“Alive and kicking” is an English idiom that means someone or something is still active and not dead, even if they were thought to be. It can also be used to describe sports teams that come back from a losing position. The phrase originated in the 19th century in America and is an example of an idiom that adds color to conversations.
“Alive and kicking” is an English idiom that refers to someone or something that is not only still alive but still active. The implication with this sentence is that the subject of it may have been considered literally or figuratively dead, but instead still has a lot of life left inside. This phrase is malleable enough to be stretched from its literal meaning to include descriptions of sports teams whose possibilities, at one point seemingly dead, are now alive and well. By most accounts, “alive and well” was first used and gained its popularity in America in the 19th century.
It is possible to use an English-language phrase that has a meaning that may not seem logical if only the literal definitions of the words involved are taken into consideration. Such a phrase is known as an idiom and gets its meaning from how it is used in a culture over time. These idioms allow a speaker to add some spice and color to his or her conversations. A particularly expressive idiom is the phrase “alive and well”.
This idiomatic expression usually refers to someone or something that may have been forgotten or even considered lost or deceased. The sentence contrasts with this assumption. Indeed, the word “kick” makes it sound as if the person or thing in question is doing more than just surviving. On the contrary, the person or thing is actually still active and vigorous. For example, someone might say, “I thought that newspaper went bankrupt years ago, but I found out yesterday that it’s still alive and well.”
Of course, the most literal interpretation of the phrase would be if it referred to someone who was thought to be dead but was actually alive. The use of this particular idiom is much broader than that narrow reading. Indeed, the phrase is often used by journalists and sports commentators to describe a team that has come back from a seemingly insurmountable margin. For example, consider the sentence: “The home team seemed to have no hope of winning, but, after scoring 10 points in a row, they are clearly alive and well.”
The phrase “alive and well” came into vogue in the United States in the 19th century. As with many idioms, it is unclear who coined the phrase. It is still a widely used idiom though, perhaps due to its evocative nature.
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