The phrase “an ax to grind” has two meanings: in the US, it refers to having an ulterior motive, while in the UK, it means holding a grudge. The term comes from grinding axes on a grindstone and was likely coined by Charles Miner or Benjamin Franklin. Its origins may be apocryphal and possibly come from an older English tale.
There are two meanings to the phrase “an ax to grind.” The first meaning is the traditional American one, which means to have an ulterior motive or personal reasons, other than the obvious ones, for doing something. The British meaning is to hold a grudge or resentment against someone or something.
The term derives from the grinding of axes using a grindstone. Axes were first made of wood and stone, then came to be composed of the best metal available to the person. They are used for splitting wood, felling trees and various other things. They are also a weapon of aggression. The axes are sharpened using a round grindstone which is rotated on an axis via a foot pump.
The term’s origins in both the United States and Great Britain are commonly accepted as originating in America. The British sense of the idiom appears to have been an addition or variation on the American idea. There is little evidence of the notion outside America before the 19th century.
The origin of having “an ax to grind” comes from one of two men from Philadelphia. Charles Miner wrote a cautionary tale about his childhood. In the story, printed in 1810, he was tricked into sharpening an ax for a man using a grindstone. Once Miner finished the task, the man walked away without even saying “Thank you” or rewarding Miner for his hard work.
Naturally, Miner harbored a kind of grudge and used the metaphor to warn others of ulterior motives and self-interest. His story led him to say in 1812: “When I see a merchant who is too polite to his customers… I think that man has an ax to grind”. The hidden motive for the merchant is profit and the metaphor can be interpreted as someone who is kind to get what he wants.
The other man who may have coined “an ax for grinding” is Benjamin Franklin. In his posthumous autobiography, Franklin gives Miner two similar cautionary tales. His autobiography was published 20 years before Miner’s. While many believe Franklin invented the term “an ax for grinding,” he never used the term himself.
Both stories may be apocryphal. That means they’re drawing on an older tale, possibly from England, of someone asking someone else to sharpen an axe, but having an ulterior motive for doing so. The difference is that Miner came up with an idiom or catchy phrase to capture an older idea. This may explain why when the term was introduced in Britain, it came to mean grievance or resentment, which may have been the cautionary tale’s original meaning.
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