In a farewell speech, Boris Johnson, former Prime Minister of the UK, uttered the term “them’s the breaks,” which confused many people, know its meaning and origin
On Thursday, July 7, Boris Johnson announced his resignation as the leader of the Conservative Party following a string of political events in the United Kingdom. However, apart from his departure, something also went viral on social media platforms.
During his farewell speech, he uttered the term “them’s the breaks,” which went viral on various social media platforms. People are still unsure of the meaning of the term that he said in his statement of resignation at 10 Downing Street.
Them’s The Breaks Phrase Origin And Meaning And Why Boris Johnson Used It As He Resigns As UK PM
The political leader’s use of such a casual phrase in a public setting, let alone when announcing his resignation from one of the most prominent posts, was very out of the ordinary. That’s why lots of people are discussing it. So, here’s what we know about it:
Them’s The Breaks Meaning Explained
Boris remarked during his address on Thursday,
I know that there will be many people who are relieved and perhaps quite a few who will also be disappointed” before adding “But them’s the breaks.
The phrase “them’s the breaks” is used when something unjust or unpleasant occurs and you have no alternative but to accept it, according to Linguaholic. It only serves as another way of stating, “It is what it is.”
The phrase can also be expressed as “dem’s the breaks,” “them’s da breaks,” and “that’s the breaks,” according to the sources.
This proverb is obviously fully informal, making it improper for the workplace or for official meetings and conversations.
Origin Of Phrase “Them’s The Breaks”
Grammarist claims that the term originated from North America. However, it is widely reported that billiards or pool was the original source of inspiration for this phrase. The act of “racking the balls up”—the arrangement in which the balls are placed before play—occurs in the pool game.
The opening shot, usually known as breaking, is then made by one player as the game begins. Getting the balls as near to the table pockets as you can while spreading them out over the table is the whole objective of breaking.
The balls will finally settle down in various spots on the table once the first player breaks and launches them in all directions. This outcome cannot be modified.
In other words, regardless of how good or bad a break is, each player must make the most of their ball placement on the table and accept the current circumstances.
Why does This Phrase Confuse The Public?
People from all around the world, not just British citizens, watched Boris give his resignation address as he left his position as UK Prime Minister. And when he added, “them’s the breaks,” many people didn’t even understand what he meant.
The confused went on several social media platforms to express their thoughts about this phrase. As one confused Twitter used tweeted,
What does them’s the breaks even mean?? I’m lost on that one.
While another went on to ask,
I missed the ‘thems the break’ thing and now everyone is saying it. Please can someone explain what it means