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18th century fabric merchants
- The origin of the idiom “no strings attached” is directly tied to 18th century fabric merchants who would mark flaws in woven cloth by tying small strings to the bottom of the bolts at the locations where flaws were present.
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The Origins of “No Strings Attached”. Like many idioms, the exact origin of “no strings attached” is unclear. However, one theory suggests that it may have originated in puppetry. Puppets are often controlled by strings or wires that allow them to move and perform actions on stage.
The origin of the idiom “no strings attached” is directly tied to 18th century fabric merchants who would mark flaws in woven cloth by tying small strings to the bottom of the bolts at the locations where flaws were present.
- Etymology
- Pronunciation
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- Further Reading
From strings (“(figurative) conditions, limitations, restrictions”), possibly from an old prank where a money purse with a hidden string would be placed on the ground, and pulled away when someone tried to pick it up.
(Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /nəʊ ˌstɹɪŋz‿əˈtæt͡ʃt/(General American) IPA(key): /noʊ ˌstɹɪŋz‿əˈtæt͡ʃt/Rhymes: -ætʃtHyphenation: no strings at‧tachedno strings attached 1. (idiomatic, originally US, informal) Without conditions or obligations; without a catch. 1.1. Synonyms: unconditionally, ziplessly 1.2. For a friend, I’ll help out for free, no strings attached. 1.1. 1883 March 24, “Current Topics. Marriage.”, in W. T. Baggett, editor, Pacific Coast Law Journal,[…], volume XI, number 5, San F...
No Strings Attached on Wikipedia.Wikipedia“no strings attached” under “string, n.”, in OED Online , Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, March 2024.“no strings attached, phrase”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.Etymology: From no strings attached. The phrase “string attached” is a common idiom used in everyday language. It refers to a situation where there are certain conditions or requirements that must be met before something can be obtained or achieved.
Meaning: If something has no strings attached, there are no obligations or requirements involved. Country: International English | Subject Area: General | Usage Type: Both or All Words Used. Contributor: Siddhartha shankar.
Without conditions or restrictions, as in They give each of the children $10,000 a year with no strings attached. This expression dates from the mid-1900s, although string in the sense of "a limitation" has been used since the late 1800s.
no strings attached. Meanings. According to one source [1], the origin of this phrase is from the cloth industry, where a small flaw in a fabric would be marked by a string so it could easily be spotted. This suggests a meaning of "without flaws". How to pronounce "no strings attached": AU. Characterized by an absence of conditions or obligations.
