Some phrases that I just realized mean something else entirely when you think about it more deeply.
- Baby steps: this phrase is often used to mean start small so it’s less risky and the expectation is that after a number of such baby steps you’ll be ready to take the plunge and take larger, “adult” steps. Whereas for a baby, that first few steps are actually the most risky! From the safety of being able to crawl on all fours, they get to put all their trust in their stubby little legs in order to be able to walk upright and take those so-called baby steps.
- Quantum leap: this phrase is often used to mean a huge advance or breakthrough. However, the word “quantum” means the tiniest possible unit of energy, and is where the field of Quantum Mechanics (the study of the nature of things that are subatomic). So literally, a quantum leap is the smallest possible jump you can make (e.g. the electrons jumping up or down an orbital when excited or releasing such excitement as a photon).
