 Re: "as straight as a die"
This comes from the mechanical engineering branch.
A 'die' is a hard metal stamp used to punch holes in or shape metal. Coins are also stamped with a 'die'.
When a 'die' is being used as a stamp it must be perfectly straight or it would bend then break under the tons of pressure in the machine.
When speaking about a person being 'as straight as a die', it means that that person is honest and trustworthy.
This idiom is used widely in Scotland where engineering is still one of the main means of employment, and where many 'dies' are produced for export. |