopped writing my post and went on an Internet search instead. I learned that the earliest written occurrence of the phrase comes from Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice in 1596: "With bated breath, and whispring humblenesse." Bated is actually the shortened version of the word abated, which makes a lot more sense, since it means to bring down, lower or depress.

I'll admit I was a little disappointed; I was hoping for something a bit more fun or interesting in the origin. Just as I was about to stop looking into it and get back to my post, I came across a cute poem by Geoffrey Taylor that makes a play of words on the phrase. Here it is:

Cruel, Clever Cat

Sally, having swallowed cheese
Directs down holes the scented breeze
Enticing thus with baited breath
Nice mice to an untimely death.

I hope my time wasting Internet search brings you a smile or chuckle as it did me.