be/get soaked to the skin

The phrase be/get soaked to the skin is often used in English, but what does this idiom mean? When idioms are used in the right situations, they strengthen communication and enrich the language. You can communicate more effectively by learning the meaning of be/get soaked to the skin.

Meaning of "be/get soaked to the skin"

Meaning

The idiom 'be/get soaked to the skin' means to be very wet, usually due to heavy rain or water, so that your clothing is completely soaked and the water has penetrated through your clothing and reached your skin. The idiom emphasizes how wet and uncomfortable one is, and how one might not feel dry and fresh even after taking off their wet clothes.

Etymology

The origin of the phrase 'be/get soaked to the skin' is unknown, but similar phrases like 'soaked through' and 'soaked to the bone' have been found in English literature going back to the 17th century. The phrase 'soaked through' was used in Thomas Otway's tragedy Venice Preserv'd in 1682. The phrase 'soaked to the bone' was first found in The History of Tom Jones by Henry Fielding in 1749.

Usage

The idiom 'be/get soaked to the skin' is mainly used to describe a physical sensation of being wet, uncomfortable, and unable to dry off quickly due to the large amount of water that has penetrated through clothing into one's skin. It is often used when talking about a person who has been caught in a heavy rain, but it can also be used in other contexts, like a person who has been swimming or someone who has been splashed by a large wave.

Example Sentences

• We were caught in a terrible rainstorm and got soaked to the skin.
• I was swimming and got completely soaked to the skin.
• The waves were crashing over the boat and we all got soaked to the skin.

The Surprising Origins of Everyday English Idioms

Many English idioms have surprisingly dark origins, often rooted in violence, death, and superstition. For instance, the phrase "raining cats and dogs" is said to have originated in the 17th century, when heavy rain would often cause dead animals to wash up on the streets. Meanwhile, the idiom "rule of thumb" is believed to have originated from a law that allowed men to beat their wives with a stick no thicker than their thumb.