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“Belt and braces” is a metaphorical idiom meaning overly cautious. The British version is “belt and suspenders”. It originated in the mid-1900s and is becoming less common due to modern safety measures. Redundant safety measures are important in some fields, but the phrase may express derision at excessive precautions.
The term “belt and braces” is an example of a metaphorical idiom; the meaning is that a person who “wears girdle and braces” is very cautious. The idea is that a belt supports a person’s pants and that suspenders do the same job. Using both, therefore, is seen as superfluous and unusual, leading to the use of the figurative phrase to describe someone who seems obsessed with safety, or overly concerned with something.
This idiom varies between different English-speaking societies. The British version of this phrase is “belt and suspenders”. The American version, “belt and braces,” refers to a clothing accessory that was once popular in the country, not just as a functional accessory to support trousers, but more recently as a fashion novelty. For example, restaurants and other businesses may use suspenders as part of the uniform, as part of visual “branding”.
Word experts trace the origin of the phrase to the mid-1900s. As braces become increasingly obsolete in American society, this phrase is heard less and less. It’s not a very customary part of the language today, but rather something that may appear in older printed texts, or perhaps with some popular figures who might use them as some sort of branding for their image.
Another way to refer to the idiom “use belt and braces” is the idea of “double belay”. Those who refer to this sort of concept will often use more technical language, such as “redundant security measures.” An important difference is that, while “belt and braces” has the connotation of being superfluous, redundant safety measures are often a deliberate part of the engineering and a very important part of keeping people safe within a particular field or industry. .
In modern times, government regulators in many countries around the world have been tasked with enforcing practical and sometimes redundant security measures. As a result, English speakers and writers may not use the phrase much anymore because a growing focus on safety has made that topic associated with a positive connotation in the modern mind. Since the idiom tends to express derision at excessive precautions, it may be less relevant today than it was in the past; of course, today’s elaborate security systems may still inspire contempt in some individuals, who, in turn, may favor the term.
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